Outcome of the ASEAN Political-Security Community Council (APSC) Meeting

On 10 April 2009 at 09:00 hrs., ASEAN Foreign Ministers and ASEAN Secretary-General attended the 1st ASEAN Political-Security Community Council (APSC) Meeting, a new mechanism established pursuant to the ASEAN Charter, which entered into force on 15 December 2008. 

The ASEAN Political-Security Community Council (APSC), which under Article 9 of the ASEAN Charter is responsible for implementing the ASEAN Political-Security Community Blueprint, met for the first time in Pattaya. 

The Meeting exchanged views on, among others, the progress of sectoral bodies under the political and security pillar of ASEAN, including the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Commission, the ASEAN defence ministers’ meetings, ASEAN legal ministers’ meetings, and meetings of ASEAN ministers responsible for transnational crimes. In this regard, the ASEAN Secretary-General informed the Meeting that APSC would have to establish its rules of procedure and communications plan as well as work plans for those sectoral bodies.