As has happened during previous Indonesian ASEAN chairmanships, the Bali Concord 4 will be issued to institutionalise human rights and other civic values within the grouping at the 42nd ASEAN-related Summit in September, according to a well-informed diplomatic source.
Throughout five plus decades, Indonesia, when in the Chair, has issued three Bali Concords to consolidate ASEAN solidarity, centrality and to highlight pivotal developments in ASEAN.
The international environment has shifted and changed radically over the years and there is a need for ASEAN members to review their cooperation and further strengthen their commitments, especially in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.
The Bali Concord 1 was released in February 1976, after the ASEAN leaders held their first summit on the resort island, at which they agreed to meet whenever necessary. Both Bali 2 (2003) and Bali 3 (2011) were issued when the ASEAN chairmanship was held by Indonesia.
All the Bali declarations have emphasised the group members’ joint efforts to promote peace, progress, prosperity and the welfare of the peoples of the member states.
The Bali Concord 4, which is due to be issued at the end of the 42nd summit, will be a comprehensive one, touching on the whole gamut of the ASEAN cooperation accords’ three pillars—economic, political/security and social/culture.
In addition, it will encompass new issues, such as human rights and human trafficking, among others, which reflect the new regional and international environments, according to the source.
