VIENTIANE, 25 September 2025 – Today, ASEAN convened the 7th Meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Culture of Prevention (7th WG on CoP) in Vientiane, Lao PDR.
Chaired by Khampou Phiasackha, Chair of the Senior Officials Committee for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (SOCA), the meeting discussed the progress and strategies for advancing the six thrusts of the CoP and ways forward for Post-2025 ASCC future.
“I would like to emphasise the importance of ensuring that the CoP agenda and the work of the WG-CoP remains relevant to the priorities of ASEAN especially as we look towards our Post-2025 ASCC future,” says Khampou Phiasackha.
The sectoral leads of each of the six thrusts of CoP discussed how the Culture of Prevention has been incorporated in their respective sectoral work plan, highlighting the projects and initiatives which underscores the importance of preventive actions in addressing societal problems. They also shared best practices on strategies and approaches to advance the implementation of CoP at the upstream level.
The meeting emphasised the importance of working together and building on the lessons learned in promoting preventive approaches in ASEAN.
The meeting also presented a video developed by The Asia Foundation and supported by Australia, showcasing the CoP in action. The video aimed to amplify the research findings from the case studies presented by Child Frontiers at the 6th WG CoP Meeting last year. This video aimed to showcase how preventive measures can impact actual behaviours.
“While significant progress has been made in advancing the six thrusts of the CoP, we remain committed to deepening our efforts through cross-pillar and cross-sectoral collaboration, as well as with external partners,” expressed Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN Socio Cultural Community Ekkaphab Phanthavong, in his closing remarks.
The meeting was attended by representatives from ASEAN Member States and ASCC Sectoral Bodies.
