ASCC advances its Post-2025 Agenda

KUCHING, 22 April 2025 - The Eleventh Ad Hoc Working Group to Develop the ASCC Strategic Plan took place on 21-22 April 2025 in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. The meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Christina Yeo Ken Yin, Undersecretary of International Relations Division (Culture) at the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia, and Hannah Giray-Carcido, Assistant Bureau Director of the Policy Development and Planning Bureau, Department of Social Welfare and Development of the Philippines.

Dr. Christina Yeo Ken Yin, Ad Hoc Working Group Co-Chair Malaysia, highlighted that following the launch of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 at the 46^th ASEAN Summit, the ASCC is working on how best to operationalise the Strategic Plan through well-defined indicators, target, and baseline that is align with the ASCC Strategic Plan. She further emphasised the importance of having a robust and effective monitoring and evaluation system to track the implementation progress of the ASCC Strategic Plan.

Meanwhile, Hannah Giray-Carcido underscored the key role the ASCC Results Framework will play in ensuring that the ASCC make significant contributions to the overall ASEAN Community Vision 2045, a vision that is inspiring, trackable, tangible, and ultimately-transformative.

The meeting focused on the zero Draft of the ASCC Results Framework, with a particular focus on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) proposed by the ASCC Sectoral Bodies. This bottom-up approach reaffirms ASCC commitments to ensuring that the operationalisation of the ASCC Strategic Plan remain inclusive, ASEAN-centered, and aligned with ASCC key sectoral priorities.

An open session was also held, facilitating a capacity building workshop on results framework and theory of change which aimed to revisit technical processes and principles on framework development. The open session was supported by the Aus4ASEAN Futures' Technical Services and Support Program (TSSP) as part of the Project on developing the ASCC results framework and baseline under the Aus4ASEAN Futures Initiative

San Lwin, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, expressed hope for a meaningful participation and engagement of ASCC Sectoral Bodies in shaping the ASCC Post-2025 agenda. He noted that such process is crucial especially in light of regional and global shifts and developments.

The meeting is part of the "Development of ASCC Post-2025 Results Framework and Baseline" project, funded by the Government of Australia through the Aus4ASEAN Futures Initiatives.

Photos Credit: ASEAN Secretariat and Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Arts Malaysia.