His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, yesterday attended the 12th ASEAN-United States Summit; the 19th East Asia Summit; the 14th ASEAN-United Nations Summit; and the 2nd Asia Zero Emission Community Leaders’ Meeting, which were held at the National Convention Centre in Vientiane, Laos.
Accompanying His Majesty was His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen.
12TH ASEAN-UNITED STATES SUMMIT
His Majesty delivered a titah during the 12th ASEAN-United States (US) Summit, expressing condolences and sympathies on the loss of lives and serious devastation caused by Hurricane Helene and Typhoon Milton.
In recognising the US as a trusted partner of ASEAN, His Majesty expressed appreciation for the US’ continued support and commitment, to ASEAN’s community building efforts across all three pillars. Over the years, these contributions have significantly shaped ASEAN’s socio-economic development and enhanced the livelihoods of its people.
Looking ahead, His Majesty called for redoubled efforts to further substantiate the ASEAN-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in areas such as digitalisation and climate change, which are not just challenges but also opportunities that hold immense potential for ASEAN and the US’ collective future.
His Majesty noted the transformative impact of technological advancements on every aspect of life in recent years. The trend is projected to contribute to almost USD1 trillion to ASEAN’s digital economic growth by 2030. In this regard, His Majesty called to strengthen ASEAN-US collective capacity, particularly in information technology, to ensure this remains on track.
ASEAN and the US should also commit to empowering micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). His Majesty therefore looked forward to continue working with the US through initiatives to build MSMEs capacities and assist their integration into the digital economy. To this end, the adoption of the Statement on Promoting Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence was welcomed, which would support ASEAN’s development of the Digital Economy Framework Agreement.
At the same time, His Majesty also welcomed working with the US on digital solution to address global challenges such as climate change. ASEAN and the US can benefit from collaborating on research and innovation projects, data collection, and receiving technical support in targeted areas such as climate-resilient infrastructure and early warning systems.
Lastly, His Majesty expressed appreciation on the US’ continued support for ASEAN’s efforts through the Climate Solutions Hub and encouraged cooperation with the ASEAN Centre for Climate Change.
Meanwhile, discussions among leaders emphasised the need to strengthen the ASEAN-US partnership in areas such as the digital economy, including cooperation in artificial intelligence and cross border data flows, as well as climate action and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
19TH EAST ASIA SUMMIT
Following the 12th ASEAN-US Summit, His Majesty attended the 19th East Asia Summit, in which His Majesty in a titah stated that the East Asia Summit (EAS) has been a valuable leaders’-led forum for fostering dialogue and practical cooperation in East Asia since its establishment. In today’s increasingly complex global landscape, the EAS is well-placed to promote multilateralism to address current pressing challenges and explore collaboration in areas of mutual interest.
Touching on critical issues affecting the region and the world, such as food and energy security and climate change, His Majesty underscored collective efforts are required to safeguard a better future. Over the years, the EAS has taken a proactive stance by jointly agreeing to address these challenges by advancing regional cooperation. In this regard, His Majesty stated that the EAS must continue to implement and follow through on past consensus to ensure a more resilient and prosperous region.
His Majesty also highlighted that while the pandemic no longer poses a threat, its effects, especially on mental health, remain a significant concern. According to the World Health Organization, who lost productivity due to poor mental health continues and is projected globally to reach USD6 million by 2030. The EAS therefore needs to continue working closely and develop effective mental healthcare systems. To this end, His Majesty expressed appreciation for the support given to the Second EAS Workshop on Mental Health – scheduled to be held at the end of this year – which could also contribute to the development of the EAS Joint Action Plan on Mental Health Cooperation.
Meanwhile, His Majesty highlighted that ongoing geopolitical tensions have disrupted and can further disrupt future economic growth, which continue to test the credibility of institutions such as the United Nations (UN). The EAS, whose members include economic powerhouses and permanent members of the UN Security Council, can play a vital role in restoring trust and confidence in the international system.
Overall, the EAS, added His Majesty, can demonstrate leadership by consistently upholding international law, including international humanitarian law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, to ensure continued peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and beyond.
At the summit, EAS leaders, among other things, stressed the importance of upholding multilateralism and international laws in light of exacerbating global geopolitical tensions. By prioritising consultation and dialogue, the EAS has the shared responsibility of being the forum for rebuilding trust and hence address multi-dimensional challenges, towards maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the region.
14TH ASEAN-UNITED NATIONS SUMMIT
His Majesty then attended the 14th ASEAN-United Nations (UN) Summit, in which His Majesty in a titah congratulated UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the success of the ‘Summit of the Future’ and the adoption of the ‘Pact for the Future’, that emphasises the shared vision of creating a better today towards a peaceful, stable, and prosperous tomorrow. On this, His Majesty reaffirmed Brunei Darussalam’s readiness to continue working with ASEAN member states and the UN to address regional and global challenges and ensure progress and development are not hindered.
Meanwhile, His Majesty also acknowledged the urgency of addressing climate change, given the alarming increase in extreme weather events in the region, such as high temperatures and intense typhoons. For this reason, His Majesty expressed appreciation on the call to accelerate the implementation of the ‘Early Warnings for All’ initiative as outlined in the ‘Pact for the Future’, which aims to ensure every individual has access to early warning systems by 2027.
Collaboration with relevant US specialised agencies, including the World Meteorological Organization, was also welcomed, to support ASEAN’s efforts in mitigating climate-induced risks. His Majesty acknowledged the potential benefits of digital transformation but at the same time, stressed the need to remain vigilant and prepared, as the opportunities it presents are matched by the threats it carries, such as cyber-attacks and cyber-crimes. In ending the titah, His Majesty therefore welcomed more collaboration between the UN and ASEAN to enhance digital literacy and promote the responsible development of new technologies.
At the summit, leaders highlighted that ASEAN and the UN should focus cooperation efforts in addressing global challenges in areas such as disaster risk reduction and climate change.
2ND ASIA ZERO EMISSIONS COMMUNITY LEADERS MEETING
During the meeting, His Majesty in delivering a titah underscored Japan’s strong commitment towards energy security and sustainable growth in the Asia-Pacific through advancing decarbonisation efforts. In this regard, Brunei Darussalam welcomes Japan’s strategy of “one goal, various pathways” towards accelerating zero emissions that recognises the unique circumstances of the individual nations within AZEC and their respective level of progress on energy transition.
With over 60 per cent of land in Brunei is covered by primary rainforest, His Majesty reiterated the commitment to preserve the pristine environment through renewable energy on marginal lands by installing large-scale solar photovoltaic systems. These environmental preservation efforts are an integral part of Brunei Darussalam’s National Climate Change Policy in charting a low-carbon, climate-resilient future. These efforts have also enabled Brunei to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 14 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2023, putting the country on track to achieve its Nationally Determined Contributions target of 20 per cent compared to 2015 business-as-usual levels.
His Majesty looked forward to working closely with Japan through the Asia Zero Emission Centre (AZEC) in ERIA to accelerate the region’s energy transition efforts, and encouraged collaboration between the ASEAN Centre for Climate Change and the Asia Zero Emission Centre to find innovative and practical measures, as well as policy options towards carbon neutrality in the region. During the meeting, AZEC Leaders encouraged environmental cooperation towards mitigating the effects of climate change, as well as financing AZEC’s energy transition efforts and cross border electricity trading.
