ASEAN invites nominations recognising individuals and organisations contributing to regional integration and community-building

The ASEAN officially launched the call for nominations for the ASEAN Prize 2026, inviting eligible individuals and organisations across ASEAN to submit nominations through their respective National Focal Points. The award recognises outstanding contributions to ASEAN Community-building and regional cooperation.

The ASEAN Prize continues to acknowledge individuals and organisations that have demonstrated significant achievements in advancing ASEAN’s identity, strengthening people-to-people engagement, and fostering an inclusive, dynamic, and outward-looking ASEAN Community. The recipient of the ASEAN Prize 2026 will receive a trophy at a key ASEAN ceremony under the Philippines’ Chairmanship, along with a monetary prize of US$20,000 presented by the Temasek Foundation.

Now in its ninth edition, the nomination period runs from 3 March to 25 May 2026. Submissions must be endorsed and transmitted through the National Focal Points of ASEAN Member States. Self-nominations and posthumous submissions will not be considered. Nominations must include supporting documents detailing the nominee’s concrete contributions and achievements, as well as a character reference attesting to the nominee’s eligibility.

ASEAN encouraged nominations in areas including outstanding collaboration among ASEAN Member States, engagement between ASEAN and external partners, people-to-people initiatives, economic integration efforts, promotion of regional standards, and other contributions to ASEAN Community-building.

The Judging Committee Meeting, chaired by Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, will convene to deliberate and assess the nominations. The committee comprises both former and current Secretaries-General of ASEAN.

In 2025, the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia was conferred the ASEAN Prize for its youth-led and intercultural initiatives that promoted greater awareness and understanding of ASEAN within and beyond the region. The award was presented at the opening ceremony of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Kuala Lumpur under Malaysia’s Chairmanship.

Since its inauguration in 2018, the ASEAN Prize has been conferred on four individuals and four organisations, reflecting ASEAN’s commitment to recognising contributions that advance regional integration and strengthen a shared ASEAN identity.

ASEAN expressed its expectation that the 2026 edition of the Prize will continue to highlight exemplary initiatives that contribute to the resilience and development of the ASEAN Community.

Source: ASEAN