- Declaration on the new Asian-African strategic partnership
We, the Leaders of Asian and African countries, have gathered in Jakarta, Indonesia on 22-23 April 2005 for the Asian-African Summit to reinvigorate the Spirit of Bandung as enshrined in the Final CommuniquР№ of the 1955 Asian-African Conference and to chart the future cooperation between our two continents towards a New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP).
We reiterate our conviction that the Spirit of Bandung, the core principles of which are solidarity, friendship and cooperation, continues to be a solid, relevant and effective foundation for fostering better relations among Asian and African countries and resolving global issues of common concern. The 1955 Bandung Conference remains as a beacon in guiding the future progress of Asia and Africa.
We note with satisfaction that since the 1955 Conference, Asian and African countries have attained significant political advances. We have successfully combated the scourge of colonialism and consistently fought racism. In particular, the abolishment of apartheid represents a milestone in Asian-African cooperation and we reaffirm our continued determination to eradicate racism and all forms of discrimination. As a result of our efforts over the last fifty years, we are all independent, sovereign and equal nations striving for the promotion of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. However, having made these political gains, we are concerned that we have not yet attained commensurate progress in the social and economic spheres. We recognize the need to continuously strengthen the process of nation and state-building, as well as social integration.
We remain committed to the principle of self-determination as set forth in the Final CommuniquР№ of the 1955 Bandung Conference and in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. In particular, we express our abhorrence that, fifty years since the 1955 Bandung Conference, the Palestinian people remain deprived of their right to independence. We remain steadfast in our support for the Palestinian people and the creation of a viable and sovereign Palestinian state, in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions.
We emphasize the importance of multilateral approaches to international relations and the need for countries to strictly abide by the principles of international law, in particular the Charter of the United Nations. As Asia and Africa represent the majority in the community of nations, we reaffirm the need to support and strengthen multilateralism in order to address global issues, including reforming multilateral institutions.
We recognize that the current global situation and the prevailing conditions in Asia and Africa necessitate the need to actively pursue a common view and collective action to ensure the equitable sharing of the benefits of globalization. We are determined to meet the internationally agreed targets and goals aimed at poverty eradication, development and growth, and underline the necessity for all parties to honour their commitments in this regard. We emphasize the importance of enhancing cooperation with all regions.
We underline the importance of dialogue among civilizations to promote a culture of peace, tolerance and respect for religious, cultural, language and racial diversities as well as gender equality.
We acknowledge the positive development of intra-regional/sub-regional integration in both continents.
Nevertheless, continent-wide inter-regional cooperation among the two continents needs to be developed. We are convinced that cooperation between sub-regional organizations, through sharing experiences and best practices, can propel growth and sustainable development.
We underline the importance of bringing the regions closer together by utilizing the advantages derived from the commonalities and diversity of, as well as the new and encouraging developments in, both regions. We emphasize both the collective responsibilities and the important role of all stakeholders in exploring innovative and concrete ways and means to strengthen cooperation between Asia and Africa.
In this regard, we acknowledge the importance of complementing and building upon existing initiatives that link the two continents, inter alia Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), China-Africa Cooperation Forum (CACF), India-Africa Cooperation, Indonesia-Brunei Darussalam sponsored Non-Aligned Movement Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation, Vietnam-Africa Business Forum, and the Smart Partnership Initiative and the Langkawi International Dialogue. We stress the importance of streamlining and aligning existing initiatives for coherence and maximum benefit and to avoid duplication.
We acknowledge the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) as the African Union's programme for poverty eradication, socio-economic development and growth and accept it as the framework for engagement with Africa. We express our support for the implementation of NEPAD.
We underscore the urgency of promoting economic development in the Asian and African regions, as stipulated in the 1955 Bandung Conference. We stress that poverty and under-development, gender mainstreaming, communicable diseases, environmental degradation, natural disasters, drought and desertification, digital divide, inequitable market access, and foreign debt, remain as issues of common concern which call for our closer cooperation and collective action.
We envision an Asian-African region at peace with itself and with the world at large working together as a concert of nations in harmony, non-exclusive, bonded in dynamic partnership and conscious of our historical ties and cultural heritage. We visualize an affluent Asian-African region characterized by equitable growth, sustainable development as well as a common determination to enhance the quality of life and well-being of our people. We further envisage a caring Asian-African society where the people live in stability, prosperity, dignity and free from the fear of violence, oppression and injustice.
To this end, we hereby declare, as an expression of our new political will, the establishment of a New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP) as a framework to build a bridge between Asia and Africa covering three broad areas of partnership, namely political solidarity, economic cooperation, and socio-cultural relations.
The strategic partnership provides a momentum in achieving peace, prosperity and progress, and will be based on the following principles and ideals:
- The Ten Principles of Bandung of the 1955 Asian – African Conference;
- Recognition of diversity between and within the regions, including different social and economic systems and levels of development;
- Commitment to open dialogue, based on mutual respect and benefit;
- Promotion of non-exclusive cooperation by involving all stakeholders;
- Attainment of practical and sustainable cooperation based on comparative advantage, equal partnership, common ownership and vision, as well as a firm and shared conviction to address common challenges;
- Promotion of sustainable partnership by complementing and building upon existing regional/sub-regional initiatives in Asia and Africa;
- Promotion of a just, democratic, transparent, accountable and harmonious society;
- Promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development;
- Promotion of collective and unified efforts in multilateral fora.
The NAASP shall emphasize the need to promote practical cooperation between the two continents in areas such as trade, industry, investment, finance, tourism, information and communication technology, energy, health, transportation, agriculture, water resources and fisheries.
The NAASP shall also address issues of common concern such as, armed conflict, weapons of mass destruction, transnational organized crimes and terrorism, which are fundamental to ensuring peace, stability, and security.
We are determined to prevent conflict and resolve disputes by peaceful means and endeavor to explore innovative mechanisms for confidence building and dispute resolution as well as for post- conflict peace-building.
The NAASP shall promote human resource development, enhanced capacity building and technical cooperation in order to create an enabling environment for the betterment of the regions.
We resolve that the sustainability of the NAASP shall be conducted through three tiers of interaction: an intergovernmental forum; sub-regional organizations; and people-to-people interaction, particularly business, academia, and civil society.
We are determined to develop an institutionalized process of the NAASP through convening: a Summit of Heads of State/Government every four years; a Ministerial Meeting of Foreign Ministers every two years; and Sectoral Ministerial and other Technical Meetings when deemed necessary. A Business Summit in conjunction with the Summit of Heads of State/Government will be held every four years.
We pledge to our peoples our joint determination and commitment to bringing the NAASP into reality by implementing concrete actions for the benefit and prosperity of our peoples.
Done in Bandung, Indonesia, on the Twenty-fourth of April in the year Two Thousand and Five, in conjunction with the Commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of the Asian-African Conference of 1955.
- Joint ministerial statement on the new asian-African strategic partnership plan of action
We, the Ministers of the Asian-African countries, assembled in Jakarta on 20 April 2005 for the Asian-African Ministerial Meeting:
Reaffirming our commitment to the Spirit and Principles of Bandung as enshrined in the Final Communique of the 1955 Asian-African Conference and the Charter of the United Nations;
Acknowledging the need to build a bridge between Asia and Africa based on shared vision and conviction, solidarity, equal partnership, common ownership, mutual respect, interest and strength;
Emphasizing the importance of complementing and building upon existing initiatives as well as internationally agreed development targets and goals emanating from various Conferences and Summits inter alia Millennium Development Goals, Monterrey Consensus, Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, and Doha Development Agenda;
Recognizing the need to enhance technical cooperation and capacity building as well as human resource development to address challenges of common concern;
Emphasizing the prominent and leading role of all Asian and African regional and sub-regional organizations in the NAASP, and the supportive role of regional development banks and United Nations regional economic commissions in promoting Asian-African partnership;
Desiring to realize mutually beneficial areas of cooperation that are pragmatic, structured, and sustainable;
To these ends, we shall strive to implement the following concrete measures in three broad areas of partnership, to which we assign special significance:
- Political solidarity
- Promoting conditions essential for greater political cooperation and confidence building, conducive to the attainment of peace and stability in both regions;
- Striving to prevent conflict and resolve disputes by peaceful means including through enhanced dialogue, preventive diplomacy, conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction;
- Encouraging regional, sub-regional and national mechanisms for preventing conflict and promoting political stability and supporting efforts in peace keeping and post-conflict peace- building;
- Supporting the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and a lasting peace in the Middle East and calling upon the Quartet and the international community to ensure the implementation of the Roadmap;
- Strengthening democratic institutions and popular participation by, among others, sharing of best practices and experiences;
- Promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms through dialogue and capacity building;
- Strengthening international and inter-regional cooperation to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations in full conformity with international law as well as to address its underlying causes;
- Combating transnational crimes in all its dimensions inter-alia money laundering, illicit trafficking of drugs, small arms and light weapons as well as trafficking in persons particularly women and children, through capacity building among law enforcement agencies in the two regions;
- Preventing and combating corruption through promoting good governance and a culture of integrity based on the rule of law;
- Promoting the reform of the United Nations with the aims of strengthening multilateralism, reinforcing the role of the United Nations in maintaining and promoting international peace, security and sustainable development, as well as ensuring greater participation for and share among Asian and African countries in its decision-making processes.
- Economic cooperation
- Supporting efforts to create an enabling international economic environment, which is critical for Asian and African countries to acquire the requisite capacities to successfully compete and fully benefit from globalization;
- Resolving the issue of poverty in a collective and comprehensive fashion through mobilizing resources for sustained economic growth, resolving debt issues, developing internationally agreed innovative financial mechanisms, capital market cooperation, ensuring flows of international development assistance, improving market access and addressing unfair and trade-distorting subsidies, addressing weak and unstable commodity prices, and enhancing flows of investment;
- Promoting and facilitating direct trade and investment between Asia and Africa;
- Maximizing the benefits of trade liberalization through improved market access for products of export interest to Asian and African countries, including by striving to provide voluntary non-reciprocal market access for Asian-African Least Developed Countries (LDCs);
- Building effective and targeted technical assistance and capacity building programs to allow Asian and African countries to integrate into the world economy and enhance competitiveness;
- Striving for sustainable development, food security, and rural development through enhanced cooperation in the areas of agriculture, water resources, fishery, and forestry;
- Maximizing the benefits arising from the protection of intellectual property rights by inter alia advancing the protection of genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore, as well as from flexibilities provided by trade related intellectual property rights agreements;
- Strengthening cooperation among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Asian and African Countries by means of education and skill enhancement as well as sharing best practices and experiences;
- Strengthening cooperation in narrowing the digital divide, creating digital opportunities, and supporting initiatives such as the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) aimed at harnessing the potential of information and communication technologies for development;
- Fostering research and development and the sharing of relevant technologies, including nanotechnology, biotechnology, and vaccine research;
- Promoting the development of sustainable energy resources and technologies including geothermal, biogas, solar, hydro-power, and nuclear energy for peaceful purposes;
- Undertaking joint exploration of the Indian Ocean, including marine resources, marine scientific research, safety of navigation and communication at sea, and search and rescue operations, to further bridge the divide between the two regions;
- Encouraging the establishment of an Asia-Africa Business Forum to enable greater contact among private sectors in contributing to increased flows of trade and investment among Asian and African countries.
- Socio-cultural relations
- Fostering greater people-to-people contacts so as to enrich civil society and good governance as well as ensure that cooperation development reaches the different levels of society in countries in Asia and Africa;
- Enhancing dialogue among civilizations, including interfaith dialogues, with a view to promoting peace and development through mutual understanding and tolerance among societies;
- Promoting mutual understanding of diverse cultures and societies through inter alia cultural exchanges, preserving and restoring the cultural heritage of our peoples and the establishment of a Cultural Dialogue Forum;
- Advancing youth, gender equality, education, science and technology, with a view to enhancing the capacity of human resources, overcoming illiteracy and improving the quality of life;
- Fighting against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and various other epidemics and communicable diseases through prevention, treatment and care which are based on the advancement of public community health, a coordinated and sustained global response, as well as greater availability of medicines at an affordable price;
- Enhancing the role of the media in promoting the sharing of information and greater knowledge of the ways of life in Asian and African countries;
- Developing a network among universities, libraries, research institutions and centers of excellence in Asia and Africa, including linkages with existing regional, inter-regional and international agencies, with a view to sharing and expanding the pool of resources, skills and knowledge as well as developing mechanisms for scholarships and exchanges;
- Building cooperation to improve environment protection, through inter-alia, responsible use of non-renewable natural resources, transfer of environmentally sound technology;
- Striving for improved management and conservation of biodiversity while respecting and protecting the rights and socio-cultural practices of local communities;
- Advancing efforts to create an emergency preparedness mechanism and early warning system concomitant with on-going efforts to better deal with and mitigate natural disasters.
We appreciate the efforts of several countries and organizations that conducted studies, as mandated by the Asian-African Sub-Regional Organizations (AASROC) Ministerial Working Group Meeting and AASROC II. We express our satisfaction with the deliberations of the Sub-Regional Organizations in also providing concrete recommendations to further our cooperation.
We welcome the efforts of the business community to promote closer economic and trade cooperation through the convening of the First Asian-African Business Summit. We look forward to continued progress and interaction between our business communities.
We acknowledge with appreciation the outcomes emanating from the Workshop on the Role of Women and Youth in Furthering Asia-Africa Cooperation as well as the Asian-African Symposium on Renewable Energy.
We welcome the generosity of the Provincial Government of West Java in providing a venue in Bandung, Indonesia, for the establishment of an Asian African Village in celebration of the mutual bond of friendship between Africa and Asia.
We note with appreciation the Co-chairmanship of Indonesia and South Africa, and the warm hospitality and excellent arrangements made for the Meeting by the Government and people of the Republic of Indonesia.
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