The Philippines is set to host a series of high-level meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in September and October as it continues to advance its priorities and deliverables in preparation for the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in November.
Among the major activities this month are meetings on the ASEAN economic community and disaster resilience, with several events scheduled in Metro Manila.
Advancing ASEAN Economic Integration
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will lead ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) Meetings and Related Meetings from September 14 to 22 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).
The meetings will bring together ASEAN Economic Ministers and their counterparts from the region's key economic partners to advance regional economic integration and cooperation, discuss developments in the global economy, and move forward the Philippines' priority economic deliverables under its ASEAN Chairship.
The outcomes and recommendations from the 58th AEM and Related Meetings will help inform the economic discussions at the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in November.
A series of business and stakeholder activities will be held alongside the Ministerial meetings from September 17 to 21, including ASEAN Creative Industries Expo by Malikhaing Pinoy (ASEAN MPEx) 2026 and the ASEAN MSME Summit. These events underscore the DTI's efforts to empower MSMEs and promote the creative economy as drivers of innovation, job creation, and inclusive growth across the region.
Strengthening ASEAN Disaster Resilience
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD), meanwhile, will lead the ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Disaster Resilience (AMCDR) 2026 on September 15 and 16, carrying the theme, "Twenty Years of AADMER: Advancing Global Commitments Toward a Resilient ASEAN Beyond 2030."
The conference coincides with the 20th anniversary of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) and the 10th anniversary of the "One ASEAN, One Response" Declaration.
The AMCDR will seek to accelerate the AADMER Work Programme 2026–2030, advancing regional cooperation on early warning systems, anticipatory action, disaster risk financing, resilient infrastructure and risk-informed investments. It will also give the 11 ASEAN Member States a chance to consolidate lessons learned and help shape policy recommendations for the global disaster risk reduction framework beyond 2030.
Promoting Peace Education Across ASEAN
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) will lead the ASEAN Peace Education High-Level Conference on September 22 to 23 at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, a regional platform to advance peace education as a strategic enabler of sustainable peace, resilience and cooperation in Southeast Asia.
Carrying the theme, "Peace Education for Shared Futures and Enduring Cooperation," the conference will bring together policymakers, educators, youth, civil society and development partners to strengthen dialogue and promote collaborative approaches to integrating peace education across formal, non-formal and community-based learning systems in ASEAN, reinforcing it as a cross-cutting contribution to the region's political-security, economic and socio-cultural pillars.
Championing Gender Equality and Women's Leadership in ASEAN
The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) will lead and co-host three major regional events on gender equality and women's empowerment from September to October. Together, the three events reflect the Philippines' efforts during its ASEAN Committee on Women Chairship to keep women's leadership, peace and security, and the care economy firmly on ASEAN's regional agenda.
The first is the 4th ASEAN Women Leaders' Summit, to be held from September 29 to October 1. Carrying the theme, "Women's Leadership for Inclusive Prosperity in the ASEAN Region," the Summit is expected to produce the Joint Ministerial Statement on Women's Leadership for Inclusive Prosperity, setting out shared gender equality commitments to guide ASEAN's work under its post-2025 vision toward 2045.
The PCW will also co-lead the ASEAN Conference on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) on October 6 to 8 with OPAPRU, and close its 2026 ACW deliverables with the third regional event, the ASEAN Conference on Investing in Care, from October 28 to 30, both in Metro Manila. The WPS conference is expected to generate recommendations for ASEAN's review of its WPS agenda, while the care economy conference will feature the launch of the ASEAN Guidance Note on Strengthening the Care Economy.
Advancing ASEAN Tourism Cooperation and Investment
The Department of Tourism will host the ASEAN Tourism Ministers’ Retreat (ATMR) on 29 September in Manila. This will serve as an informal, high-level platform for ASEAN Tourism Ministers to engage in candid and forward-looking discussions on emerging challenges, opportunities, and strategic directions for regional tourism.
A key focus of the Retreat is advancing the Philippines’ Priority Economic Deliverable (PED) on the ASEAN Sustainable and Resilient Tourism Investment Outlook, which seeks to strengthen regional tourism investment and develop a pipeline of investment-ready projects. The ASEAN Tourism Investment Showcase, to be held alongside the Retreat, will provide a platform for ASEAN Member States to present priority tourism investment opportunities and connect with investors, financing institutions, and development partners. Its outcomes will contribute directly to the Investment Outlook and provide strategic inputs for the 49th ASEAN Leaders’ Summit in November 2026, translating tourism-sector priorities and ministerial discussions into concrete regional recommendations for Leaders’ consideration.
Other ASEAN Meetings in October
In October, the Department of Energy (DOE) will lead meetings from October 5 to 9 at the PICC, while the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) will hold activities from October 6 to 9.
Among the major October events is the ASEAN Conference on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) from October 6 to 8 in Metro Manila. Carrying the theme, "Advancing Women, Peace and Security in ASEAN: Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Localizing Peacebuilding Commitments," the conference will bring together around 300 participants, including ministers and vice ministers from ASEAN Member States and ASEAN partners, representatives from Pacific Island countries, civil society organizations, academic institutions, local peacebuilders, development partners, multilateral organizations and members of the diplomatic corps.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will also lead the 20th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime from October 19 to 21 in Manila, while the Department of National Defense (DND) will host the 20th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings on October 28 and 29 in Cebu. PND.
No comments:
Post a Comment