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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><b><font face="Arial" size="3"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Press Release</span></font></b></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><b><font face="Arial" size="3"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">New ASEAN Secretariat for the ASEAN Community</span></font></b></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><b><font face="Arial" size="3"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">ASEAN Secretariat, 25 March 2009</span></font></b></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><font face="Arial" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr Surin Pitsuwan, yesterday announced the restructuring of the ASEAN Secretariat, which has been endorsed by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers. Dr Surin said, “A new and strengthened ASEAN Secretariat will 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.”</span></font></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><font face="Arial" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">There will be four departments, one for each pillar of the ASEAN Community while the fourth department will focus on community and corporate affairs. Each of the department will be headed by a Deputy Secretary-General (DSG). Three DSGs are already on board; a fourth DSG (for Community and Corporate Affairs) is being recruited. Overseen by the Secretary-General, the various departments of the ASEAN Secretariat are geared towards a shared vision: that <b><i><u><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic">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</span></u></i></b>.</span></font></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><font face="Arial" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The ASEAN Secretariat currently has 205 staff. More high calibre officers will be recruited in future. The restructuring will take effect from 15 April 2009.</span></font></p>
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