00:00The KL Declaration signed and sealed at the ASEAN Summit claims to chart a more unified path forward for the region.
00:08But does it actually deliver what ASEAN needs as a block facing geopolitical fragmentation, economic headwinds and deepening rivalries in its backyard?
00:18We asked ISIS Malaysia Director of Foreign Policy and Security Studies, Thomas Daniel, about this.
00:22There are multiple dimensions to the KL Declaration and indeed other landmark diplomatic declarations or documents of this stature in ASEAN.
00:34So on one hand, it's an important piece of signaling to internal and external stakeholders.
00:41This is not a regular year for ASEAN. It marks the end of its 2025 vision, launched a decade ago in KL, and the beginning of the 2045 community vision,
00:52which is a new plan that lays out all of its future priorities and trajectory as a community for the next two decades.
01:00So the declaration refers to other documents like strategic plans for its political security, economic, social, cultural and connectivity domains within the community.
01:10It's also a major milestone for ASEAN, which Malaysia has now twice shepherded through as chair.
01:18But on the other hand, there is the context and times in which these documents were adopted.
01:24And I think the declaration and its related documents show that ASEAN member states recognize that they need to enhance cooperation with each other,
01:33to reduce barriers of cooperation with each other,
01:35as well as dialogue partners on a range of issues like security, labor, public health, you know, physical and digital connectivity,
01:43sustainable financing, infrastructure development, adaptation to climate change, and so on.
01:48Of course, the proof of the pudding is fundamentally in the eating,
01:52and ASEAN must ensure that they will adhere to what they profess and meaningfully meet the aspirations
01:57in the KL declaration and vision 2045.
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