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| The current ASEAN vision places greater emphasis on the well-being of the people of ASEAN, which includes ensuring fundamental freedoms, human rights and a better life for all ASEAN peoples. (Source: ASEAN Secretariat) |
Opportunity for everyone
As a community of opportunity for all, where the peoples of ASEAN are “closely knit and mutually reinforcing to ensure lasting peace, stability and shared prosperity in the region”, ASEAN is well placed to create opportunities for the life journeys of its peoples. Building a people-oriented and people-centred ASEAN Community Vision 2045 must be a core strategic objective for the bloc. Otherwise, ASEAN will cease to be a credible mechanism for cooperation in the region.
Since its establishment in 1967, ASEAN has been a hub for cooperation in Southeast Asia, maintaining peace and stability through a policy of non-interference. ASEAN is also deeply committed to enhancing the welfare and prosperity of the ASEAN Community. Through initiatives in areas such as education, poverty reduction and health, ASEAN has raised living standards and improved access to essential services for millions of people in the region. Furthermore, its emphasis on people-to-people connectivity has strengthened social bonds, creating a sense of unity and solidarity across diverse cultures and nations. ASEAN must be able to build shared peace and prosperity.
Today, ASEAN faces new challenges both internally and externally. Since its inception 55 years ago, the bloc’s main raison d’être has been to address external challenges – uniting against the hegemonic ambitions of major powers, leveraging its collective strengths, and promoting cooperation and the well-being of its people. But how well the region performs and what ASEAN will look like in the next 20 years will depend on its ability to thrive and be resilient in the face of uncertainty and disruption. Geopolitics in the region continues to be shaped by complex relationships between major powers. The global economy is also facing inflationary pressures and higher interest rates. Disruptions to global supply chains caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and other developments have led to rising energy and food prices, and a host of other socio-economic issues affecting the people of ASEAN.
In addition, ASEAN is also facing socio-economic challenges such as a rapidly ageing population, urban-rural disparities, the impact of artificial intelligence on education and employment, workforce engagement, climate change and the rise of climate-related disasters and public health emergencies. The pandemic has highlighted the region’s vulnerability to multiple health risks. The region faces communicable and non-communicable diseases, the enormous impact of climate change. All these external developments and regional challenges are testing the bloc’s resolve to build a stronger and more united ASEAN Community.
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| ASEAN Fun Walk 2023 for peace, cooperation and development in Ho Chi Minh City on August 12, 2023. (Source: Consulate General of Indonesia in Ho Chi Minh City) |
People-centered
The ASEAN Concord IV Declaration dated September 9, 2023 affirmed that the bloc is “committed to fully implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 as well as working towards the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its accompanying documents to build a resilient, innovative, dynamic and people-centered ASEAN, capable of seizing opportunities and addressing emerging and future challenges”.
During the 10th meeting of the HLTF-ACV on August 26-27, 2023, ASEAN leaders agreed on the draft ASEAN Community Vision 2045: “ A resilient, innovative, dynamic and people-centered ASEAN ”. The current ASEAN vision places greater emphasis on the well-being of ASEAN peoples, including ensuring fundamental freedoms, human rights and a better life for all ASEAN peoples. In addition, the country is committed to strengthening its capacity to address current and emerging challenges, while maintaining ASEAN centrality, among others.
In addition, as UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Ambassador Siwon Choi said at the ASEAN Business & Investment Summit 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia, the ASEAN Vision 2045 must be “the era of the people”. Clearly, continuing to emphasize and place the people-centered mission of the ASEAN Vision 2045 will help ASEAN develop in the right direction and become more trustworthy in the eyes of its partner organizations.
ASEAN’s vision for 2045 aims to enhance resilience and deal with emerging challenges and future shocks. This will help ASEAN be more proactive in responding to unexpected challenges and clarify ASEAN’s long-term goals, allowing member states to build their national development strategies in line with ASEAN’s development.
However, ASEAN needs to build a resilient, inclusive, people-centered community as its core goal. Otherwise, ASEAN will deviate from its development path and will no longer be a mechanism for cooperation between the people of Southeast Asian countries.
* Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
** People's Security Academy
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