Terrorism issues have grown in complexity and posed more threats to communities around the world, including ASEAN.  Advancement of the internet and social media has resulted in the extensive network of global and regional groups as well as new patterns of radicalisation. The emergence of lone wolf terrorists and regional groups that pledged allegiance to Daesh/the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as well as the return of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) remain as major concerns for ASEAN.

A few key milestones of ASEAN’s efforts in countering terrorism is the adoption and implementation of the ASEAN Convention on Counter Terrorism (ACCT) and the ASEAN Comprehensive Plan of Action on Counter Terrorism (ACPoA on CT). Since 2013, the ACCT has been in force in all ASEAN Member States.