AMS cultures are rich and diverse, comprising many traditions, languages, and forms of artistic expressions. This diversity offers strengths and challenges for ASEAN policymakers seeking to preserve cultural heritage while simultaneously leveraging it for social cohesion and economic development. This brief addresses several questions facing ASEAN in developing cultural policies:

1. What are the impacts and implications for AMS from inscribing their tangible and intangible cultural heritage on UNESCO World Heritage Lists? How does commercialisation, overcrowding, physical degradation, and loss of original significance affect local community culture?
2. What lessons can ASEAN learn from nations with sites previously included on the World Heritage List as it considers developing its own cultural heritage list?
3. How can culture promote tolerance, greater understanding, and harmony in ASEAN?
4. How might ASEAN and its stakeholders enhance the role of culture to promote peace, tolerance, understanding, and harmony in the region and globally?