Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD)
ASIA COOPERATION DIALOGUE Chaired by Isabelle Tseng Session XXIII Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Topic A: Energy Security Topic B: Increasing Financial Cooperation Committee Overview dialogue and focused projects. On the dialogue dimension, member countries take The Asia Cooperation Dialogue turns to host annual ACD Ministerial (ACD) is an Asian-wide cooperation Meetings, ACD Summits and other framework inaugurated in June of 2002 in voluntary tasks force gatherings with Chan-am, Thailand. It is the first continent- focused agendas. On the sidelines of the UN wide forum established in Asia with the General Assembly, Foreign Ministers also “key principle of consolidating Asia’s meet to review ACD cooperation and strengths and fortify its competitiveness magnify Asia’s presence on the international with the rest of the world through the stage.3 On the projects dimension, member maximization of its rich diversity and countries organically become prime or co- resources.”1 It began with the 18 founding prime movers to drive their chosen areas of member countries of Bahrain, Bangladesh, cooperation and to develop projects to Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, advance Asia’s interests. The perks of ACD India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, being a forum instead of an organization Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, means that the choice and adoption of Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Thailand, and projects do not require consensus from all or Vietnam. Aiming to incorporate every Asian the majority of ACD countries.4 country, ACD has grown into an Asian Since its inception, ACD has community of 34 countries with the addition identified 20 priority areas for cooperation.5 of Afghanistan, Bhutan, Iran, Kazakhstan, During this session, the Asian Cooperation Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Dialogue will focus on two of its priority Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, areas, namely Energy Security and Tajikistan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Increasing Financial Cooperation.
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