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
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, met with the Vice Minister of Education of the People’s Republic of China, H.E. Ren Youqun, on the sidelines of the World Jurists Forum 2026 in Beijing, China. They exchanged views on advancing ASEAN–China cooperation in education, including streng
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today visited the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL), in Beijing, China. During the visit, SG Dr. Kao was received by Professor Jiang Zeting, Chair of CUPL, and Mr. Lu Chunlong, President of CUPL, where they exchanged views on law and
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, shared his thoughts and perspectives in media interviews with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) and China.org.cn, on the sidelines of his official visit in Beijing, the People’s Republic of China.
Dr. Kao reflected on the 5th anni
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today was conferred an Honorary Professorship by the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL), in Beijing, China. The event demonstrated the CUPL’s recognition of the importance of the ASEAN-China relations and SG Dr. Kao’s contribu
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today received the appointment as Honorary Dean of the China-ASEAN School by the China University of Political Science (CUPL), in Beijing, China. The award reflects the strong CUPL’s commitment and vision to promoting understanding of ASEAN, thus
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today joined the President of the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL), Professor Mr. LU Chunlong, in unveiling the China-ASEAN School in Beijing, China, which aims to further promoting educational and academic exchanges, fostering mutu
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today delivered a Keynote Address at the Opening Ceremony of the Conference on Exchanges and Mutual Learning on Rule of Law Civilisation at the World Jurists Forum 2026, held in Beijing, China, on 5 July 2026.
Download SG’s full remarks <
JAKARTA, 1 – 3 July 2026 – The 2nd Regional Forum on the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Strategic Plan, themed “Mainstreaming the Strategic Plan into Regional, National, and Local Development Plans,” was held on 1 – 3 July at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat.
BANGKOK, 3 July 2026 – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Thailand, in collaboration with the ASEAN-China Cooperation Fund (ACCF) Management Team (AMT), the Permanent Mission of Thailand to ASEAN, and the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC), hosted the ACCF Promotion and ASEAN Project Proposal Developme
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, on 2 July 2026, met over dinner with H.E. Dato’ Sri Tiong King Sing, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia, on the sidelines of the 39th Asia-Pacific Roundtable, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment to s
