JAKARTA, 29 AUGUST 2023 – The 30th ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council Meeting convened today, bringing together ministers and representatives to deliberate on pivotal socio-cultural matters and strategic directions for ASCC’s future.

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture and ASCC Council Chair Prof Dr Muhadjir Effendy underscored Indonesia’s unwavering commitment to advance socio-cultural priorities in areas such as health, education, climate change, sustainable resilience, gender, and family.

In his remarks, Dr Effendy appreciated the meeting’s support to Indonesia in realising the 2023 ASEAN Chairmanship theme ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth. He also emphasised the importance of ensuring inclusive development that caters to the varying needs in the human life cycle of the ASEAN peoples.

Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr Kao Kim Hourn also gave his address to the council. Dr Kao urged the ASCC to “continuously work towards a stronger and more resilient region as we ensure the full and effective implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, and journey towards 2045.” He commended Indonesia for its effective chairmanship of ASEAN and the broad range of ASCC initiatives and outcome documents to be endorsed by ASEAN Leaders at the upcoming 43rd ASEAN Summit.

Recognising the pivotal role of families, the council lauded the development of the ASEAN Declaration on Gender Equality and Family Development that champions equitable partnership between men and women within families, safeguarding women’s rights and their full potential in society.

The need to step up nurturing care during the early years of life was also recognised with the proposed inclusion of the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Early Childhood Care and Education in Southeast Asia for adoption by the ASEAN Leaders at the forthcoming 43rd ASEAN Summit. This initiative is a close priority of the council in ensuring children’s access to high-quality and inclusive early childhood care and education.

The council acknowledged the imperative of having an enabling environment and equitable opportunities for human development for persons with disabilities and lauded the development of the ASEAN Declaration on Disability-Inclusive Development and Partnership for a Resilient ASEAN Community.

The council commended the submission for adoption of the ASEAN Joint Statement on Climate Change to the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP-28) which demonstrates ASEAN’s commitment to the UNFCC and the Paris Agreement in addressing climate change. The council also commended the formulation of the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Sustainable Resilience which aims to aims to bolster sustainable resilience within the umbrella of disaster management across the ASEAN region.

The meeting welcomed Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion of Timor-Leste Veronica das Dores as an observer to the meeting and reiterated its support for Timor-Leste’s preparations to join ASEAN. The 30th ASCC Council Meeting will be followed by the 43rd ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings scheduled on 2-7 September in Jakarta, Indonesia.

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