VZCZCXRO9447
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #1076/01 1752345
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 242345Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2681
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS COLL
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3063
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 3638
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 5393
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2707
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0001
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5955
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2708
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 8750

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001076 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP 
BANGKOK FOR USAID/RDMA 
 
E.O. 12598: N/A 
TAGS: ASEAN ECIN PREL EAID ID
SUBJECT:  ASEAN 101 and Contacts 
 
JAKARTA 00001076  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  Summary: Secretary Clinton's historic February visit to the 
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat (ASEC) in 
Jakarta underscores a deepening U.S. relationship with ASEAN.  The 
United States was ASEAN's first "Dialogue Partner" to name an 
Ambassador for ASEAN Affairs.  It also provides significant 
technical assistance to ASEC through a USAID-managed Facility 
co-located with ASEC.  Embassy Jakarta is working to disseminate 
information on -- and facilitate communication about -- ASEAN/ASEC 
more effectively within the USG.  To receive periodic informational 
updates on ASEAN/ASEC, please see paragraph 9.  End Summary. 
 
Background 
---------- 
¶2.  The Foreign Ministers of ASEAN established ASEC in 1976 to 
coordinate and implement ASEAN projects and activities. 
Headquartered in Jakarta, ASEC houses the Secretary General, four 
Deputy Secretary Generals and approximately 240 professional staff. 
ASEC is also the venue for the regular meetings of the newly 
established Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR).  The CPR's 
responsibilities include supporting the work of the ASEAN Community 
Councils, coordinating with ASEAN National Secretariats and other 
ASEAN Ministerial Bodies, as well as liaising with the 
Secretary-General of ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat. 
 
¶3.  Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines 
and Burma have appointed their respective Permanent Representatives 
to ASEAN.  Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia have appointed Permanent 
Representatives who are expected to present their credentials within 
the next two weeks.  Thailand has appointed an ad-interim Permanent 
Representative as Thai law currently only allows for such 
appointments to the United Nations and related agencies.  The 
Permanent Representatives are housed at their respective embassies 
in Jakarta. 
 
¶4.  The current ASEAN Secretary General -- Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, a 
former foreign minister of Thailand -- will serve a five-year term 
from 2008-2012.  Dr. Pitsuwan is supported by four Deputy Secretary 
Generals.  Singapore's Sundram Pushpanathan covers ASEAN's Economic 
Community, Laos' Sayakane Sisouvong covers the Political-Security 
Community, and Cambodia's Dr. Soeung Rathchavy covers the 
Socio-Cultural Community until her term ends in August.  The Deputy 
Secretary General for the Corporate Affairs Department is currently 
vacant.  The professional staff is openly recruited from among ASEAN 
country nationals. 
 
¶5.  ASEC operates on a $14 million annual budget, with equal 
contribution from each member state.  Dialogue partners and other 
donors have contributed to various trust funds, including Aus$55 
million for seven years from Australia, $350 million for five years 
from Japan, and Euro 70 million for five years from the European 
Union.  These contributions from donor states are expected to 
increase substantially over the coming years. 
 
¶6.  ASEAN has two tiers of formalized partnerships: Dialogue Partner 
and Sectoral Dialogue Partner.  Currently, only Pakistan is in the 
latter category.  The United States is one of 11 Dialogue Partners 
that include both countries and organizations such as the UNDP, 
Russia, Canada and India.  ASEAN+3 refers to an institutionalized 
forum for cooperation between ASEAN and Dialogue Partners China, 
Japan and South Korea.  In addition to these partnerships, there is 
also the East Asia Summit involving ASEAN Plus Three and Australia, 
New Zealand and India. 
 
U.S. Assistance to ASEAN 
------------------------ 
¶7.  United States assistance to the region totaled $629.5 million in 
2008, including regional and bilateral support.  This support is 
generally provided through technical assistance.  The United States 
provides additional support to the region through multilateral 
institutions, such as the Asian Development and World Banks, and 
directly through USG agencies like the Patent and Trademark Office 
or the Federal Trade Commission.  The USG delivers a significant 
portion of its direct technical assistance to ASEC and ASEAN member 
states through the ASEAN Development Vision to Advance National 
Cooperation and Economic Integration (ADVANCE) program.  USAID's 
Regional Development Mission/Asia (RDMA) in Bangkok (Michael Satin 
and Jennifer Wilson) manages the program and the program's 
contractor, Nathan Associates, Inc.  Regional assistance is also 
delivered through USAID/RDMA in areas such as preservation of 
biodiversity, clean energy development, emerging infectious diseases 
and trafficking in people. 
 
JAKARTA 00001076  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶8.  Currently, ADVANCE focuses on four key projects.  Located within 
ASEC, the ASEAN-US Technical Assistance and Training Facility 
provides technical assistance and training to ASEC and member states 
supporting all 3 pillars of ASEAN integration (Political-Security, 
Economic, and Socio-Cultural.  Assistance areas range from pandemic 
preparedness to information technologies to trade facilitation.  The 
ASEAN Single Window (ASW) project supports the development of a 
system to facilitate the more rapid clearance of goods and greater 
transparency in cross-border transactions.  The ASEAN 
Competitiveness Enhancement (ACE) project supports the 
competitiveness and integration of ASEAN's textile and apparel and 
tourism supply chains.  The Lao program supports the Government of 
Laos' efforts to liberalize its trade and investment regime to 
comply with its bi-lateral trade agreement with the United States 
and accede to the WTO.  For further information, visit 
www.asean-us-partnership.org. 
 
Department of State Points of Contact with ASEC 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
¶9.  Deputy Assistant Secretary for Southeast Asia Scot Marciel is 
the current -- and first -- U.S. Ambassador for ASEAN Affairs.  DAS 
Marciel is supported by the EAP/RSP Office (contact Jack Andre at 
andreJH@state.gov for additional information).  Embassy Jakarta 
serves a liaison function between State (as well as other USG 
agencies in general) and ASEC until such time as a USG office for 
ASEAN affairs is established and staffed in Jakarta.  Economic 
Officer Machut Shishak and Political Officer Matthew Cenzer cover 
ASEAN issues in general.  Together with two part-time employees 
Elizabeth Spelsberg and Nicholas Throckmorton, they facilitate and 
coordinate communication between USG agencies/offices and ASEC. 
They have a good working relationship with ASEC staff and frequently 
assist USG officials with ASEAN-related meetings and information. 
 
For more Information about ASEAN 
-------------------------------- 
¶10.  Officers/Posts/Offices that wish to be included on 
occasional/periodic e-mail updates on ASEAN and ASEC (including 
information on current or future assistance programs/projects in the 
10 countries) are requested to inform Elizabeth Spelsberg at 
SpelsbergEA@state.gov. 
 
HUME