International Symposium on the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation “ASEAN-Japan Relations: Entering a New Stage toward a Global Partnership”

国際シンポジウム新たなステージを迎えた日・ASEAN関係グローバル・パートナーシップの構築に向けて International Symposium on the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation 2023.3.16 Thursday 会場:ザ・プリンス パークタワー東京コンベンションホール YouTube(同時配信)

The Japan Foundation (JF) will host an international symposium to commemorate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation. Titled "ASEAN-Japan Relations: Entering a New Stage toward a Global Partnership," the symposium will take place on Thursday, March 16, 2023 in Tokyo.

Thirteen distinguished experts from Southeast Asia will visit Japan for this special occasion. Among them is Dr. Marty Natalegawa, former Indonesian Foreign Minister, who played a pivotal role in the formation of ASEAN's own regional cooperation concept, the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). Also attending is Ms. Susan Afan, President of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, which hosts the renowned award known as the "Nobel Prize of Asia." These knowledgeable individuals will join Japanese experts in a series of discussions about new ASEAN-Japan relations for the next half century.

The relationship between ASEAN and Japan began with the ASEAN-Japan Forum on Synthetic Rubber established in November 1973, and has since achieved remarkable development and deepening on the basis of the "heart-to-heart partnership" originating from the Fukuda Doctrine in 1977. The trade volume between ASEAN countries and Japan has grown to exceed 24 trillion yen (in 2021), accounting for about 15% of Japan's total trade. In addition, the movement of people between the two sides has increased dramatically to about 9.4 million people (in 2019). On the other hand, both ASEAN and Japan are faced with the urgent need to further promote international cooperation for the next 50 years to deal with common global challenges such as the destabilization of the international order due to disturbances such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine, climate change and natural disasters, as well as efforts to address economic disparities in each country and to tackle mutual distrust in society. In this symposium, former Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa will deliver a keynote speech, discussing the past and future of ASEAN-Japan relations in a comprehensive manner. Then, three panels will follow in the fields of politics, economy and society, and culture, where experts in each field will examine the current situation and challenges, and consider future prospects.

The symposium will be an excellent opportunity for participants to exchange views and ideas, as well as to reflect on the achievements and challenges of the past 50 years of ASEAN-Japan relations. By fostering a deeper understanding of each other's perspectives and interests, the symposium aims to contribute to the building of a stronger and more dynamic partnership between ASEAN and Japan. We look forward to welcoming our distinguished guests from Southeast Asia and engaging in fruitful discussions on these important topics.

Outline

Project title: International Symposium on the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation “ASEAN-Japan Relations: Entering a New Stage toward a Global Partnership”
Organizer: The Japan Foundation
Supporting Partner: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, ASEAN-Japan Centre
Date: Thursday, March 16, 2023. 13:00-18:00 [Doors open at 12:00] (JST)
Venue: Convention Hall, The Prince Park Tower Tokyo (Capacity: 200-250 pax)
Format: Hybrid (In-person attendance & online streaming)
Language: Japanese and English (Simultaneous interpretation available)
Participation fee: Free (Pre-registration is required. Registration will close when the capacity is reached)
For General Registration: https://forms.gle/tXDbPTLhc6hX5XZm8  (In-person attendance)
https://forms.gle/YpxyahfhLFVX9a2b8  (Online attendance)
For Press Only: https://forms.gle/gftXixvLFCSuG1Lu8  (In-person attendance)
https://forms.gle/kCHUTxMfjtMBRqai9  (Online attendance)

Program

13:00~13:05 Opening Remarks
UMEMOTO Kazuyoshi
President, The Japan Foundation
13:00~13:05 Guests Greetings
 
Marty Natalegawa
Former Foreign Minister of the Republic of Indonesia
Moderator
OBA Mie
[Japan]
Professor, Faculty of Law, Kanagawa University
Panelists
Pongphisoot Busbarat [Thailand]
Director, Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS Thailand)
Le Hong Hiep [Vietnam]
Senior Fellow, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute
Abdillah Noh [Brunei]
Associate Professor, Department of History and International Studies,
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam
Tang Siew Mun [Malaysia]
Director, Political Security Directorate, the ASEAN Secretariat
Moderator
AIZAWA Nobuhiro
[Japan]
Associate Professor, Faculty of Social and Cultural Studies,
Kyushu University
Panelists
Samira A. Gutoc
[Philippines]
Former Commissioner of Bangsamoro Transition Commission
Yenny Wahid [Indonesia]
Director, the Wahid Foundation
Serey Chea [Cambodia]
Deputy Governor, the National Bank of Cambodia
Jessica Cheam [Singapore]
Managing Director, Eco-Business
Moderator
Susan B. Afan
[Philippines]
President, Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation
Panelists
KIBA Saya
[Japan]
Associate Professor, Department of International Relations,
Kobe City University of Foreign Studies
Adulaya Hoontrakul [Thailand]
Director, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre
Souliya Phoumivong [Laos]
Head of Department of Visual Communication Design,
National Institute of Fine Art in Vientiane
Mark Teh [Malaysia]
Performance Maker, Researcher, Curator
17:55~18:00 Wrap-up and Closing Remarks
SATO Yuri
Executive Vice President, The Japan Foundation

Panel Discussion and Speaker

Keynote Speech: Former Indonesian Foreign Minister Dr. Marty Natalegawa will deliver a keynote speech, discussing the past and future of ASEAN-Japan relations in a comprehensive manner.

photo of

Marty Natalegawa

Former Foreign Minister of the Republic of Indonesia

DR. R.M. Marty M. Natalegawa served as Foreign Minister of Indonesia (2009 – 2014). He is the author of Does ASEAN Matter? A view from Within (ISEAS Publishing - 2018).

He is a member of the UN Secretary-General’s High Level Advisory Board on Mediation; the UNSG’s Advisory Board on Disarmament and the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research. He served in the UNSG’s High Level Panel on Global Response to Health Crises and UN President of the General Assembly’s 72nd Session Team of External Advisors.

Dr. Natalegawa was Permanent Representative/Ambassador of Indonesia to the UN (2007-2009); Ambassador to the UK and also to Ireland (2005-2007). He served in various capacities within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia between 1986 and 2014, including as Director General for ASEAN Cooperation.

Within ASEAN, he has been instrumental in pushing for the ASEAN Community through the 2003 Bali Concord II; contributed in initiating the East Asia Summit, the 2011 Bali Concord III on ASEAN Community in the global community of nations, and the 2011 “Bali Principles” which provides for peaceful settlement of disputes and the repudiation of use of force amongst the countries of the EAS.

He was an early advocate of an ASEAN role in the Indo-Pacific through the concept of “dynamic equilibrium”. Throughout, including as Foreign Minister, he actively promoted the management and resolution of potential conflicts in the region.

He has been cited as “one of the most respected foreign policy and international security thinkers of his generation, both within Indonesia, in South-east Asia, and in the broader Asia-Pacific region”.

Panel 1 "Toward Global and Regional Peace and Stability" will discuss the ASEAN-Japan relationship in the political realm. As a common challenge in the world, political and social division is becoming more prominent in both the international and domestic spheres, and even in ASEAN, its unity and centrality are at risk. The panel will discuss the challenges that ASEAN and Japan should address in order to strengthen the rule of law, promote regional peace and stability through AOIP/FOIP (Free and Open Indo-Pacific) concepts, and build fair societies.

photo of

OBA Mie <Moderator>

Professor, Faculty of Law, Kanagawa University

She obtained her M.A and Ph.D in Advanced Social and International Studies from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tokyo. Her major is International Relations and the politics in East Asia and Asia-Pacific. She specialises in the development of regionalism in this region as well as theories of regional integration and regionalism. She has written several articles and books, including “Further development of Asian regionalism: institutional hedging in an uncertain era”, in the Journal of Contemporary East Asian Studies, 2019. She received The 21st Ohira Masayoshi Memorial Prize by the Ohira Masayoshi Memorial Foundation (2005), the 6th Okita Commemorative Award for Policy Research by the National Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA) (2005), and the 11th Nakasone Yasuhiro Incentive Award (2015). She is in charge of the chairperson of the Expert Panel for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation.

photo of Pongphisoot Busbarat

Pongphisoot Busbarat

Director, Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS Thailand)

Dr Pongphisoot (Paul) Busbarat is Assistant Professor in International Relations, and Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University. His research interests focus on great power competition in Southeast Asia, Thailand’s foreign policy, and norms and identity in International Relations. Currently, Pongphisoot is working on several projects, including the normative constructs influencing Thailand’s strategic choices between the US and China, and geopolitics of great power competition in the Indo-Pacific, especially the Mekong subregion. Pongphisoot holds a PhD in Political Science & International Relations from the Australian National University, and postgraduate degrees from Columbia University and Cambridge University. He served as a policy analyst at Thailand’s Office of the National Security Council (NSC) before embarking on his academic career.

photo of Le Hong Hiep

Le Hong Hiep

Senior Fellow, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute

Senior Fellow and Coordinator of the Vietnam Studies Programme and a member of the Regional Strategic and Political Studies Programme at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore. He is also an editor of the Institute’s flagship journal Contemporary Southeast Asia. Hiep holds a BA from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, a MA in International Relations and a Master of Diplomacy from the Australian National University. In 2015, Hiep earned his PhD in Political and International Studies from the University of New South Wales. Before joining ISEAS in 2015, Hiep worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam and taught at the Faculty of International Relations, Vietnam National University-HCMC. Hiep’s scholarly works include two books: Living next to the Giant: The Political Economy of Vietnam’s Relations with China under Doi Moi (2016) and Vietnam’s Foreign Policy under Doi Moi (2018, co-edited with Anton Tsvetov).

photo of Abdillah Noh

Abdillah Noh

Associate Professor, Department of History and International Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam

Abdillah Noh works in the area of institutions and institutional change. He recently co-authored a book titled “Issues in Public Policy and Administration in Malaysia: An Institutional Analysis.” He is currently working on two book manuscripts. The first is on the unintended consequences of state formation, and the second is titled “Political Change in Southeast Asia: An Institutional Perspective.” Abdillah has a DPhil (Politics) from St Antony’s College, University of Oxford.

photo of Tang Siew Mun

Tang Siew Mun

Director, Political Security Directorate, the ASEAN Secretariat

Tang Siew Mun was previously Head of the ASEAN Studies Centre at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, where he was concurrently Senior Fellow at the Regional Strategic and Political Studies programme. He was Managing Editor of ASEANFocus and led the State of Southeast Asia 2019 and 2020 surveys. His primary research interests are Asian security, ASEAN’s relations with the major powers and Japanese foreign policy. Before his appointment at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, he was Director for Foreign Policy and Security Studies at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), Malaysia and Senior Lecturer at the National University of Malaysia (UKM). He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science from Arizona State University in Political Science, Master of Arts in International Studies from the Claremont Graduate University, Master of Arts in War Studies from King’s College London and Bachelor of Social Sciences and Humantities (Hons.) in Political Science from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Panel 2 "Toward a Sustainable and Prosperous Society" will consider the actions and cooperation that ASEAN countries and Japan can take as capitalism's limits are being called out, disparities are widening, and common challenges such as environmental issues and natural disasters are being faced. The panel will tackle international issues such as maintaining a free and fair economic order while achieving sustainable societies through discussions on community, social inclusion, ways to promote well-being utilizing technological innovation, digital transformation (DX), and green transformation (GX).

photo of AIZAWA Nobuhiro

AIZAWA Nobuhiro <Moderator>

Associate Professor, Graduate School of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu University

He is Associate Professor of Graduate School of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu University. He obtained his Ph.D from Kyoto University on Southeast Asia Area studies. His research focus is on the Southeast Asian politics and international relations of East Asia. He currently works on a project on the international politics of digital infrastructure and on the emerging Southeast Asian elite network. He has been a Wilson Center Japan Scholar supported by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, a Visiting Scholar at Thammasat University, Chulalongkorn University, Cornell University and LIPI (Currently BRIN) of Indonesia. He is a former Research Associate at the Institute of Development Economies-JETRO and National Graduate Institute of Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo. He serves as the member of the Expert Panel for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation.

photo of Samira A. Gutoc

Samira A. Gutoc

Former Commissioner of Bangsamoro Transition Commission

Samira is a former ARMM legislator and Commissioner of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, civic and youth leader, speaker, journalist, and women’s rights and peace advocate. She also served as Member of the Philippine Army (PA) Multi -Sectoral Advisory Board. She is currently Chairperson of AKO BAKWIT, INC., a nonprofit organization that helps promote and protect the rights and welfare of internally displaced persons (IDPs), especially those displaced by the Marawi siege.

As a journalist, Samira has worked as a correspondent for the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) featuring Marawi City and Muslim communities all over the country. She also worked with an award-winning group led by Director Marilou Abaya (for GMA-7) and scriptwriter Ricky Lee to conceptualize the trailblazing movie, Bagong Buwan, which has reaped accolades in film festivals abroad in New York, Japan and Asia. She has reported on the situation of Muslims in Culiat, Tandang Sora for an Al-Jazeerah-contracted outfit and spoke on BBC on the issues of minorities facing globalization. Samira was a recipient of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) for Socio Cultural and Youth Development by the JCI Philippines (2001), Ten Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service or TOWNS (2019), and Glory Awards by the UP College of Mass Communication (2019).

photo of Yenny Wahid

Yenny Wahid

Director, the Wahid Foundation

Yenny Zannuba Wahid is a social entrepreneur and political activist who works to promote peace and tolerance in the world. Her work experiences include working as a special staff for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and President Abdurrahman Wahid, as well as working as a reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and the Age Melbourne, two biggest newspapers in Australia.
She is also currently serving as a member of Steering Committee of the Paris Peace Forum, initiated by President Macron of France, as well as one of the founding members of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace, a UAE led initiative. At the moment, she prefers to focus on her work on the grassroots, trying to empower many marginalized women through The Wahid Foundation.

photo of Serey Chea

Serey Chea

Deputy Governor, the National Bank of Cambodia

Dr. Serey Chea is the Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Cambodia. She is passionate about financial inclusion and women economic empowerment. Achievements under her leadership include the establishment of Credit Bureau Cambodia in 2012 that propelled Cambodia's Ease of Access to Finance to number 7 worldwide in 2017 by the World Bank, the introduction of Bakong, a national backbone payment system using DLT allowing interoperability amongst all financial service providers making financial services more accessible and affordable, and the introduction of financial literacy into the general education program. Serey holds a PhD in economics and is a member of the Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum.

photo of Jessica Cheam

Jessica Cheam

Managing Director, Eco-Business

Jessica is the Founder and Managing Director of Eco-Business, Asia Pacific's leading independent media and business intelligence organisation dedicated to sustainable development. She is recognised as a sustainability pioneer with two decades of experience in media, sustainable development and ESG issues globally. She is a regular columnist for national newspapers and is on the Board of Directors for Singapore-listed ComfortDelGro, one of the world's largest land transport companies, as an independent non-executive director. She chairs the Group’s Board Sustainability Committee, and is a member of the Audit & Risk; and Digitalisation Committees. She holds the CFA Institute Certificate in ESG Investing and the INSEAD Certificate of Corporate Governance. She is a member of the Singapore Institute of Directors (SID), and serves as its ESG committee member. She is also a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia and the UK’s Institute of Directors.

Panel 3 "Toward Mutual Understanding and Trust Building" will discuss the ASEAN-Japan relationship in the field of cultural and people-to-people exchanges. As humans become more and more mobile and the internet becomes flooded with information on ASEAN and Japan, the panel will examine whether mutual understanding and trust-building between peoples are naturally being nurtured. Internationally active experts and practitioners born in the 1980s onwards will discuss challenges related to the understanding of ASEAN in Japan, and how to form multilayered human networks that can incorporate newer generations and a wider range of social strata.

photo of Susan B. Afan

Susan B. Afan <Moderator>

President, Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation

Susan is responsible for championing the Award, Asia’s premier prize and highest honor.
Since 1957, the Ramon Magsaysay Award has celebrated Greatness of Spirit. Bestowing over 340 outstanding individuals and organizations whose selfless service has offered successful solutions to the most pressing problems in human development. It is complemented with the Ramon Magsaysay Transformative Leadership Institute that supports the awardees' work to Next Generation Youth leaders in 21 Asian countries.
After 30 years of working in the US for a Fortune 500 Global Staffing Firm, Susan returned to the Philippines in 2014 and has since worked in the non-profit sector.

photo of KIBA Saya

KIBA Saya

Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, Kobe City University of Foreign Studies

Saya KIBA is Associate Professor at Kobe City University of Foreign Studies and a member of the Expert Panel for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her major fields of interest are Southeast Asian studies, civil-military relations, and security sector governance. She has experience as a practitioner, working in the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines and Embassy of Japan in Thailand. She also served as a staff to Diet member/ former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara from 2010 to 2012 when his Democratic Party of Japan was the ruling party. Her recent works include a co-edited book, Pathways for Irregular Forces in Southeast Asia: Mitigating Violence with Non-state Armed Groups (Routledge, 2022). She serves as the member of the Expert Panel for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation.

photo of Adulaya Hoontrakul

Adulaya Hoontrakul

Director, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre

Adulaya Kim Hoontrakul graduated with a BA in History of Art and Archaeology with Music from SOAS London and an MA in Asian Art Histories from Goldsmith’s London in partnership with LA SALLE College of the Arts, Singapore. She is currently a PhD student at GEIDAI Tokyo.

Adulaya is curator-historian. She has curated numerous exhibitions, highlights include Vasan Sitthiket’s retrospective show “I Am You” (2018), Spectrosynthesis II “Exposure of Tolerance” (2019) and Damrong Wong-Uparaj’s posthumous “A Retrospective of Versatility and Discipline” (2021). Essay publications include Global Arts Journal Volume 3 (2022), True Reader in Blind Area (2021) and BACC Art Journal (2020).

She is currently the Director of the BACC (Bangkok Art and Culture Centre) and an arts advisor to SEAMEO-SPAFA.

photo of Souliya Phoumivong

Souliya Phoumivong

Head of Department of Visual Communication Design, National Institute of Fine Art in Vientiane

Souliya is well known to audiences in Laos for his educational and entertaining stop-motion animated series produced at Clay House Studios. He also uses his signature protagonist Buffalo and the Clay Man to hone his contemporary art. Souliya's Buffalo is a metaphor for Lao citizens. And his art offers a careful reflection on the contemporary reality of Laos. Social order exchange of information and knowledge of Laos abroad. Souliya's art is known internationally. And he attended workshops, residences and exhibitions in different countries including Japan, Korea, Singapore and Germany. Souliya's work has been featured in the prestigious Asia Pacific Triennial (Brisbane, Australia), Cheongju Biennale (Cheongju, Korea), Bangkok Art Biennale 2020 (Bangkok Thailand). In addition to producing stop-motion animation and contemporary art, Souliya also teaches photography and new media at Department of Visual Communication Design, the National Academy of Fine Arts in Vientiane.

photo of Mark Teh

Mark Teh

Performance Maker, Researcher, Curator

Mark Teh is a performance maker, researcher, and curator based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. His diverse, collaborative projects take on documentary, speculative and generative forms, and address the entanglements of history, memory and counter-mapping. His practice is situated primarily in performance, but also operates via exhibitions, education, social interventions, curating and writing.

Mark graduated with an MA in Art and Politics from Goldsmiths, University of London. He is a member of Five Arts Centre, a dynamic collective of Malaysian artists, activists, and producers, dedicated to generating alternative art forms and images in the contemporary arts landscape.

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