Governance

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Overview

We promote informal, open and non-confrontational dialogue between civil society and government representatives on human rights issues of importance to Asia and Europe and provide tailored capacity-building training for diplomats engaged in public diplomacy efforts and the promotion of gender equality.

Overview

Governance is one of ASEF’s seven key thematic areas. In this field, we promote informal, open and non-confrontational dialogue between civil society and government representatives, particularly in human rights. Furthermore, we strive to enhance mutual understanding and cooperation among ASEM Partners by providing tailored capacity-building training for early-/mid-career diplomats and government officials engaged in public diplomacy efforts and the promotion of gender equality.

Our Work

Human Rights

We organise annual Human Rights seminars, trainings and outreach activities covering issues of importance to Asia and Europe. Through the Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights Series (ASEMHRS), we provide a multistakeholder platform for an exchange of views and practices related to human rights across Asia and Europe. We add value to the dialogue on human rights between Asia and Europe by transforming the results of our projects into actionable inputs. The recommendations are made available to the public through the ASEMHRS publications and seminar reports. The outcomes are further presented to a wider audience through outreach events and utilised to train government officials and practitioners on human rights topics through the annual Human Rights Training Programme.

Since 1997, ASEF has co-organised 22 Informal ASEM Human Rights Seminars across Asia and Europe covering a wide range of human rights topics of common interest.

Public Diplomacy

The ASEF Public Diplomacy Training (ASEFPDT) combines participatory online learning and face-to-face interactions facilitated by public diplomacy experts and trainers. The modules are designed to keep participants abreast of new developments in the field through peer-to-peer learning, analysing case studies and designing strategic campaigns.

ASEFPDT Alumni are encouraged to apply the practical skills they acquired through the online course and the face-to-face training in their work to increase foreign and domestic publics’ awareness of the Asia-Europe cooperation and ASEF.

Since its inception in 2013, ASEF has co-organised 12 tutored online courses and 10 face-to-face collaborations across Asia and Europe, benefitting more than 400 junior diplomats and civil servants from ASEM Partner countries.

Gender Equality

As part of its Capacity-Building Programme on Women, Peace and Security, ASEF Governance aims to promote awareness and understanding of women’s empowerment and gender equality among ASEM diplomats so as to contribute to behavioural change and integrate a gender perspective into the work of diplomats and government officials.

The programme introduces the key concepts, international framework, and methods for working toward gender equality and gender-sensitive policies in line with the international Women, Peace and Security policy framework and Goals 5 and 16 of the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development, which commit countries to achieving gender equality and fostering peaceful and inclusive societies.