Ambassador ZHANG Yan, ASEF Executive Director
In 2014, the synergies between ASEF activities and the ASEM process were evident on many occasions:
The 10th ASEM Summit (ASEM10) in October in Milan, Italy offered a unique opportunity for ASEF to make a valuable contribution and to showcase its relevance to the ASEM process. ASEF seized the opportunity by organising 2 impressive events, namely the Model ASEM 2014 and the 7th ASEF Editors’ Roundtable, on the side-lines of the Summit. Both events were highly recognised by the ASEM members. Model ASEM 2014 culminated with a meeting between the student representatives and the ASEM Co-Chair, the President of the European Council, His Excellency Mr Herman VAN ROMPUY, and the President of the European Commission, His Excellency Mr José Manuel BARROSO. The ASEF Editors’ Roundtable helped increase the visibility and raised the awareness about ASEM among senior journalists and media practitioners from Asia and Europe.
Apart from that, ASEF also contributed substantially and significantly to the success of the 6th ASEM Culture Ministers’ Meeting (ASEM CMM6) in October in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The Culture Ministers acknowledged the 7th ASEF Public Forum on Creative Industries and the ASEF commissioned publication, Enabling Crossovers: Good Practices in the Creative Industry, as valuable inputs to the Ministerial Meeting. The Ministers also highly commended ASEF’s efforts in facilitating bi-regional cooperation in arts and culture through culture-related projects.
In 2014, ASEF generated both tangible and intangible results in its 6 thematic areas. The 14th Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights and Businesses, the 10th Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ENVforum) Conference, and the Asia Europe Economic Forum (AEEF) were some of the highlights. Furthermore, ASEF published the ASEF Outlook Report 2014/2015, which provided detailed statistics and useful analysis of ASEM members’ socio-economic development, as well as publications related to sustainable development and other issues. In addition, ASEF revamped and re-launched the ASEM InfoBoard maintained by ASEF, which serves as the official information platform of the ASEM process.
In line with the request of the 10th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (ASEM FMM10), ASEF completed the paper on Suggestions on Closer Synergies between ASEF Activities and the ASEM Process. At the same time, the review of the ASEF Funding Mechanism is progressing according to schedule.
Looking into 2015, ASEF is facing another busy but promising year ahead. With Croatia and Kazakhstan joining the ASEF family, ASEF’s work now reaches 53 members. While focusing on existing core areas of expertise, ASEF will also address new challenges, among others, climate change, urbanisation, connectivity and e-learning. In 2015, ASEF will start the year by organising the 8th ASEF Experts’ Meeting and Public Forum on Creative Cities in South Korea, the 4th ASEM Rectors’ Conference (ARC4) and Students’ Forum in China, followed by the 19th ASEF Summer University (AU19) in India, the 12th ASEF Classroom Network (ASEF ClassNet) Conference in Bulgaria, the 15th Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights and Human Trafficking in Switzerland, and the 11th Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ENVforum) Conference on Sustainable Development Goals. Alongside the 12th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (ASEM FMM12) in Luxembourg, we will also organise the 10th ASEF Journalists’ Colloquium and, for the first time, an ASEF Young Leaders Summit. Furthermore, ASEF will contribute its share to lay a solid ground for the commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of ASEM.
ASEF counts on the continuous support and active participation of all stakeholders: ASEM governments, ASEF Governors, partners and participants in fulfilling its targets set for 2015. I am confident that, with our joint efforts, ASEF will continue to achieve success in its noble mission of promoting mutual understanding and cooperation between Asia and Europe in the year ahead.
Ambassador ZHANG Yan
ASEF Executive Director
