CSO Forum on ASEAN Engagement - September 26, 2012, Vientiane, Lao PDR

CSO Forum on ASEAN Engagement

September 26, 2012

Chanthapanya Hotel

Vientiane, Lao PDR

Provisional Agenda and Program

Background
Civil Society Organizations in recent years have sought opportunities to strengthen their ranks to engage ASEAN more effectively and constructively.  Regional and national CSOs have come together to share information and experiences, to coordinate and jointly strategize in relation to their  shared advocacy agenda in ASEAN ---  from the cross-cutting agenda of democratizing space for  participation, to access to information,  and to various thematic or sectoral issues. 

The CSO community engaging ASEAN on food security, climate change, agriculture and forestry, and rural development issues have had the opportunity to come together in relation to the ASEAN-U.S. Market Project which is supporting the continuity of the dialogue process between ASEAN's public and private sectors on the issue of food security.  In particular, the 1st and 2nd AMAF-Private Sector Dialogue, which took place in October 2011 in Jakarta and on September 27, 2012 in Vientiane, Lao PDR, respectively.  A number of national and regional CSOs participated in the Preparatory Workshop for the 2nd AMAF-PPD in Bangkok.  The preparatory workshop was meant to help the CSO sector distill priority issues on three prioritized themes of  agricultural productivity, access to credit  and  women in agribusiness and come up with shared inputs during the dialogue with AMAF.  It was also an opportunity to relate with and interact with the private business groups in the region and the SOM-AMAF representatives. A smaller representation of CSOs, identified from among the BKK participants and those interested to engage in the process, were invited to the 2nd AMAP-PPD in Vientiane.  It is along this that the one day CSO Forum was proposed and planned, by the CSO participants to the PPD.


Objectives
The CSO Forum aims to:

1. Review the context and take stock of  CSO engagements in ASEAN in relation to their over-arching advocacies on food security, climate change, and other rural development issues, and in view of the upcoming ASEAN economic integration by 2015.
2. Prepare for the 2nd AMAF-PPD by reviewing its shared priority issues and planned inputs coming from the Bangkok preparatory process, and other related and priority issues from on-going CSO engagement and cooperation in the Asean region.
3. Identify ways forward at the regional and national levels to follow through on the PPD process and to further strengthen CSO cooperation vis ASEAN engagement, especially, highlighting the role of the FOs and basic sectors.

Expected Outputs
1.    Improved framework and understanding of CSO engagement in ASEAN, which could serve as guidepost to all stakeholders  of sustainable rural development development in the region.
2.    Prepared collective CSO inputs to the 2nd PPD and prepared CSO pax to the PPD in general, given opportunities for inputs from the floor.
3.    Shared operational way-forward to pursue ASEAN engagement priorities for 2012-2013.
4.    Networking opportunities at regional and national levels among those engaging ASEAN.

PLEASE READ THE TWO DOCUMENTS SENT TO ALL PARTICIPANTS:
Summary of  Issues Preparatory Workshop in Bangkok, Sept 6-7
Summary of Planned CSO Inputs to the 2nd PPD

Program Flow