ASEAN People’s Forum wraps up

• PM pins hope on success of 37th ASEAN Summit, related meetings
• Third ASEAN graphic arts exhibition to open in Hanoi

With the theme “Southeast Asian People’s Solidarity for an Inclusive, Cohesive and Responsive Community”, it offered an opportunity for participants to exchange information and experience and strengthen solidarity.

It also helped improve connectivity between social movements and people’s organisations in ASEAN to respond to global challenges for the purpose of building a people-centred ASEAN Community.

An overview of the forum (Photo: VNA)

The outcomes of the plenary sessions and themed workshops are included in reports of theme groups, which will be added to the APF Joint Statement 2020.

Addressing the closing ceremony, Phan Anh Son, Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO), said that the forum was a success, manifesting the inclusive, cohesive and responsive spirit of Southeast Asian peoples.

Son, who is head of the national committee for APF 2020 organisation board, affirmed that Vietnamese people’s organisations will continue contributing to the forum as well as the strengthening of solidarity among the peoples of Southeast Asian nations.

APF is an annual event held on the sidelines of ASEAN Summit, which was initiated by Malaysia in 2005.

The forum creates an open space for the engagement of people’s organisations in the ASEAN, raising the voice of the people to leaders of ASEAN countries, thus building an ASEAN Community for the common interest of the people and for peace, development and equal and sustainable development in the region.