Human Rights and Governance

OVERVIEW

This meeting brought together 34 young diplomats and emerging public sector leaders from 21 countries, including the following new ASEM member countries:

- Cambodia

- Hungary

- Laos

- Latvia

- Myanmar

- Poland

- Slovak Republic

The three-day programme consisted of dialogues with prominent figures in public service; skill workshops on leadership, strategic communications, and crisis management; and focus group discussion sessions. Participants identified four issues as emerging priorities for ASEM:

- Poverty reduction

- Migration and human mobility

- The future of ASEM

- UN reform

During the focus group discussions, participants gave suggestions for initiatives to strengthen the Asia-Europe partnerships in these areas. At the close of the event, participants said they appreciated the opportunity to informally engage in discussions with their counterparts in other ASEM member countries. This was particularly true of those from the new ASEM member countries, who welcomed the interaction as a chance to become familiar with different cultural perspectives.

KEY SPEAKERS

Mr. Simon Tay, Chairman, Singapore Institute for International Affairs

Mr. Kishore Mahbubani, Dean, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore