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
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
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, on 20 August 2026, met with the ASEAN Committee in Brasília (ACB), currently chaired by H.E. Andhika Chrisnayudhanto, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Federative Republic of Brazil, during his Working Visit to Brazil. Dr. Kao and members
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, on 20 August 2026, participated in a Roundtable Discussion on “ASEAN-Brazil Cooperation and Going Beyond,” organised by the Embassy of Indonesia in Brasilia, during his Working Visit to Brazil. Dr. Kao delivered a Keynote Address on “
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, on 20 August 2026, met with Ambassador Maria Luiza Lopes da Silva, Acting Director of the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), in Brasilia, on the sidelines of his Working Visit to Brazil. The meeting exchanged perspectives on deepening practical c
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, on 20 August 2026, met with representatives of the business community, in Brasilia, during his Working Visit to Brazil. Hosted by the Brazilian Sugarcane and Bioenergy Industry Association (UNICA), the discussion focused on strengthening ASEAN–Brazi
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, on 20 August 2026, delivered a lecture at the Institute of International Relations, University of Brasília, in Brasilia, on the sidelines of his Working Visit to Brazil. With the theme “ASEAN Regionalism: Overcoming Challenges and Buildin
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, on 20 August 2026, met with H.E. Andrea Latge, Secretary of Strategic Policies and Programs of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of the Federative Republic of Brazil, in Brasília, on the margins of his Working Visit to Brazil. The two
Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, on 19 August 2026, held a bilateral meeting with Dr. Silvia Maria Fonseca Silveira Massruhá, President of Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), in Brasília, on the margins of his Working Visit to Brazil. Both sides discussed ways to f
