New ASEAN Secretary General takes office
The new ASEAN Secretary General, Mr. Lim Jock Hoi, held an inauguration ceremony, officially starting his new duties in Jakarta (Indonesia) today (January 5).
 |
| New ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi. Photo: ASEAN |
The ceremony was attended by Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, permanent representatives of 10 ASEAN member countries, senior Indonesian officials, and representatives of diplomatic missions in Indonesia.
Mr. Lim is the second Bruneian and the 14th Secretary-General of ASEAN, for the term 2018-2022, according to the official website of ASEAN.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, new ASEAN Secretary General Lim thanked his Vietnamese predecessor, Mr. Le Luong Minh, for his worthy contributions during the 2013-2017 term.
Mr. Lim emphasized that in the face of new challenges, ASEAN "must immediately prepare its people for the technological era, and must maintain and advance the goals of sustainable growth and development."
Emphasizing that ASEAN countries are a disaster-prone region, the new Secretary-General Lim called for enhanced response to natural disasters among ASEAN countries, instead of focusing mainly on regional diplomacy and economic growth. Accordingly, parties need to be responsible for enhancing response capacity through intervention to mitigate disasters, implement strategies to adapt to climate change, conserve and manage ecosystems and natural resources.
Last month, at least 240 people were killed when Tropical Storm Tembin devastated the southern Philippines, forcing tens of thousands to flee. Also in December 2017, Typhoon Cempaka swept through Indonesia’s main island of Java, killing at least 41 people and forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes due to flooding and landslides.
The ASEAN Secretariat chief also said that ASEAN’s main challenge is to bring the organization closer to its people. Mr. Lim pledged that the organization will be more proactive and self-improving, helping member countries be prepared on important issues that affect much of the region.
Prior to his election as ASEAN Secretary-General, Mr. Lim Jock Hoi was Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Brunei.
The position of ASEAN Secretary-General has a term of 5 years and is rotated among ASEAN member countries.