Contents

Association of South East Asian Nations' (ASEAN) Bangkok Declaration of 1967

Asian Development Bank/ Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Anti-Corruption Action Plan of 2000 (Pillar 1, 3)

Pacific Plan of the Pacific Islands Forum - Attachment A (Section 12) 

Texts

Association of South East Asian Nations' (ASEAN) Bangkok Declaration of 1967

The Bangkok  Declaration states as part of its aims and purposes adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter, which includes Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights covering the freedom of expression and right to information .

Text of the Bangkok Declaration:

The Presidium Minister for Political Affairs/Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand:

MINDFUL of the existence of mutual interests and common problems among countries of South-East Asia and convinced of the need to strengthen further the existing bonds of regional solidarity and cooperation;

DESIRING to establish a firm foundation for common action to promote regional cooperation in South-East Asia in the spirit of equality and partnership and thereby contribute towards peace, progress and prosperity in the region;

CONSCIOUS that in an increasingly interdependent world, the cherished ideals of peace, freedom,,social justice and economic well-being are best attained by fostering good understanding, good neighbourliness and meaningful cooperation among the countries of the region already bound together by ties of history and culture;

CONSIDERING that the countries of SouthEast Asia share a primary responsibility for strengthening the economic and social stability of the region and ensuring their peacefull and progressive national development, and that they are determined to ensure their stability and security from external interference in any form or manifestation in order to preserve their national identities in accordance with the ideals and aspirations of their peoples;

AFFIRMING that all foreign bases are temporary and remain only with the expressed concurrence of the countries concerned and are not intended to be used directly or indirectly to subvert the national independence and freedom of States in the area or prejudice the orderly processes of their national development;

DO HEREBY DECLARE:

FIRST, the establishment of an Association for Regional Cooperation among the countries of South-East Asia to be known as the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

SECOND, that the aims and purposes of the Association shall be:

1. To accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavours in the spirit of equality and partnership in order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of South-East Asian Nations;

2. To promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries of the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter;

3. To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest in the economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific and administrative fields;

4. To provide assistance to each other in the form of training and research facilities in the educational, professional, technical and administrative spheres;

5. To collaborate more effectively for the greater utilization of their agriculture and industries, the expansion of their trade, including the study of the problems of international commodity trade, the improvement of their transportation and communications facilities and the raising of the living standards of their peoples;

6. To promote South-East Asian studies;

7. To maintain close and beneficial cooperation with existing international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes, and explore all avenues for even closer cooperation among themselves.

THIRD, that to carry out these aims and purposes, the following machinery shall be established:

(a) Annual Meeting of Foreign Ministers, which shall be by rotation and referred to as ASEAN Ministerial Meeting. Special Meetings of Foreign Ministers may be convened as required.

(b) A Standing committee, under the chairmanship of the Foreign Minister of the host country or his representative and having as its members the accredited Ambassadors of the other member countries, to carry on the work of the Association in between Meetings of Foreign Ministers.

(c) Ad-Hoc Committees and Permanent Committees of specialists and officials on specific subjects.

(d) A National Secretariat in each member country to carry out the work of the Association on behalf of that country and to service the Annual or Special Meetings of Foreign Ministers, the Standing Committee and such other committees as may hereafter be established. 

FOURTH, that the Association is open for participation to all States in the South-East Asian Region subscribing to the aforementioned aims, principles and purposes.

FIFTH, that the Association represents the collective will of the nations of South-East Asia to bind themselves together in friendship and cooperation and, through joint efforts and sacrifices, secure for their peoples and for posterity the blessings of peace, freedom and prosperity.
DONE in Bangkok on the Eighth Day of August in the Year One Thousand Nine Hundred and Sixty-Seven.
For the Republic of Indonesia:

ADAM MALIK Presidium Minister for Political Minister for Foreign Affairs
For the Republic of Singapore:

S. RAJARATNAM Minister of Foreign Affairs
For Malaysia:

TUN ABDUL RAZAK Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Minister of National Development
For the Kingdom of Thailand:

THANAT KHOMAN Minister of Foreign Affairs
For the Republic of the Philippines:

NARCISCO RAMOS Secretary of Foreign Affairs

top

Asian Development Bank/ Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Anti-Corruption Action Plan of 2000 (Pillar 1, 3)

The Action Plan has been agreed upon at the 3rd annual ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Conference for Asia Pacific in December 2000. Today, 27 countries of the region have formally endorsed the Action Plan and committed to its goals. Each of these countries has assigned a contact person to coordinate the reform process under the Plan and to participate in the Initiative's Steering Group meetings. The Action Plan, together with its Implementation Plan, is a legally non-binding document which contains a number of principles and standards towards policy reform which interested governments of the region politically commit to implement on a voluntary basis.

Relevant sections of the Anti-corruption Action Plan:

Pillars of Action

In order to meet the above objectives, participating governments in the region endeavour to take concrete steps under the following three pillars of action with the support, as appropriate, of ADB, OECD and other donor organisations and countries:

Pillar 1 - Developing effective and transparent systems for public service

Integrity in Public Service

Establish systems of government hiring of public officials that assure openness, equity and efficiency and promote hiring of individuals of the highest levels of competence and integrity through:

· Development of systems for compensation adequate to sustain appropriate livelihood and according to the level of the economy of the country in question;

· Development of systems for transparent hiring and promotion to help avoid abuses of patronage, nepotism and favouritism, help foster the creation of an independent civil service, and help promote a proper balance between political and career appointments;

· Development of systems to provide appropriate oversight of discretionary decisions and of personnel with authority to make discretionary decisions;

· Development of personnel systems that include regular and timely rotation of assignments to reduce insularity that would foster corruption;

Establish ethical and administrative codes of conduct that proscribe conflicts of interest, ensure the proper use of public resources, and promote the highest levels of professionalism and integrity through:

· Prohibitions or restrictions governing conflicts of interest;

· Systems to promote transparency through disclosure and/or monitoring of, for example, personal assets and liabilities;

· Sound administration systems which ensure that contacts between government officials and business services users, notably in the area of taxation, customs and other corruption-prone areas, are free from undue and improper influence.

· Promotion of codes of conduct taking due account of the existing relevant international standards as well as each country’s traditional cultural standards, and regular education, training and supervision of officials to ensure proper understanding of their responsibilities;

· Measures which ensure that officials report acts of corruption and which protect the safety and professional status of those who do.

Accountability and Transparency

Safeguard accountability of public service through effective legal frameworks, management practices and auditing procedures through:

· Measures and systems to promote fiscal transparency;

· Adoption of existing relevant international standards and practices for regulation and supervision of financial institutions;

· Appropriate auditing procedures applicable to public administration and the public sector, and measures and systems to provide timely public reporting on performance and decision making;

· Appropriate transparent procedures for public procurement that promote fair competition and deter corrupt activity, and adequate simplified administration procedures.

· Enhancing institutions for public scrutiny and oversight;

· Systems for information availability including on issues such as application processing procedures, funding of political parties and electoral campaigns and expenditure;

· Simplification of the regulatory environment by abolishing overlapping, ambiguous or excessive regulations that burden business. 

Pillar 3 – Supporting Active Public Involvement

Public discussion of corruption

Take effective measures to encourage public discussion of the issue of corruption through:

· Initiation of public awareness campaigns at different levels;

· Support of non-governmental organisations that promote integrity and combat corruption by, for example, raising awareness of corruption and its costs, mobilising citizen support for clean government, and documenting and reporting cases of corruption;

· Preparation and/or implementation of education programs aimed at creating an anti-corruption culture.

Access to information

Ensure that the general public and the media have freedom to receive and impart public information and in particular information on corruption matters in accordance with domestic law and in a manner that would not compromise the operational effectiveness of the administration or, in any other way, be detrimental to the interest of governmental agencies and individuals, through:

· Establishment of public reporting requirements for justice and other governmental agencies that include disclosure about efforts to promote integrity and accountability and combat corruption;

· Implementation of measures providing for a meaningful public right of access to appropriate information.

Public participation

Encourage public participation in anti-corruption activities, in particular through:

·         Co-operative relationships with civil society groups such as chambers of commerce, professional associations, NGOs, labor unions, housing associations, the media, and other organisations;

·         Protection of whistleblowers;

·         Involvement of NGOs in monitoring of public sector programmes and activities.

top

Pacific Plan of the Pacific Islands Forum - Attachment A (Section 12) 

In October 2005, Leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum endorsed the Pacific Plan, a road map towards strengthening regional cooperation and integration. This Pacific Plan was revised in October 2006 prioritising a number of key commitments in order to further strengthen regionalism in the Pacific. This was based on consultative reporting to Leaders throughout the year on progress made in implementing the Plan, the key challenges to be overcome for its effective implementation, and recommendations on a number of key commitments in order to move the Plan forward. Point twelve of the Pacific Plan's Implementation Strategy on Good Governance includes the need to develop freedom of information mechanisms (section 12.3) and the upgrading of statistical information systems and databases to involve the promotion of "policies for access, information sharing," and "dissemination of information on poverty" (section 12.4).

Relevant sections of the Pacific Plan 

Attachment A. Implementation Strategy: Initiatives for the First Three Years (2006-2008)

Strategic Objectives

12. Improved transparency, accountability, equity and efficiency in the management and use of resources in the Pacific

Initiatives for the First Three Years (2006-2008)   

12.1 Support or establish the regional consolidation of commitments to key institutions such as audit and ombudsman offices, sustoms, leadership codes, anti-corruption institutions and departments of attorneys general; including through judicial training and education.

12.2 Support the Forum Principles of Good Leadership and Accountability. 

12.3 Enhance governance mechanisms, including in resource management, and in the harmonisation of traditional and modern values and structures.

12.4 Upgrade and extend country and regional statistical information systems and databases across all sectors.

top