ASEAN leaders sign pact on strengthening civil service

Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), led by President Rodrigo Duterte, on Saturday signed an agreement on strengthening civil service.

The Southeast Asian leaders signed the Declaration on the Role of the Civil Service as A Catalyst for Achieving ASEAN Community Vision 2025 during the 30th ASEAN Summit in Pasay City.

"The declaration supports the first thematic priority of a people oriented, people centered ASEAN under the Philippine chairmanship, which highlights the important role of the civil service as drivers of national and regional development towards the achievement of ASEAN goals and aspirations for a politically cohesive, economically integrated, socially responsible community as articulated under the ASEAN Community Vision 2025: Forging Ahead Together," Civil Service Commission Chairperson Alicia dela Rosa-Bala said during a press conference at the ASEAN International Media Center.

Bala said the declaration was the only document that has been signed by the leaders during the summit as of posting.

The CSC chief emphasized that civil service serves as the "backbone" towards the realization of the ASEAN community vision, thus it was given a priority during the summit.

"The Philippine Civil Service takes pride in initiating the development of this significant document as it breaks new grounds in ensuring cooperation and synergy among the ASEAN member states across the three pillars: political security, economic, and socio-cultural and the various sectors of the ASEAN community," she said.

Under the agreement, ASEAN civil service institutions through the ASEAN Cooperation on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM) will work together in developing and implementing capacity-building programs in critical areas of concern such as progressive people management, organizational performance, skills building, environment promotion, health management and disaster management; enhancing the professional standards and capability of civil servants in the region; and upholding and protecting their welfare, especially those performing critical roles during disasters and other hazardous situations.

The agreement also tasked the ACCSM to develop mechanisms that will ensure adoption of good governance principles towards building government institutions that are resilient, trusted and future-ready; and to strengthen alliance building both internally and with external partners.

Bala disclosed that the ASEAN heads of Civil Service will meet in November to exchange views and draw up concrete action plans to implement the declaration. —ALG, GMA News