The Seventh ASEAN Plus Three Ministerial Meeting on Social Welfare and Development was convened on 25 May 2023 via video conference. The Meeting was chaired by Malaysia and Japan under the theme “Accelerating the Implementation of ASEAN’s Commitments for Gender Equality through Gender Mainstreaming and Social Inclusion”.

We reaffirmed our commitment to promoting gender equality through gender mainstreaming and social inclusion in the ASEAN region pursuant to the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025, as well as to implement the Regional Framework and Action Plan to Implement the ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening Social Protection (2015), Regional Plan of Action to Implement the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Ageing: Empowering Older Persons in ASEAN (2021), ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025:Mainstreaming the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2018), ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on the Elimination of Violence Against Children (2015), Bohol Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Work Plan 2017-2020 (2016), Strategic Framework and Action Plan for Nutrition (2019), Ha Noi Declaration on Strengthening Social Work Towards Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN Community (2020), Culture of Prevention (CoP) Work Plan (2020), ASEAN Roadmap on Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour by 2025 (2020), ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (2020), ASEAN Gender Mainstreaming Strategic Framework (2021), and the Bandar Seri Begawan Declaration on the Importance of the Family for Community Development and Nation-Building (2021).

Download the full statement here.