Thailand’s Chairmanship of ASEAN

Thailand’s Chairmanship of ASEAN (July 2008-December 2009)

Thailand assumes the ASEAN Chairmanship following the 41st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Singapore on 24th July 2008. Upon ratification of the ASEAN Charter, Thailand will assume the Chairmanship for 1 and ½ years.

Throughout our one and a half year term, Thailand will give priorities to materializing the spirit and values as contained in the ASEAN Charter, for the benefit of the ASEAN people. Our actions maybe summarized by the three Rs:

Realizing the commitments under the ASEAN Charter.
Revitalizing a people-centered community.
Reinforcing human development and security for all the peoples of the region.

Efforts will be made to ensure the establishment and implementation of new ASEAN organs envisaged in the ASEAN Charter in particular the establishment of the ASEAN Human Rights bodies, expected to be completed by the end of the Thai Chairmanship.

During our Chairmanship, various activities will be implemented to promote people’s participation in ASEAN community building process and to raise people’s awareness of ASEAN. They include the following:

ASEAN Association-Thailand
Building the 14th ASEAN Summit Website
Thai Young Ambassadors of Virtue and ASEAN
ASEAN University Youth Summit 2008
Mobile Exhibitions on ASEAN
ASEN Anthem Competition
ASEAN High Level Panel Discussion
4th ASEAN Civil Society Conference
ASEAN Day, 8 August 2008
ASEAN Documentary
ASEAN cartoon, “ASEAN Discovery” and comic book
2 publications on ASEAN

National essay competition on ASEAN
The 14th ASEAN Summit’s Logo and Slogan

The Summit’s Logo is the four hands adjoining around ASEAN. The “hands” represent the close cooperation between the people of the region in driving the ASEAN Community forward.

The three hands are the three ASEAN Communities while the fourth hand represents ASEAN’s external relations. The traditional flower-like design in the middle often appears in Thai mural paintings and architecture. Gold color is used to represent prosperity.

The three curvy green lines below the hands are symbolic representation of the ASEAN Charter illustrating ASEAN entering the period with the ASEAN Charter as the corner stone of community building.

The 14th ASEAN Summit slogan is “ASEAN Charter for ASEAN Peoples”