Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Sunday adopted a comprehensive Plan of Action at the meeting of Commission for the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone (SEANWFZ), according to a press release issued by the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department.
In the press release, Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo, also Chair of the SEANFWZ Commission, stressed the need to "further solidify the ramparts of security and stability in the region" and commended the SEANWFZ Commission members for creating a roadmap to strengthen the implementation of the Treaty.
"In our efforts to secure the region from the threats of nuclear weapons, this roadmap sets the directions, objectives and the collective actions that we need to undertake to strengthen the implementation of the Treaty in the future," Romulo said.
The Action Plan is seen to sharpen the focus of regional collaboration against nuclear weapons. It is also seen to widen opportunities for participation in international efforts against nuclear weapons.
Under the Action Plan, ASEAN members will pursue compliance with the undertakings in the SEANWFZ Treaty, including the completion of their accession to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safety agreements and the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident.
The members will also consider accession to other related international instruments such as the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), the Convention on Nuclear Safety and the IAEA Additional Protocol, said the release.
The SEANWFZ treaty, singed by all ASEAN members in 1995 and came into force in 1997, expresses the region's desire to contribute towards general and complete nuclear disarmament and the promotion of international peace and security.
