The adoption of the Asean Community Vision 2045 gives the region’s stakeholders and partners a clear direction of the way Asean is moving forward, says the association's secretary-general Dr Kao Kim Hourn.
In an interview with The Star on Sunday (May 25), Kao said the vision aims to build strong, trusted partnerships and outline Asean’s future as a unified community.
Commenting on the inaugural Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-China Economic Summit, he highlighted its potential to enhance economic collaboration and commended Malaysia for conceptualising and making the meeting a reality.
WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar
LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00So there were a lot of tourists there yesterday when you were coming in from the airport?
00:02Oh, yes.
00:04ASEAN is coming up with a long-term vision.
00:09How we will be working together among all the countries within ASEAN,
00:18and how we will be able to work with our external partners.
00:23So this ASEAN Community Vision 2045 could be considered a strategic roadmap,
00:28it could be a strategic guide, how ASEAN will charter in the future.
00:39And with the adoption of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045,
00:45so let me open a new chapter in ASEAN Community Building.
00:49But these strategic plans, the four strategic plans,
00:52will not be implemented until next year,
00:55meaning that we will continue to finish up the implementation of the current blueprints.
01:03And of course, now we are undertaking the review,
01:07what we call the end-term review of the blueprints,
01:12so that we get some lessons learned,
01:14and then of course when we start to implement the strategic plans,
01:18we will have even a better idea.
01:22So I want to come back that this is very bold,
01:26very strategic,
01:28very visionary
01:28of ASEAN leaders
01:32that they are able to come up with this 20-year vision
01:37at a time when there is so much uncertainty,
01:43global uncertainty,
01:44at a time when we see the shifts,
01:49the shifting in economic and political dynamics at the global level.
01:57But I think also to reflect to show that ASEAN has the confidence
02:04in the future and chart its own course,
02:07that ASEAN is not reactive,
02:10ASEAN is not taking a fragmented approach,
02:16but rather a peaceful approach,
02:19but rather a very strategic, comprehensive approach in the way leading this region into the future.
02:29At the same time, ASEAN is inviting the external partners,
02:34particularly the dialogue partners,
02:37the sector dialogue partners, and development partners,
02:40and other external partners to work closely with ASEAN.
02:43Because ASEAN,
02:46we have to believe in ourselves and what we do.
02:49And that's what the leaders are trying to do,
02:51is that continue to assert the ASEAN centrality,
02:58and to assert the role of ASEAN as the key stabilizing force in the region,
03:08through the ASEAN-led mechanisms,
03:10and to project this positive role that ASEAN has been playing over the years,
03:16to make sure that the region remains peaceful,
03:19stable, and secure,
03:21so that we prioritize,
03:23continue to prioritize,
03:25prosperity,
03:26as a top priority of ASEAN on the agenda.
03:31In other words,
03:32this prosperity agenda is what we focus on,
03:33on the interests of our people in the region.
03:34So, that's why I think our leaders are meeting this time at the critical juncture,
03:38to discuss the impact of the current global dynamics, particularly economic dynamics,
03:42that's right now very confusing, and very disruptive, and I think it's important that ASEAN come together,
03:49with all the leaders who will be present, and they will have collective wisdom, and collective leadership,
03:56under the chairmanship of Malaysia.
03:57Dr. Kao, what are your expectations here as Secretary General, on the KL Declaration of the ASEAN Community Division,
04:04which will be signed tomorrow?
04:06Dr. Kao, what are your expectations here as Secretary General, on the KL Declaration of the ASEAN Community Division,
04:09which will be signed tomorrow?
04:11Dr. Kao, what are your expectations here as Secretary General, on the KL Declaration of the ASEAN Community Division,
04:25which will be signed tomorrow?
04:27Dr. Well, my reaction, of course, will be I am truly pleased,
04:32with the work that finally has produced the concrete result, concrete outcome,
04:38result concrete outcome with the as in community vision 2045 and force regi
04:45plans and of course the leaders will be adopting the KL the Kuala Lumpur
04:49declaration after you know the work by all the asin mom say particularly
04:56Malaysia has been leading this as the public shepherd the co-chair of the
05:02whole process so I think this work is very very significant in terms of give a
05:11clear direction where ASEAN should be heading into the future so I think this
05:19is like a major compass for ASEAN you know so that all as in my mistakes all as
05:29in pillars and sectoral bodies will have to follow so it's not just one
05:35country but all countries and all the different parts of them will have to
05:40work together to make sure that we implement the various parts of these you
05:50know strategic because the city goals strategic measures that outline in the
05:55ASEAN community vision 2045 so I'm pleased that this year we able to have
06:03this course the leaders will be adopting and moving forward is that the priority
06:10will focus on the implementation and how this implementation will benefit as in
06:18member states as in communities and as in people and of course our partners within
06:24ASEAN and of course our extended partners as well
06:28you mentioned just now that the ASEAN community vision here would be akin to a
06:32compass and how ASEAN can move forward what direction do you see ASEAN moving
06:37towards like what kind of vision do you envision that the adoption of this well I
06:42think the goal is to become a stronger more united more integrated community with the
06:50people center people oriented direction meaning that ASEAN is all about people so what's important is that how we address all of these key issues coming up now energy transition digital transformation impact climate change emerging technologies and AI all of this so it's important that we have to work together among all the members of the state but of course how we bring the
07:20bring all the different stakeholders cut across you know political security economic social
07:26cultural appeal as for example how they work together because a lot of things we have to be mindful of the fact that we need to work together in terms of collaboration coordination the same thing for example what we're talking about now is to you
07:42you know produce a positive long-term impact so under the theme again inclusivity and sustainability these two words meaning that number one we should not leave anyone behind or left out
08:00number two we have talked about the future generations sustainability meaning that what we do it cannot be only for the present generation but for the future generation as well so I think this is the the community have talked about being dynamic being innovative being resilient
08:24being resilient and of course what we're looking is to really to make sure that ASEAN continue to move in the direction that will build up a community for the people and of course through generations to come because I think ASEAN right now the population growth will continue until
08:44until 2038 so the population will continue to grow and we have to be able to respond so meaning that ASEAN has become more adaptive more responsive to the needs and interests of our people
09:00Is there a mechanism on how the implementation will be mentioned?
09:04Yes, again like what I mentioned there are four strategic plans each strategic plan they have the whole mechanism that the main one of course they have many other sub-mechanism so basically we'll be looking at the sectoral barriers and that will be the ones that will implement the strategic measures
09:32under their respective bodies under their respective sectoral bodies and of course there will be a lot of coordination also because there are certain strategic measures that will be more than within one pillar or within one sector they have more than that so they have to coordinate a lot
09:50At the same time we have a built in what we call the review mechanism so this will be a regular review to make sure that this Vision 2045
10:02and the four strategic plans will be evolving and will be dynamic in the sense that it will
10:11be adaptive responsive and of course to make sure that this is not static but rather it will be
10:19responding to the evolving situation so meaning the the overall environment be it economic social
10:27cultural political security so again I think ASEAN is with 58 years of history it had been through so
10:40much already of all the challenges right within the region the challenges the impact in from outside
10:47the region as well so I think we have the generational leadership from the beginning
10:53to now so ASEAN is continuing involved in that direction I think with this 20-year vision I
10:59think is a clear direction I think you'll be telling all the essence to stakeholders where
11:08we're heading but the same time our partners so they don't guess what direction we take what we're
11:15going to do so I think we create a strong more trusted partnership through this open inclusive
11:23process