ASEAN Community Vision 2025

13-Aug-2015

Source:  ASEAN Secretariat News

ASEAN Community Vision 2025

The ASEAN Community Vision 2025 Process

1. What is the ASEAN Community Vision 2025? What is the background and purpose of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025?

• ASEAN Leaders took the decision at the 23rd ASEAN Summit in November 2013 to develop a Post-2015 Vision to realise a politically cohesive, economically integrated, socially responsible, and a truly people-oriented, people-centred and rules-based ASEAN.

• The Vision will be a bold, visionary, progressive and forward-looking document to reflect the aspirations of the next generation of ASEAN nationals. It aims to sustain the momentum of regional integration and further contribute to strengthening the ASEAN community-building efforts.

• ASEAN community-building is a continuous and evolving process. It is therefore important to chart the future direction of the ASEAN Community into the next decade. This vision, when realised, will further consolidate and deepen the ASEAN community-building and regional integration process.

• Through the consolidation and integration process, it is envisaged ASEAN will be able to respond proactively and effectively to the emerging threats and challenges presented by the rapidly changing regional and global landscape.

2. How is the 2025 visioning process being carried out? What are the expected outputs produced by the HLTF? What consultations have been conducted and who are involved in the consultations?

• Undertaking the task of developing the Vision is the High Level Task Force (HLTF), comprising ten high-level Representatives from all ASEAN Member States. The HLTF, chaired by Malaysia as the ASEAN Chair 2015, is mandated to develop and formulate a robust and realizable Vision to guide ASEAN's evolvement over the next ten years. The final document will be presented to ASEAN Leaders in November 2015 when they meet in Kuala Lumpur for their endorsement and further guidance if necessary.

• This will be a comprehensive document covering all three aspects of the ASEAN Community, namely the Political-Security Pillar (APSC), the Economic Pillar (AEC) and the Socio-Cultural Pillar (ASCC). A specific blueprint will be developed for each Pillar detailing the outcomes we want to achieve in the next ten years. These blueprints referred to as Blueprints will be part of the Vision and will contain realizable proposals and aspirations for each Pillar.

• Development of the ASEAN Post-2015 Vision and the Blueprints is now work in progress and being compiled separately. The final stage will be the consolidation of all the documents for cohesion and consistency and finalised as the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 to be presented to the ASEAN Leaders for approval. This Document will serve as a general guide to further strengthen and integrate ASEAN over the next ten years.

• To ensure that the Vision and ADs are representative and inclusive, the HLTF consulted ASEAN Organs and ASEAN Sectoral Bodies to obtain specific views and inputs on their areas of expertise and responsibilities. Consultations have also been held at national and regional levels, including with the business sector representatives, academia and civil society organisations (CSOs).

3. When will this exercise be completed?

• The HLTF plans to submit the final drafts of all outcome documents to the ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group (ACCWG) by 15 October 2015.

• The Kuala Lumpur Declaration, the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and all ADs will be adopted at the 27th ASEAN Summit in November 2015.

4. Why ten years and not five years?

• Every community needs to develop and evolve. The ASEAN Community is no different. It takes time to implement and to become deeply established in the fabric of the Community. Much more can be achieved over 10 years that will benefit all the people of ASEAN. By having in place a ten-year Vision we can establish a framework for continuous development that will help unite and integrate further our 10 countries. It is also a Vision that will enable the people of ASEAN to see and participate in the direction established by the leaders of ASEAN for its growth and development.