1. The Third Conference of ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information was convened in Manila from 16 to 17 December 1993. The Conference was preceded by the Third Meeting of ASEAN Senior Officials for Information held from 13 to 14 December 1993.
2. The Meeting was attended by H.E. Pehin Dato Isa bin Ibrahim, Special Adviser to His Majesty The Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam in the Prime Minister's Office and Minister of Home Affairs of Brunei Darussalam; H.E. Mr. Harmoko, Minister of Information of Indonesia; H.E. Dato' Mohamed Rahmat, Minister of Information of Malaysia; H.E. Mr. Jesus C. Sison, Press Secretary of the Philippines; H.E. Brigadier-General George Yeo, Minister of Information and the Arts of Singapore; H.E. Mr. Surasak Thiamprasert, Minister of the Prime Minister's Office In Charge of Information of the Kingdom of Thailand, and their respective delegations. H.E. Dato' Ajit Singh, Secretary-General of ASEAN Secretariat, and members of his staff were also in attendance.
3. His Excellency Fidel V. Ramos, President of the Republic of the 'Philippines, declared the Meeting officially open.
4. In his keynote address, the President stated that the revolution in information and communications technology has broadened human horizons to a degree unheard of in the past. It is precisely because of this vast potential to conquer the once formidable barriers of geography and time, race and culture, that we must redouble our efforts to ensure that this revolution in technology will result in providing the poor and under-privileged--the teeming masses of humanity that make up close to one half of our region--with the resources and access to the fruits of progress.
5. Further, he joined the ASEAN ministers and leaders to take full advantage of the fact that trade and investment within Asia and the Pacific are weaving a new pattern of human and commercial relationship. The development of the Asia-Pacific rim countries depends on their ability to promote more open trade and investment in the area and to increase cooperation on issues that require regional solutions.
6. The Honorable Press Secretary Jesus C. Sison, Head of the Philippine Delegation, and H.E. Brigadier-General George Yeo, Head of the Singapore Delegation, were unanimously elected Chairman and Vice-Chairman, respectively.
7. The Ministers reviewed common problems and issues faced by the member countries in the field of information. They also reviewed the present areas of cooperation being undertaken under the auspices of the ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information.
8. The Ministers noted the advances in information cooperation which have enhanced the development of a peaceful and prosperous ASEAN. They stressed the strategic role of information and mass media in the realization of AFTA by the year 2008 as declared at the Singapore Summit of 1992.
9. The Ministers recognized the need to promote and project ASEAN within and outside the Region. Towards this end, the Ministers agreed on the need to formulate an ASEAN Plan of Action on Information. They adopted the framework of the Plan of Action which would aim to achieve the following objectives:
(a) to promote and project ASEAN within and outside the Region effectively and positively through a more intensified use of mass media.
(b) to generate, disseminate, and exchange information materials in support of values important to member countries and ASEAN initiatives in economic development and integration, political and security cooperation, functional cooperation including environmental protection, socio-cultural development and other relevant concerns.
(c) to upgrade and enhance the professionalism of ASEAN professionalism practitioners through human resources development programmes, attachments and exchange.
(d) to undertake studies on the upgrading and use of new communications technology to benefit ASEAN cooperation in information and mass media.
(e) to take active steps to intensify and ensure mass media coverage and dissemination of news and information on all principal concerns of ASEAN regional cooperation.
(f) to continue providing full information support to the thematic thrusts and priorities spelt out by the various ASEAN bodies.
10. The Ministers also agreed to pursue the following cooperation programmes in addition to existing programmes, and to complement projects of other ASEAN bodies:
(a) strengthen the ASEAN News Exchange (ANEX) programmee, particularly in the area of AFTA-related economic reporting and expand the network to include the information and broadcasting organizations of member countries and regional networks.
(b) study the feasibility of establishing a regional information and databank centre at the ASEAN Secretariat to serve the information needs of ASEAN member countries.
(c) reproduce videos, films, radio programmes and publications produced by COCI for wider dissemination regionally and internationally.
(d) complement ASEAN regional projects with appropriate bilateral and multilateral initiatives among member countries in the field of information.
11. The Ministers agreed on the need to intensify coordination among the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN bodies and institutions, the private sector and non government organizations to bring about collaboration and support for information programmes as well as ensure the extension of mass media facilities and services for information requirements.
12. The Ministers expressed their deep appreciation to the Government and people of the Philippines, particularly to His Excellency Fidel V. Ramos, the President of the Republic of the Philippines, and the Honorable Press Secretary Jesus C. Sison of the Philippines, for the warm hospitality extended to the delegations and the efficient arrangements made for he meeting.
13. The Meeting was held in the traditional spirit of ASEAN cordiality and solidarity.
