AKP Phnom Penh, April 25, 2025 --

ASEAN has officially launched its Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Strategic Plan, a comprehensive framework designed to build a more inclusive, resilient, and people-centred ASEAN by 2045.

The launch took place in Kuching, Malaysia, on April 24 afternoon with the participation of representatives from the ASEAN member countries, including H.E. Dr. Kim Sethany, Cambodia’s National Representative to the ASCC Council.

The ASCC Strategic Plan outlines 12 strategic goals, with 10 directly supporting the socio-cultural pillar of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. The remaining two goals address crucial cross-cutting issues: narrowing development gaps within the region and promoting sustainable development across all sectors.

To achieve these goals, the plan includes 10 core objectives aligned with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 under the ASCC framework. These objectives are further broken down into 20 key outcomes and a detailed set of 112 strategic measures that will guide ASEAN's socio-cultural development over the next two decades.

The development of this Strategic Plan has been an extensive and collaborative effort.

Since early 2024, a total of 11 ad-hoc working group meetings have been convened across the ASEAN region to shape the post-2025 ASCC agenda. These meetings, held in countries including Lao PDR, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines, demonstrate the collective commitment of ASEAN member states to this crucial pillar of regional integration.

This official launch signifies ASEAN's strong commitment to fostering a socio-cultural community that not only improves the quality of life for its citizens but also promotes a shared identity and a caring, inclusive society for generations to come. The next phase will focus on the effective implementation and monitoring of these strategic measures to realise the ambitious goals set forth in the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.

By K. Rithy Reak