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
JAKARTA, 24 September 2026 – Ambassador of the Republic of Guatemala to ASEAN, H.E. Manuel Estuardo Roldán Barillas, presented his Letter of Credence to Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat today.
Secretary-General Dr. Kao congratulated Amb
JAKARTA, 24 September 2026 – Ambassador Alexander Rieger presented his Letter of Credence to the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat today, officially assuming his role as Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to ASEAN.
Secretary-General D
YANGON, 24 September 2026 — Digital senior officials and telecommunications regulators from ASEAN Member States (AMS) convened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the2nd ASEAN Digital Senior Officials’ Meeting – ASEAN Telecommunications Regulators’ Council (ADGSOM–ATRC) Leaders’ Retreat of 2
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, on 23 September 2026, delivered remarks at the “High-Level session: Online Scams as a Global Emergency” of the International Conference on Combating Online Scams, held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The event is hosted by the Royal Government of the King
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, on 23 September 2026, attended the Opening Ceremony of the International Conference on Combating Online Scams, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The Opening Ceremony was presided over by Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of C
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was held on 23 September 2026 in New York, the United States, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week. The Meeting was co-ch
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today participated in the 15th AEM-Canada Consultation held in Manila, the Philippines.
The Meeting welcomed the progress made during the first year of implementation of the ASEAN-Canada Joint Declaration on Trade and Investment for 2026
The Fifteenth ASEAN Economic Ministers Canada (AEM-Canada) Consultation was held on 22 September 2026 in Manila, Philippines. The Consultation was co-chaired by H.E. Ma. Cristina A. Roque, Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry of the Philippines and the Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Minist
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today met with the Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade of Canada, on margins of the 58th AEM and Related Meetings in Manila, the Philippines. They discussed the ongoing negotiations of the ASEAN-Canada FTA and exchanged views on
The 9th ASEAN-Pacific Alliance Ministerial Meeting was held on September 22nd, 2026, on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City, USA. The Meeting was co-chaired by Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the United States of Mexico, H.E. Roberto Vel
