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, participated in the Luncheon between APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade and the Business Community, held on the sidelines of the 32nd APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting in Suzhou, China. The luncheon brought together APEC Trade Minist
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today attended the 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting under the theme ‘Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together’ in Suzhou, China. During the Meeting, Dr. Kao reaffirmed ASEAN
On the sidelines of the 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting in Suzhou, China, Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today held a pull-aside meeting with Director-General of the World Trade Organization, H.E. Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, t
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today held a pull-aside meeting with the Executive Director of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat, Mr. Eduardo Pedrosa, on the sidelines of the 32nd APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting, in Suzhou, China. Both sides exch
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today delivered remarks at the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the construction of Timor-Leste’s International Convention Centre (ICC), in Dili. The Ceremony was officiated by H.E. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Tim
At the invitation of H.E. Wang Wen Tao, Minister of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and Chair of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting for 2026, Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, will participate in the 32nd APEC MRT Mee
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today attended the commemoration of the 24th Anniversary of the Restoration of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, in Dili. The occasion reflected Timor-Leste’s remarkable journey of peace, stability, prosperity, resilience, natio
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, on 19 May 2026, attended the Working Dinner hosted by H.E. Bendito dos Santos Freitas, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, during his working visit to Dili. The dinner provided an occasion for exchange
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, H.E. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, in Dili, on the sidelines of his working visit to Timor Leste to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the Restoration of Independen
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today met with H.E. Bendito dos Santos Freitas, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, in Dili, on the sidelines of his working visit to Timor Leste to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the Restoration
