The First ASEAN GO-NGO Forum on RDPE was held on 12 June 2012 in Da Nang City, Viet Nam. The theme of “Achieving Poverty Eradication and Rural Development through Improved Food Security, Livelihood and Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in ASEAN” brought together representatives of SOM-RDPE and SOM-AMAF, national and regional CSO representatives, and invited speakers from dialogue partners namely FAO, UNDP, and the ADB.
The concluding statement of the event noted that the participants applauded the move of ASEAN to regularly convene the ASEAN GO-NGO Forum on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication as a platform of dialogue and information sharing among governments and NGOs towards closer relations and cooperation on shared agenda on developing rural areas and eradicating poverty in the region.  The TOR of the regular GO-NGO/CSO Forum was deliberated on during the Forum and shall be presented for approval during the 9th SOM-RDPE.
The participants acknowledged the importance of continued dialogues between governments and NGOs in the discussions and implementation of policies and programmes at national level. It was recommended that in-country dialogues, information sharing, and cooperation should continue in between the ASEAN GO-NGO Forums on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication. People-to-people exchange programme to share knowledge, practices and experiences amongst the NGOs across ASEAN Member States was also encouraged towards closer cooperation and networking amongst them. The participants also recognised the importance of creating/strengthening coordination mechanisms at the national level to facilitate the translation of the Forum’s recommendations to concrete actions by both the governments and NGOs in their joint and/or respective programmes.
It was effectively hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of VietNam.