The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined ASEAN on 7 January 1984, followed by Viet Nam on 28 July 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, Cambodia on 30 April 1999, and Timor-Leste on 26 October 2025 making up what is today the eleven Member States of ASEAN.
ASEAN organs always strive to achieve ASEAN’s goals and objectives, the Secretary-General of ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat shall be functioned as coordinating Secretariat to help facilitate effective decision-making withing and amongst ASEAN bodies. In addition, each Member State shall appoint a Permanent Representative to liaise with Secretary-General of ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat
ASEAN shall develop friendly relations and mutually beneficial dialogues, cooperation and partnerships with countries and sub-regional, regional and international organisations and institutions. This includes external partners, ASEAN entities, human rights bodies, non-ASEAN Member States Ambassadors to ASEAN, ASEAN committees in third countries and international organisations, as well as international / regional organisations.
The rodmap for an ASEAN Community (2009-2015) was declared by the leaders in 2009. The ASEAN Community, anchored on three community pillars: Political-Security Community, Economic Community, Socio-Cultural Community was launched in 2015. The ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together was introduced in 2015 as a Post-2015 Vision. It comprises the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, the ASEAN Political-Security Community Blueprint 2025, the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025 and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined ASEAN on 7 January 1984, followed by Viet Nam on 28 July 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, Cambodia on 30 April 1999, and Timor-Leste on 26 October 2025 making up what is today the eleven Member States of ASEAN.
ASEAN organs always strive to achieve ASEAN’s goals and objectives, the Secretary-General of ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat shall be functioned as coordinating Secretariat to help facilitate effective decision-making withing and amongst ASEAN bodies. In addition, each Member State shall appoint a Permanent Representative to liaise with Secretary-General of ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat
ASEAN shall develop friendly relations and mutually beneficial dialogues, cooperation and partnerships with countries and sub-regional, regional and international organisations and institutions. This includes external partners, ASEAN entities, human rights bodies, non-ASEAN Member States Ambassadors to ASEAN, ASEAN committees in third countries and international organisations, as well as international / regional organisations.
The rodmap for an ASEAN Community (2009-2015) was declared by the leaders in 2009. The ASEAN Community, anchored on three community pillars: Political-Security Community, Economic Community, Socio-Cultural Community was launched in 2015. The ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together was introduced in 2015 as a Post-2015 Vision. It comprises the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, the ASEAN Political-Security Community Blueprint 2025, the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025 and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025
The annual ASEAN Sub-Committee on Budget Meeting was convened from 26 – 28 August 2026 at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat to deliberate on the operational budget of the ASEAN Secretariat for the forthcoming year. Chaired by Ms. Maria Elena Cristina D. Maningat, Deputy Permanent Repre
PASAY CITY, 26 August 2026 — Regional leaders and key stakeholders convened in Pasay City, at the High-Level Conference on ASEAN Connectivity, themed ‘’From Strategy to Delivery: Implementing the ASEAN Connectivity Strategic Plan 2026-2035.’’
Organised by the Department of Foreign
The 29th ASEAN Labour Ministers’ Meeting (ALMM) was held on 26 August 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Meeting was chaired by H.E. Julapun Amornvivat, Minister of Labourof Thailand, and attended by the Labour Ministers/Heads of Delegations of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanm
TANGERANG, 25 August 2026 – ASEAN has validated two new regional tools designed to help authorities identify and protect victims of trafficking who have been compelled to engage in unlawful activities. The tools aim to prevent victims of trafficking for forced criminality from being wrongly treat
The ASEAN Labour Ministers convened today for the 29th ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting (ALMM) in Bangkok, Thailand, and were welcomed by H.E. Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the Kingdom of Thailand. The Opening Ceremony also featured remarks by H.E. Julapun Amornvivat
PASAY CITY, 25 August 2026 — The ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC) convened the 2/2026 ACCC Meeting and Related Meetings from 24–25 August at the Philippine International Convention Centre (PICC) in Pasay City, the Philippines.
The ACCC reviewed the progress of the impleme
Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Economic Community, H.E. Satvinder Singh, attended the Fourth ASEAN Blue Economy Forum (4th ABEF) on 24–25 August 2026 in Makati Shangri La, Manila, the Philippines.
In the high-level panel, DSG Satvinder Singh underscored the blue economy as a p
At the invitation of the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, H.E. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Secretary-General of ASEAN, H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, undertook a working visit to Brazil, from 18 to 21 August 2026, marking the first-ever visit by a Secretary-General of ASEAN to the country.
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, on 21 August 2026, spoke to CNN Brasil at its main studio, in São Paulo, Brazil, as he concluded his Working Visit to Brazil. Dr. Kao shared the highlights of his working visit and underscored the potentials of ASEAN-Brazil relations, cooperation and
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, on 21 August 2026, met with H.E. Ambassador Osmar Chohfi, Vice President of the Higher Council for Foreign Trade (COSCEX) of the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (FIESP), in São Paulo, during his Working Visit to Brazil. The discu
