Rodolfo Severino, Jr.

Rodolfo Severino Certeza, Jr. (* April 27, 1936 in Manila ) is a former Philippine diplomat who was from 1998 to 2003 Secretary General of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN ).

Biography

After school he studied at the Ateneo de Manila University. He later completed a postgraduate degree in International Studies at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies.

He then joined the Foreign Service of the Philippines and has taken on numerous activities in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Foreign Affairs ) and at missions abroad. Between 1967 and 1974 he was successively used as a third, second and first secretary at the embassy in the United States. After that, he was instrumental in the normalization of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China and then served from 1976 to 1978 as chargé ( Charge d' Affaires ) at the Embassy in Beijing.

Subsequently, he was from 1979 to 1986 Consul General in Houston before he was to 1988 Assistant Foreign Minister ( Assistant Foreign Secretary ) for Asia and the Pacific. Upon completion of this activity, he was between 1989 and 1992 Ambassador to Malaysia. Then he returned as Under Secretary ( Under Secretary of Foreign Affairs ) on political matters back to the Foreign Ministry and as such was responsible for the ASEAN.

On the 30th ministerial meeting of the ASEAN in Kuala Lumpur was recommended to his election as Secretary-General of ASEAN in July 1997 and later recommended by the Heads of State and Government. On January 5, 1998, he took his position as ASEAN Secretary-General officially and thus became the successor of Dato Ajit Singh. After five years he was followed on 1 January 2003 Ong Keng Yong.

He is currently director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies ( Institute of Southeast Asian Studies ) in Singapore. In addition, he published the textbook Southeast Asia in Search of an ASEAN Community.