ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community highlights inclusive and participatory engagement partnerships beyond 2025

The 5th Meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group to Develop the ASEAN Post-2025 Strategic Plan took place from 8 to 10 July at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta. The meeting was co-chaired by Lao PDR and Malaysia, and attended by all ASEAN Member States (AMS), the ASEAN Secretariat and East Timor as an observer.

The meeting reviewed the first draft of the ASCC Strategic Plan for the period beyond 2025, which incorporated ideas and recommendations from ASCC sectoral bodies on key areas such as disability-inclusive development, health priorities and workforce development, among others. The mechanisms involved in the implementation of the strategic measures were also reviewed and views were exchanged on the development of the narrative document for the Strategic Plan.

In their opening remarks, the Co-Chairs – Khamphou Phiasackha, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Planning and International Cooperation, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Dr Christina Yeo Ken Yin, Undersecretary of the International Relations Division (Culture), Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Malaysia – expressed their appreciation to ASCC sectoral bodies for their active participation in the process of drafting the ASCC Post-2025 Strategic Plan. They encouraged the AMS to continuously involve its sectoral bodies in the exchange of ideas and recommendations, and to ensure active participation in the drafting and consultation process.

ASEAN and the United States advance their global strategic partnership

ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General for ASCC Ekkaphab Phanthavong highlighted the important milestone of developing the ASCC Post-2025 Strategic Plan and underlined the critical role that ASCC and trans-pillar sectoral bodies, ASCC partners and its stakeholders will play in ensuring the achievement of ASCC’s post-2025 goals.

He expressed confidence that the process of developing the Strategic Plan will ensure its comprehensiveness and capture the complex and interrelated realities of the region’s socio-cultural landscape. The meeting included an in-person and video-conference consultation with selected think tanks, research organisations, ASEAN-accredited civil society organisations and social enterprises. The consultation explored possible strategies and approaches, and explored avenues on how ASCC can enhance its partnerships, leadership, engagement and influence beyond 2025. It also identified recommended strategies and mechanisms for the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of ASCC’s Strategic Plan beyond 2025.

The consultation with think tanks and research organisations was attended by representatives from ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies, the Macroeconomic Research Institute of Lao Academy of Economics and Social Sciences, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies Indonesia, the Cambodia Development Resource Institute and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia.

The meeting reviewed the first draft of the ASCC Strategic Plan for the period beyond 2025.

Meanwhile, the consultation with ASEAN-accredited civil society organisations and social enterprises was attended by representatives from AirAsia Foundation, The Teachers’ Council of Thailand, Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance, The Teachers’ Council of Thailand, and Southeast Asia Regional Institute for Community and Education. The consultation is part of a series of stakeholder engagement activities organised by ASCC to support the development of the ASCC Post-2025 Strategic Plan.

The 6th meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group to develop the ASEAN Strategic Plan beyond 2025 is scheduled to be held in August 2024 at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia.