VIENTIANE, 26 September 2024 – The Thirty-Second Meeting of ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council was held on 26 September in Vientiane, Lao PDR. The meeting was chaired by Suanesavanh Vignaket, Minister of Culture, Information, and Tourism of the Lao PDR, and the Chair of the ASCC Council.
The meeting discussed the strategic directions for the ASCC particularly on strengthening mechanisms for cross-pillar coordination, accelerating completion of the ASCC Blueprint 2025 initiatives for sustainability and greater impact, and ensuring the finalisation of the ASCC Post-2025 Strategic Plan for submission to the High-Level Task Force for the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
Suanesavanh Vignaket, expressed her appreciation to the ASCC Council for their steadfast support to Lao PDR’s ASCC Chairmanship. She further expressed confidence that the outcome documents that were endorsed in the 32nd ASCC Council will further contribute to achieving a resilient, sustainable, dynamic and inclusive ASCC.
The ASCC Council expressed their congratulations to the Lao PDR for its strong leadership of the ASCC especially in advancing the various ASCC priorities and deliverables, including the development of the ASCC Post-2025 Strategic Plan. The ASCC Council further emphasised the need for the ASCC to be more responsive and adaptive in the coming years, especially in light of emerging trends and challenges posed by demographic shifts as well as regional and global developments.
Deputy Secretary-General for ASCC Ekkaphab Phanthavong commended the ASCC Council’s commitment in advancing the goals of the ASCC and expressed confidence that the Council’s guidance in the development of the ASCC Post-2025 Strategic Plan will contribute towards the ASCC’s inclusive and participatory future. He also underscored the importance of increasing the ASCC’s resilience to cope with future challenges and trends, and better respond to the needs and ambitions of the ASEAN peoples.
The 32nd ASCC Council Meeting was attended by Ministers and Representatives from ASEAN Member States, including Timor-Leste as an Observer, and the ASEAN Secretariat. The meeting endorsed several outcome documents for the adoption and notation of the ASEAN Leaders at the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits.
