III 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. RES. 141 Supporting ASEAN Centrality in the Indo-Pacific Region. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 30, 2023 Mr. MERKLEY (for himself and Mr. VAN HOLLEN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations RESOLUTION Supporting ASEAN Centrality in the Indo-Pacific Region. Whereas, with more than 686,000,000 people, the ten mem- bers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) collectively boast the third largest population in the world and a gross domestic product of $3,300,000,000,000, and serves to promote economic growth and regional stability among its members, as well as a rules-based international order; Whereas ASEAN is situated in a critical geographic position, straddling the sea lanes between the Indian Ocean to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east; Whereas, at the 10th annual U.S.-ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., and the ASEAN leaders elevated United States-ASEAN relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership; VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:58 Mar 31, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR141.IS SR141 DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •SRES 141 IS Whereas, under this framework, there has been an unprece- dented expansion in United States-ASEAN relations, in- cluding the launch of five new high-level dialogues on health, transportation, gender equality and women’s em- powerment, environment and climate, and energy, as well as elevated engagement on foreign affairs, economics, and defense; Whereas, in October 2022, the Office of the Special Presi- dential Envoy for Climate joined a senior officials’ dia- logue on the environment and climate with ASEAN, dur- ing which the two sides decided to establish a cooperation work plan and to hold a special U.S.-ASEAN Ministerial Dialogue on the Environment and Climate in 2023; Whereas President Biden has reaffirmed the strong support of the United States for ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, building on the his- toric success of the first-ever U.S.-ASEAN Special Sum- mit in Washington, DC in May 2022; Whereas the United States is committed to supporting the implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo- Pacific’s Maritime Pillar, and the United States Govern- ment has announced $60,000,000 in new regional mari- time initiatives; Whereas, in 2022, the United States provided over $860,000,000 in assistance through the Department of State and the United States Agency for International De- velopment (USAID) to ASEAN partners to support the environment, access to education, strengthened health systems, security modernization efforts, rule of law, and human rights; VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:51 Mar 31, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR141.IS SR141 DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •SRES 141 IS Whereas the Department of Agriculture and the United States International Development Finance Corporation plan to invest $57,000,000 in new programs across Southeast Asia to promote food security and ensure ac- cess to safe water, including a new ‘‘Food for School Feeding’’ program; Whereas the United States supports the ASEAN Center for Pandemic Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED), including through USAID assistance and through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Whereas the United States International Development Fi- nance Corporation will invest $215,000,000 in loans to Southeast Asian financial institutions, in order to help low-income women access capital and contribute to eco- nomic growth; Whereas the Mekong-U.S. Partnership, established in 2020 to expand upon the Lower Mekong Initiative, promotes sustainable long-term economic development throughout mainland Southeast Asia and fosters regional coopera- tion, integration, and capacity building; Whereas the strength of U.S.-ASEAN relations is anchored in the friendship shared by our combined 1,000,000,000 people, and each year the United States provides more than $70,000,000 to support educational and cultural ex- changes that foster greater understanding; Whereas more than 650 students, teachers, and scholars par- ticipate in Fulbright exchanges between the United States and ASEAN, and participants from all 10 ASEAN member states take part in the program; Whereas 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), which of- VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:51 Mar 31, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR141.IS SR141 DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •SRES 141 IS fers exchanges, regional workshops, small grant funding, and other programs to develop ties between the United States and ASEAN; Whereas, at the September 2020 ASEAN-U.S. Foreign Min- isters’ Meeting, the United States announced the new YSEALI Academy at Fulbright University in Vietnam to expand YSEALI’s people-to-people engagement between the United States and ASEAN; Whereas seven ASEAN member States link to 23 States and the District of Columbia through 81 sister city, nine sis- ter state, and 20 sister county connections; and Whereas the Peace Corps has programs in five ASEAN mem- ber States (Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam), including the inaugural program in Viet- nam launched in 2022 with 10 Peace Corps Trainees to promote English language learning and literacy in Viet- nam’s secondary schools: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate— 1 (1) promotes deepening cooperation with 2 ASEAN member states and the ASEAN Secretariat 3 under our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to 4 promote peace, security, and stability in the Indo- 5 Pacific region; 6 (2) reaffirms the importance of ASEAN cen- 7 trality, the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, and 8 ASEAN-led mechanisms in the institutional archi- 9 tecture of the Indo-Pacific region; 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:58 Mar 31, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR141.IS SR141 DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS 5 •SRES 141 IS (3) commemorates the 10th anniversary of 1 YSEALI on December 3, 2023, and supports its ex- 2 panding programs; 3 (4) commends the work and mission of the 4 Peace Corps in the region, including the historic ar- 5 rival of the first Peace Corps Volunteers to Vietnam, 6 at the invitation of the Government of Vietnam; 7 (5) celebrates the 10th anniversary of our com- 8 prehensive partnership with Vietnam and supports 9 elevating our relationship to a strategic partnership; 10 (6) congratulates Indonesia for its successful 11 leadership as Chair of the G20 and United States- 12 ASEAN country coordinator in 2022, and extends 13 United States support and best wishes as it assumes 14 the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2023, under the theme 15 ‘‘ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth’’; 16 (7) applauds the steadfast U.S.-Indonesia Stra- 17 tegic Partnership, Indonesia’s leadership on the 18 issue of women and girls’ education in Afghanistan, 19 and Indonesia’s dedication to renewable energy and 20 a transition away from fossil fuels, as committed to 21 in the Just Energy Transition Partnership agree- 22 ment; 23 (8) reaffirms the importance of the Mekong- 24 U.S. Partnership and the value of transboundary co- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:51 Mar 31, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR141.IS SR141 DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS 6 •SRES 141 IS operation across the Mekong sub-region, and sup- 1 ports a whole-of-government approach in providing 2 coordinated assistance, including programmatic sup- 3 port from USAID and the Department of State; 4 (9) encourages ASEAN, including through the 5 ASEAN Chair and Office of the Special Envoy, to 6 play an active role beyond the Five Point Consensus 7 to bring about an end to all forms of violence in 8 Burma, the release of all those arbitrarily detained, 9 and unhindered humanitarian access throughout the 10 country; and 11 (10) supports the people of Burma in their 12 quest for democracy, sustainable peace, and genuine 13 ethnic and religious reconciliation. 14 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:51 Mar 31, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR141.IS SR141 DMWilson on DSKJM0X7X2PROD with BILLS