SEAMEO-ASEAN Synergised Education Agenda for the Southeast Asian Region

The SEAMEO Secretariat (SEAMES) hosted the 10th SEAMEO-ASEAN   Secretariats Coordination Meeting virtually on 18 August 2021. The Meeting was chaired by Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela, Director of SEAMEO Secretariat. H E Mr Kung Phoak, Deputy Secretary-General for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC) headed the ASEAN Secretariat’s delegation. 

The SEAMEO-ASEAN Secretariats Coordination Meeting is an annual coordination platform convened since 2011 for the SEAMEO and ASEAN Secretariats to discuss possible collaborative activities and joint work plans on education to achieve the oraganisation’s goals, mandates and priorities in the region. Participants of the meeting include officials from the ASEAN Secretariat and SEAMEO Secretariat.

H E Mr Kung Phoak,
Deputy Secretary-General for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, ASEAN Secretariat presented Opening Remarks.

Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela, Director of the SEAMEO Secretariat chaired the Meeting.

The main agenda of the 10th Meeting included sharing of relevant matters arising from the 15th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Education on 20 May 2020 and other relevant meetings, and the 51st SEAMEO Council Conference and 5th Strategic Dialogue for Education Ministers (SDEM 5) on 17 June 2021.

At the virtual meeting, the ASEAN Secretariat also shared the ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2021-2025 and ASEAN TVET Council Work Plan 2021-2030, while the SEAMEO Secretariat presented the SEAMEO Strategic Plan 2021-2030, 9th SEAMEO Integrated Operational Plan (SIOP), Proposal on SEAMEO CARES and Border Schools Project, and Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) Strategic Plan 2021-2025.

To strengthen trust and mutual understanding as well as enhance synergising and collaboration, between SEAMEO and ASEAN on education, the proposed Terms of Reference (TOR) of ASEAN-SEAMEO Secretariats Coordination Meeting was discussed. 

ASEAN and SEAMEO play a culcial role in developing initiatives that foster cooperation among Member Countries. Both Secretariats can help achieve economic integration of ASEAN.