During the year 1988-1989, the ASEAN Secretariat concentrated its efforts on consolidating the activities pursuant to the New Initiatives endorsed by the Third Meeting of the ASEAN Heads of Government as well as coordinating the wide-ranging activities under the overall ASEAN cooperation.

Attendance at ASEAN Meetings

The Secretary-General and officers of the ASEAN Secretariat attended Ministerial meetings, annual dialogues, meetings of the ASEAN Standing. Committee, senior officials in various fields, ASEAN Economic committees and ASEAN functional committees as well as some of their subsidiary bodies. They also attended conferences and seminars held under the framework of ASEAN relationship with the dialogue partners. They make contributions to the meetings as resource persons and assisted in the meetings hosted by member countries whenever appropriate to do so.

Venue of ASEAN Meetings

The ASEAN Secretariat hosted the following ASEAN meetings during the year:

a) 1st Meeting of the ASEAN Experts Group on the Utilization of the ASEAN Fund, 9-11 November 1988

b) 13th Meeting of the ASEAN Audit Committee, 16 - 19 January 1989

c) 9th Meeting of the ASEAN Advisory Group on ASEAN Cutlural Fund, 14-15 March 1989

d) 2nd Meeting of the ASEAN Experts Group on the Utilization of the ASEAN Fund, 28-30 March 1989

e) 12th Meeting of ASEAN Committee on Budget, 2 - 5 April 1989.

The ASEAN Secretariat was also the venue for the Preparatory Meeting of the 9th ASEAN-New Zealand Dialogue during 29 - 30 September 1988, the Meeting of implementing Agencies of the Friendship Programme for 21st Century held on 30 January-1 February 1989, as well as the two meetings of the Ad-Hoc Working Group on APC-HRD on 7 March and 19 May 1989. However, the highlight of events held at the ASEAN Secretariat is the First Meeting of the ASEAN Information Ministers on 24-25 May 1989 preceded by the Senior Officials Meeting on 21-22 May 1989.

Administration of ASEAN Trust Funds

The ASEAN Secretariat continued to manage and administer the following funds:

a) ASEAN Cultural Fund Operational Account

b) Japan Scholarship Fund for ASEAN Youth

c) ASEAN Regional Studies Promotion Programme (ARSPP)

d) Japan - ASEAN Cooperation Promotion Programme (JACPP)

e) Canadian Technical Assistance (Library Fund)

During the year under review, ASEAN Secretariat was also given the task of administering the fund for a joint study on ASEAN-US Economic Relations.

ASEAN Day Celebrations

The 21st Anniversary of the founding of ASEAN was celebrated on 8 August 1988 with resplendent festivities under the auspices of the ASEAN Secretariat. Sports events were held with the participation of all ASEAN Embassies in Jakarta in order to strengthen the spirit of friendship and solidarity.

On 8 August 1988, a flag-raising ceremony was held at the ASEAN Secretariat premises with ASEAN Ambassadors, Diplomats, members of their family, and the staff members of the ASEAN Secretariat. The Secretary-General hosted the reception in the same evening, attended by high ranking officials of the Government of the Republic of Indonesia, members of the diplomatic corps, and the notable figures from the business sector in Jakarta.

Information Devices

Dissemination of information on the activities of ASEAN to the general public is normally through the various publications of the ASEAN Secretariat. The members of the staff at the ASEAN Secretariat also hold talks, discussions and briefing to visitors, journalists, researchers and groups of university students. Discussions and briefings to visitors, journalists, briefings are also held for politicians and members of national defence colleges, groups of civil servants from various countries who choose to visit the ASEAN Secretariat.

About 100 university students from various universities in Indonesia visited the ASEAN Secretariat on several separate occasions during the past year. They were briefed on ASEAN background. and various aspects of ASEAN cooperation by the Public Information Officer and other members of the staff. Films about ASEAN were sometimes presented to them. Publications on ASEAN were also distributed to the students and their universities during these visits. Briefings and discussions also took place among the ASEAN Secretariat staff and scholars or academics conducting research on ASEAN.

A number of publications were produced during the past year namely:

a) The Annual Report of the ASEAN Standing Committee, 1987 - 1988

b) Statements of the 20th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and Post Ministerial Conferences with the Dialogue Partners Bangkok, 1988

c) ASEAN Newsletter - six bimonthly

d) Monthly Calendar of ASEAN Meetings

e) Monthly Selected Press Clippings on ASEAN News and Views - 12 issues (only for selective distribution).