8 November 2024, Vientiane, Lao PDR - The year 2024 was declared by the Secretary-General to be the year of building trust and hope. In his report Our Common Agenda the Secretary-General observed

Increasingly, people are turning their backs on the values of trust and solidarity in one another – the very values we need to rebuild our world and secure a better, more sustainable future for our people and our planet.

ASEAN and the greater Asia and the Pacific region made a conscious shift to move from a deficit of trust to building strategic trust. ASEAN’s confidence and trust-building measures are specifically identified as foundational and form a vital part of the region’s preventive diplomacy mechanisms. Centred at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas, through which the majority of the world’s oil is shipped and nearly one-third of total worldwide trade passes, the Asia-Pacific region is a crossroads of economy, culture and religions. Given current global challenges including violent conflict in multiple regions, geopolitical divides and multilateral systems increasingly under stress, the ASEAN region with its peace and security architecture based on confidence and trust building and ongoing quiet diplomacy is of strategic importance and an important example of building regional stability with a focus on constructive relations that can contribute lessons for other regions.

Thirty-five female and male participants completed the training programme, to further discuss the progressive role that ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific region can play in contributing to regional and global peace and stability. Female participants composed forty-nine per cent of officials and representatives trained. Participants came from government departments including the President and Prime Minister’s Offices and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,  key civil society organizations and academia from the ASEAN Member States, and the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation. Officials and experts participated from other countries in the Asia-Pacific region including Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Timor-Leste. 

An intensive Training Programme, Confidence Building In The ASEAN Region was organized in Lao PDR from 4 to 8 November 2024.

Participants were introduced to interest-based negotiation theory and took part in hands-on negotiation exercises. The mix of theory and practice was highly appreciated by those taking part. Key resource persons and presenters included a resident resource person, the Chief Negotiator for the Philippines government of the Bangsamoro Peace Process, a Former Foreign Minister who actively contributed to building strategic trust within the ASEAN region, a former Senior UN official who engaged in good offices on behalf of the Secretary-General in a number of regions, as well as the Head of Office of the United Nations Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar, who presented the recently adopted New Agenda for Peace and the Pact for the Future. The female and male participating officials and representatives engaged in peer exchange and discussions throughout the intensive training programme. They identified root causes of unrest and conflict and engaged in group work throughout the week to present on the final day one or two case studies exemplifying where these root causes were successfully addressed. That led to the Participants Form and Common Vision for Peace. Excellent feedback has been received and those completing the programme left energized, informed and inspired to carry out their vital work towards building trust and confidence and sustaining peace.