The 1979 Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding

It is a great privilege and honor for me today to be called upon to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award on behalf of the ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS. In doing so, allow me, therefore, to express on behalf of the member countries their deepest appreciation for the recognition which the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation is giving to ASEAN. We are also proud to share the honor of paying tribute to the late Ramon Magsaysay who, in the words of the Foundation, "worked to build a world in which freedom could be enjoyed by all, and man could live with man in honor and peace." It is with the same objective that ASEAN was established in 1967. The member countries expressed their common desire to work together and promote regional cooperation for the welfare of their peoples. They declared that the countries of Southeast Asia share the primary responsibility for strengthening the economic and social stability of the region, which is essential for peace and freedom. The award that is bestowed on ASEAN today symbolizes not only recognition but also a testimony of the wise leadership of the member governments of ASEAN.

ASEAN has succeeded because we are able to give substance to its ideals and to adhere closely to the basic principles of equality and partnership. It is gratifying to hear from such a responsible body as the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation that ASEAN is on the right path in the never-ending quest for international understanding. The guiding principles of ASEAN in fulfilling its role in national, regional and world affairs were clearly defined by the ASEAN heads of government in Bali in 1976. The ASEAN countries recognize that their existing ties of history, geography and culture have bound the peoples of ASEAN together. They believe that peace and stability in the region can only be promoted through an abiding respect for justice and the rule of law, and that interstate relations should be conducted in the spirit of positive cooperation. ASEAN also believes that no progress and prosperity can be attained without its cooperation with all peaceloving nations, both within and outside Southeast Asia, in the maintenance of world peace, stability and harmony. ASEAN, therefore, owes its success to the collective efforts of its five Southeast Asian nations for having established a sound framework for economic growth, social progress and stability in the region.