ASEAN Community Vision 2045, ASEAN’s sustainable growth and future agenda: The role of ASEAN Future Forum
WVR - For ASEAN, sustainability lies in its historic path, demonstrated in its persistent endeavours to navigate ups and downs, securing a name, a recognised position for the Association today. Yet, a sustainable future is not to be taken for granted.
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| ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat, officially launching ASEAN 2025, on January 19 in Malaysia. The ASEAN Community Vision 2045 will be adopted in the ASEAN 2025 under the Malaysia Chairmanship. (Source: VGP) |
An outward-looking vision
Throughout its almost six-decade journey, ASEAN has manifested a visionary, yet action-oriented approach in defining and realising its future path.
From the ASEAN Vision 2020 (1997), the ASEAN (Bali) Concords I, II & III (1976, 2003 and 2011), the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 (2015), and the forthcoming ASEAN Community Vision 2045, ASEAN’s continuous vision for each stage of development has been clearly set.
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| Permanent Representative of Vietnam to ASEAN, Ambassador, Dr Ton Thi Ngoc Huong. (Source: asean.org) |
ASEAN’s visions were translated into actions through a series of plans such as the Ha Noi Plan of Action 1998, the Vientiane Action Programme 2014, the ASEAN Community Blueprints 2025 (2015) and upcoming programme would be the strategic plans to realise the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, supported by cross-pillar plans such as the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity and the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Workplans.
A vision beyond 2025 for ASEAN had been conceptualised early as ASEAN was in the mid-way of implementing the ASEAN Community Vision (ACV) 2025. ASEAN Leaders guided the development of the ACV 2045 through the Ha Noi Declaration on the ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision (2020), the ASEAN Leaders’ statement on ASEAN connectivity post-2025 agenda (2022), the ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on The Development of The ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision (2023) and the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on the Development of Strategic Plans to Implement the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 (2024).
Spanning a timeframe of 20 years, the ACV 2045 is expected to set a long-term strategic direction for ASEAN, bolstering its resilience, sustaining dynamic growth while being innovative and responsive to emerging opportunities and challenges and concurrently placing the people at the heart of the ASEAN Community.
Past achievements in ASEAN Community-building and ongoing efforts in implementing the ACV 2025, including lessons learned, serve as the solid foundation for the fruitful development and realisation of the ACV 2045.
As ASEAN approaches its 60th anniversary, forging a better and sustainable future for itself requires the Association to be proactively responsive to growing uncertainties and multidimensional challenges in the rapidly-evolving regional and global environment.
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| ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC) meeting at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia in February. (Source: asean.org) |
Toward a sustainable future
Sustainability is key for any country and organisation in visualising its future. For ASEAN, sustainability lies in its historic path, demonstrated in its persistent endeavours to navigate ups and downs, securing a name, a recognised position for the Association today. Yet, a sustainable future is not to be taken for granted.
The ACV 2045, like previous ASEAN’s visionary documents, would aim to shape the future for ASEAN and its people.
The key elements in the draft ACV 2045 noted by ASEAN Leaders in 2023 envisioned ASEAN’s future to be anchored on, among others, ASEAN’s ability to be the driver for peace, stability and prosperity in the region; to effectively respond to global challenges and geopolitical, socio-economic complexities in the region and beyond; to ensure people’s inclusive and equitable access to economic opportunities. By so doing, ASEAN shall be able to achieve sustainability in all dimensions.
To attain sustainable growth, the ACV 2045 underscores ASEAN’s commitment to environmental protection and resource efficiency; economic stability and global competitiveness; social equity and poverty alleviation; and its commitment to international goals, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Therefore, ASEAN shall continue to promote the spirit of mutual trust and confidence, mutual respect and benefits, strengthening ASEAN unity and Centrality, adhering to the fundamental values and principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, the ASEAN Charter and other ASEAN key instruments, whilst upholding international law.
Working for a brighter future for the world
The journey to the future will not see ASEAN travelling alone. ASEAN shall continue strengthening its engagement with external partners, broadening and deepening cooperation through ASEAN-led mechanisms. ASEAN shall strive to position itself within an interconnected global community of nations, creating meaningful contributions to international peace, stability and prosperity.
The world is at a time of profound global transformation, confronted by rising catastrophic and existential risks, as stated in the Pact for the Future adopted at the Summit of the Future, an effort by the United Nations to revitalise multilateral cooperation in delivering a better future for the people and our planet. Risks of persistent crisis and breakdown could be avoided through collective commitment and actions by nations.
At a historical juncture when ASEAN is about to enter the next phase of development toward 2045, marking the 10th anniversary of the ASEAN Community in 2025, undergoing multifold challenges and opportunities from global megatrends, it is high time for ASEAN to join global efforts to forge a better future for the world and for the region it belongs to.
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| ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn received Permanent Representative of Vietnam to ASEAN, Ambassador, Dr Ton Thi Ngoc Huong on February 20. (Source: asean.org) |
Ready for opportunities and challenges
With the view of creating an ASEAN home-grown platform, dedicated to discussions on ASEAN’s future agenda, engaging a wide range of stakeholders within the ASEAN region and beyond to support the policy-making process by ASEAN Leaders and officials, connecting ASEAN to global future-oriented efforts, the idea of an ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) was incubated.
The AFF’s initiative was announced by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh of Viet Nam at the 43rd ASEAN Summit in 2023, as Viet Nam’s contribution to support the visualisation and realisation of ASEAN’s future.
The first AFF held on 26 April 2024, under the theme “Toward Fast and Sustainable Growth of a People-centred ASEAN Community” concluded with an encouraging outcome. The Forum was graced with a keynote address by H.E Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone of Lao PDR, the ASEAN Chair 2024, and important messages by ASEAN Member States’ Leaders, the Secretaries-General of ASEAN and the United Nations, high dignitaries, prestigious specialists from ASEAN Member States, ASEAN’s external partners and various stakeholders, including representatives of the youths, ASEAN’s future owners.
Issues discussed cover emerging topics of interest, including opportunities and challenges for ASEAN, ASEAN’s development path, ASEAN’s sustainable development, comprehensive security and ASEAN Centrality. There were intensive discussions and extensive deliberations, yet, conducted in a constructive and balanced manner that catered to the interests and concerns of each and every participant.
AFF 2024’s recommendations were submitted to the ASEAN Coordinating Council for reference and notation, offering actionable policy recommendations that resonate with ASEAN’s future aspirations and complement the official policy-making process. Key takeaways from the AFF 2024 were also conveyed to the Summit of the Future organised by the United Nations in September 2024.
Contributions by the AFF 2024 were duly recognised by the 54th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and the 44th& 45th ASEAN Summits in July and October 2024, respectively.
The AFF is planned to be held regularly. The next AFF is scheduled for February 2025. With the view to supporting the priorities and deliverables of the ASEAN Chair each year, the 2025 AFF will be themed “Building a United, Inclusive and Resilient ASEAN Amidst Global Transformations.”.
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| Overview of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
Organised in a special commemorative year for ASEAN, the 2025 AFF is expected to reflect ASEAN’s past path, revisiting ASEAN’s fundamentals, assessing megatrends affecting the world and ASEAN, thereby envisioning ASEAN and the world in the immediate and medium-term future, thus, preparing ASEAN to be ready for future opportunities and challenges. For Vietnam, the year 2025 is especially meaningful as it marks the 30th anniversary of Vietnam’s accession to ASEAN.
Being consistent with its original objectives and purposes, the AFF shall serve as the incubator for innovative and creative thinking by ASEAN insiders as well as ASEAN’s partners and friends, to shape a brighter, yet attainable future for a dynamic and resilient ASEAN in interconnected links with the global community, demonstrating ASEAN’s strong international commitments.
A future-ready ASEAN is what the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 aims for and is also the goal of the AFF.
As ASEAN moves ahead, the AFF is expected to provide a useful ASEAN-grown platform for comprehensive dialogue on issues affecting ASEAN’s future, acting as a bridge connecting all ASEAN-interested stakeholders in support of crafting and translating ASEAN’s visions, including the ACV 2045, into practical reality.
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