13 September 2005, His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam attended the 2nd ASEAN-UN Summit held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. His Majesty was accompanied by His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Also present at the summit were other ASEAN leaders and the United Nations’ Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan. Among matters addressed at the summit were the UN reports, the initiative for ASEAN Integration, United Nations assistance to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam as well as ASEAN’s role in South-South Trade and the Millennium Development Goals. 

His Majesty in his speech at the Summit stated that he was encouraged by the progress that has been made in the ASEAN-UN co-operation. There was hardly an area of modern life that was not covered in the ASEAN-UN co-operation, His Majesty said. [Full text of the Speech, click here ]  

The summit ended with the issuance of a joint communiqué in which leaders welcomed the opportunity given at the summit to consider many matters that were of critical importance in current development plans in ASEAN member countries. The communiqué also highlighted the importance of the initiative for ASEAN integration, ASEAN’s role in promoting economic development and progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The ASEAN leaders also welcomed United Nations cooperation in realizing the Vientiane Action Programme’s goal of increasing the capacity of member nations in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in Southeast Asia.