ASEAN SECRETARIAT TO BE RESTRUCTURED

By Mohd Nasir Yusoff

JAKARTA, March 26 (Bernama) - ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan
today announced that the ASEAN Secretariat would be restructured, a move which
has been endorsed by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers.

He said a new and strengthened ASEAN Secretariat would be able to respond
more efficiently and effectively to the challenges of building the ASEAN
Community.

"It also will help us better coordinate on cross-sectoral linkages within
and across the three pillars, namely, the ASEAN Political-Security Community,
the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community," he said in
a statement here.

There will be four departments, one for each pillar of the ASEAN Community
while the fourth department will focus on community and corporate affairs, he
said, adding that each of the department would be headed by a Deputy
Secretary-General (DSG), three of whom were already on board.

The fourth DSG (for Community and Corporate Affairs) was being recruited, he
said.

Overseen by the Secretary-General, the various departments of the ASEAN
Secretariat are geared towards a shared vision: that by 2015, the ASEAN
Secretariat will be the nerve centre of a strong and confident ASEAN Community
that is globally respected for acting in full compliance with its Charter and
in the best interests of its people.

The Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat currently has 205 staff.

"More high calibre officers will be recruited in future. The restructuring
will take effect from 15 April," Surin added.
-- BERNAMA