Singapore hosts the 19th ACCSM and Related Meetings

Placing citizens at the centre remains top priority for ASEAN Civil Services

The Heads of Civil Service of the ASEAN Plus Three Member States (ASEAN Member States, the People’s Republic of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea) reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen cooperation and build citizen-centric civil services over the past week at the 19th ASEAN Cooperation on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM) and Related Meetings. 

Hosted by Singapore from 23 October to 25 October, the 19th ACCSM focused on strengthening capabilities in the areas of governance and strategic HR management for the public sector. Leaders from the 13 countries exchanged insights and best practices on how civil services today could effectively harness new opportunities and overcome emerging challenges in areas such as building transformative leadership, digitalising services and functions, managing resources, developing capabilities and facilitating cross-agency coordination. 

The Heads of Civil Service of the ASEAN Member States also established the ASEAN Network of Public Service Training Institutes (PSTIs) to (i) promote cooperation and exchanges among the PSTIs on the future of learning and development for government officers, and (ii) enhance their roles in supporting the transformation of their respective public services. 

The Heads of Civil Service of the ASEAN Plus Three also witnessed the completion of the inaugural OECD Southeast Asian Government at a Glance Survey participated by all 10 ASEAN Member States, which aims to enable evidence-based decision making and provide comparative data for benchmarking across ASEAN and OECD governments through multiple indicators of government activities and performance. 

Delegates also participated in the ASEAN Plus Three Forum on Good Governance to hear from experts the latest trends and case studies in public policy and governance. Singapore’s Head of Civil Service, Leo Yip, also shared on the Singapore Public Service’s Public Sector Transformation efforts. Delegates also participated in a learning journey to Our Tampines Hub to experience first-hand Singapore’s Whole-Of-Government and citizen-centric approach in delivering public services better and building communities.

The Leaders of Delegation from the ASEAN Plus Three Member States also called on Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister-in-charge of the Singapore Public Service on 25 October, on the sidelines of the Meetings.

**About the ASEAN Cooperation on Civil Service Matters**

The ACCSM was established in 1981 to promote cooperation and mutual assistance in capacity building among ASEAN Civil Services so as to narrow the development gap between ASEAN Member States (AMS). The ACCSM expanded its cooperation to include the ASEAN Plus Three countries in 2008. The ACCSM Chairmanship is rotated among the AMS in alphabetical order every two years, and Singapore is the current ACCSM Chair from 2017 – 2018.