30 August 2022, CANBERRA – The ASEAN Committee in Canberra (ACC) hosted a reception on 24 August at Hyatt Hotel Canberra to celebrate ASEAN Day. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) observed its 55th anniversary on 08 August 2022.

The reception featured display tables of the ten ASEAN Member States including the Philippines. The Embassy’s display table highlighted the Philippines as a maritime and archipelagic nation. In September of every year, the Philippines observes the Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month. The Philippines and Australia are both maritime nations that actively and consistently adhere to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in the promotion of ocean governance.

The Honorable Jan Adams, Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, was the guest of honor in the reception attended by other senior officials of the Australian government including Secretary of Defence Greg Moriarty and Australian Defence Force Chief Angus Campbell as well as the board of the ASEAN Australia Council led by Mr. Glenn Keys, Founder and Executive Chairman of Aspen Medical.

Cambodia is the current chair of ASEAN and the ACC. The other members of ASEAN are Brunei, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Embassy’s participation was supported by the Department of Tourism of the Philippines. – END