Below is the complete text of the commentary by Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN.
─────────────────────
The forty fourth edition recently endedvol and 45vol The ASEAN Summits demonstrated ASEAN’s strong commitment to cooperation and strategic motion within the face of worldwide challenges. Led by Laos PDR, under the theme “ASEAN: Improving Connectivity and Resilience,” leaders from ten ASEAN member states gathered to confront pressing regional issues and shape a collective vision for a more united, prosperous and sustainable Southeast Asia. ASEAN also held summits with its partners. These summits are a testament to the importance of dialogue and diplomacy and are an integral a part of ASEAN’s journey towards deeper integration, enabling a unified regional response to global change.
An essential item on the Summit agenda was the progress of labor on creation ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its strategic plans that can guide the region for years to return. As ASEAN moves closer to completing Community Vision 2025, it has begun charting its future direction for the subsequent twenty years, emphasizing resilience, connectivity, inclusion and sustainable development in response to emerging geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges and strategic opportunities. In this context, leaders adopted the regulation Declaration of ASEAN Leaders on the Development of Strategic Plans to Implement the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
ASEAN Headquarters played a key role within the summit results. Through the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on ASEAN’s Future Prospects for the Indo-Pacific, Ready to Engage with ASEAN and an ASEAN-Centered Regional Architecture, leaders reaffirmed ASEAN’s role as a driving force in shaping the regional architecture. They stressed the necessity for unity in coping with the changing geopolitical and economic landscape. In contacts with ASEAN partners, leaders emphasized the importance of multilateralism and international law and advocated dialogue, diplomacy and strategic trust to deal with global challenges, including developments within the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula, Ukraine and the Middle East, advocating for peaceful solution.
ON Myanmarexplored in depth how best to maneuver forward in a Burma-owned and led resolution process, emphasizing that Burma stays a member of the ASEAN family. Myanmar’s sending a non-political representative to the Summit is seen as an indication of Myanmar’s adherence to the Five-Point Consensus (FPC), the fundamental point of reference for ASEAN in coping with the political situation in Myanmar. The FPC has not yet achieved its full potential and may remain the leading framework for ASEAN engagement with Myanmar. In this regard, the leaders adopted the third version of the ASEAN Leader’s Review and Decision on the implementation of the FPC.
The leaders also praised the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Affairs for its progress in delivering assistance to Myanmar, including the successful completion of Phase 1 (saving lives/CoVID-19 response) and ongoing support in Phase 2 (sustaining lives). They recognized the contributions of Thailand and other ASEAN member states, external partners and the private sector, and called for protected, transparent and non-discriminatory aid delivery, strengthening Section 4 of the FPC.
Economic integration and connectivity were also high on the agenda. Leaders recognized that deepening integration is crucial to ASEAN’s global competitiveness. In addition to the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the world’s largest free trade agreement, the summits also concluded significant negotiations on the update of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement, while the continuing modernization of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), Negotiations in on the Canada Free Trade Agreement and the review of our Free Trade Agreement with India play a significant role in strengthening the trade network and provide chain resilience within the region. The adoption of the Declaration on Supply Chain Efficiency and Resilience strengthens these efforts, strengthening regional connectivity, accelerating economic recovery and supporting sustainable growth.
Digitization AND sustainable development are the opposite fundamental topics shaping the summit agenda. ASEAN is accelerating digital transformation with initiatives similar to the ASEAN Master Plan 2025 and ongoing negotiations on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement, which could double the region’s digital economy to $2 trillion by 2030. Sustainable development was equally a priority as leaders reinforced the necessity growth consistent with environmental management. Highlighting progress on initiatives similar to the ASEAN Carbon Neutral Strategy and the ASEAN Blue Economy Framework, leaders also adopted joint statements on climate change, biodiversity and circularity of plastics, reaffirming ASEAN’s commitment to global environmental goals.
The summits also highlighted critical areas for increasing resilience within the region, similar to healthcare architecture, labor migration, and the protection of girls and youngsters. Leaders adopted declarations geared toward strengthening biosecurity, biodefense and coordination in public health emergencies. Other essential declarations adopted focused on developing the care economy, stopping child labor – including eliminating its worst forms – and increasing the abilities, mobility and protection of migrant employees.
ASEAN leaders recognized the crucial role of Southeast Asia’s 213 million young people in shaping the longer term of the region, calling for his or her voices to be included within the ASEAN Community’s 2045 Vision and Strategic Plans. They encouraged youth-focused solutions and innovations in areas similar to artificial intelligence, digital connectivity, fintech, climate change and intercultural dialogues, recognizing their potential to spice up economic growth and sustainable development. In the face of socio-economic challenges, including an aging population and urban-rural disparities, leaders stressed the necessity to deepen people-to-people ties, to be strengthened by the soon-to-be concluded regional air services agreements, to reskill and upskill the workforce, and to empower youth, women and the creative industry. This approach will prepare ASEAN to face future changes while enhancing regional resilience and connectivity.
Solidarity amongst Southeast Asian countries is the principle underlying East Timor’s eventual membership in ASEAN. Significant progress has been made in 2024, underlining Timor-Leste’s commitment to the roadmap towards full membership. Milestones include the appointment of East Timor’s Ambassador to ASEAN and the opening of his mission in Jakarta, in addition to voluntary contributions to ASEAN’s disaster relief efforts and the establishment of a dedicated Timor-Leste unit within the ASEAN Secretariat. Additionally, Timor-Leste’s inclusion within the ASEAN Integration Initiative (IAI) provides key support to capacity-building efforts, facilitating the country’s deeper integration into the ASEAN economic, political and social sphere.
When we reflect on the outcomes of the forty fourthvol and 45vol From the ASEAN Summits, it is obvious that ASEAN is committed to constructing a future that’s connected, resilient and inclusive. The region is actively developing a long-term vision, driving digital transformation and pursuing sustainability initiatives to deal with future challenges and seize emerging opportunities. The summits reaffirmed ASEAN’s central position within the Indo-Pacific region, underscoring the region’s strategic importance in global affairs. As ASEAN evolves, its ability to adapt and seize latest opportunities can be crucial to making sure a united, resilient and prosperous future for its people.
