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
1. The Senior Economic Officials Meeting (SEOM) of ASEAN successfully resolved all outstanding issues in the negotiations of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) during its Second Meeting of the 57th ASEAN SEOM, held in Manila, Philippines on 27-29 May 2026. This marks the suc
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today met with the Minister of State for Defence of Singapore, H.E. Desmond Choo, on the sidelines of 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore. Both sides discussed regional defence cooperation and preparations for Singapore’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 202
At the invitation of Mr. Huy Kanthoul Vora, Executive Director of Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP), a member of ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies (ASEAN-ISIS), Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, will participate in the Inaugural Phnom Penh Strat
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today met with Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, H.E. Marcel de Vink, on the sidelines of 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore. They discussed ways to further strengthen the ASEAN-Netherlands Development Partnership and also e
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today gave an interview to Bloomberg, on the sidelines of 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore. During the interview Dr. Kao shared his views and perspectives on the evolving security architecture in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in light of in
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today met with President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Ms. Mirjana Spoljaric, on the margins of 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore. Both sides exchanged views on humanitarian issues of mutual concern and explored avenues fo
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today held a bilateral meeting with the Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany, Florian Hahn, on the sidelines of 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. They discussed ways and means to further strengthen the
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today held a bilateral meeting with the Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Defence of the Federal Republic of Germany, Dr. Nils Schmid, on the sidelines of 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore. They discussed ways to strengthen
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today participated in the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore, where he delivered remarks at the Second Plenary Session on “Priorities within Asia’s Shifting Strategic Landscape.” Dr. Kao highlighted ASEAN’s commitment to upholding ASEAN Cen
