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, delivered a video message at the launch of Startup ASEAN, a landmark online platform uniting over 4,000 startups, 1,087 investors, and ecosystem players across the 10 ASEAN Member States. With an ecosystem value of USD 131.2B+, this flagship initiati
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today delivered Pre-Recorded Remarks at the 3rd UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of AI, held in Bangkok, Thailand. In his remarks, Dr. Kao shared key ASEAN AI initiatives to advancing digital economy and innovation through the dev
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, delivered congratulatory remarks via video message today to commemorate the 65th Anniversary of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). SG Dr. Kao expressed his appreciation for IRRI’s vital role in promoting regional initiatives that le
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today delivered remarks via video message at the 18th Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)’s Governing Board Meeting and the Meeting between ERIA, Ambassadors of ERIA Member States, and Dialogue Partners, at the ASEAN Headquarter
Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, delivered pre-recorded remarks at the Mekong-US Partnership Policy Dialogue, held in Jakarta, Indonesia, on June 4-5, 2025. In his remarks, Dr. Kao highlighted the crucial role of food security and agricultural resilience in promoting economic growth an
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, earlier this morning delivered a Pre-Recorded VIP Address on the second day of the ATxSummit, held in Singapore. Under the theme of “Shaping a Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Future,” the event brings together talented young minds, industr
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, delivered a video message at the ASEAN Gender Outlook: Making Insights to Action – Harnessing Gender Data for Inclusive Policy and Decision-Making in Support of ASEAN Community Vision 2045 event. In his remarks, he emphasised the vital role of gender
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, delivered a pre-recorded keynote address at the opening of the ASEAN Auditor Conference 2025 held in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on 27 May, 2025. In his keynote address, Dr. Kao shared views on how the conference’s theme aligns with the overarching theme of
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, delivered pre-recorded opening and closing remarks for the panel discussion on “The Future I Want to See: Smart, Sustainable, and Inclusive Initiatives in ASEAN, Japan, and Beyond.” This event, hosted by the ASEAN-Japan Centre at the World Expo 2025
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, delivered a pre-recorded Special Address at the Opening of the 2025 ASEAN Leadership and Partnership Forum, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 25 May 2025. In his message, Dr. Kao underscored the importance of strengthening ASEAN’s economic integratio
