Page 39 - EU_ASEN Relations: Perspectives From Malaysia

MDGs are a set of 8 goals that includes, amongst others, the resolve to reduce

extreme poverty and improve general well-being by 2015. MDGs were
replaced by SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) in 2016, which now

include 17 global goals with the aim of transforming the world by 2030. The
common goals of ASEAN’s Vision 2025 blueprints and the SDGs make

ASEAN recognise the importance of creating synergies for implementing

respective agendas within the ASEAN-UN framework. During 2015, ASEAN-
UN set out to develop an Action Plan (2016–2020) for a comprehensive

partnership between the two organisations.

EU nations as members of UNESCO have been involved in cooperation

through the Framework Agreement for Cooperation developed in accordance
with the ASCC blueprint, in the seven priority areas of common interest,

namely education, STI, disaster risk reduction, environmental sustainability,

social and human sciences, culture and communication, and information. An
ASEAN-UNESCO Indicative Joint Programme for Action (2014–2018),

which forms part of the Framework Agreement, is periodically reviewed. The
ASEAN Secretariat (DSG, ASCC) and UNESCO office in Jakarta have been

the designated focal points for the implantation of the framework (Secretariat,

2013). In October 2016, the two parties met and reviewed the progress before
setting three priority clusters for joint activities, namely education and culture,

communication and information, and environment and STI.

ASEM’s (Asia-Europe Meeting) Socio, Cultural and Educational pillar,

coincides with the goals and aspirations of ASEAN’s Socio-cultural
community. In this regard, ASEM’s only institution, ASEF (Asia-Europe

Foundation) in Singapore has worked as a ‘cultural broker’ in inter-regional
co-operation (Le Thu, 2018). ASEF was founded in 1997 as an outcome of an

agreement during Ministerial Declaration of the 1st ASEM Foreign Ministers'

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