The second day of the 2nd Regional Forum on the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Strategic Plan highlighted practical approaches to embedding ASEAN’s socio-cultural priorities into national development agendas and local governance. Discussions underscored the critical role of institutional coordination and local authorities in delivering the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
The second day of the 2nd Regional Forum on the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Strategic Plan, held on 2 July 2026, centred on advancing the integration of the ASCC Strategic Plan into national and local development priorities across ASEAN Member States. The discussions reflected ASEAN’s commitment to ensuring that regional policies are translated into meaningful actions that directly benefit communities throughout the region.
The day’s opening session brought together leaders of the Senior Officials Committee for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (SOCA) alongside representatives from Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Viet Nam. Participants exchanged experiences and best practices on strengthening institutional coordination, financing mechanisms, and monitoring and evaluation systems to support the effective implementation of the ASCC Strategic Plan by SOCA and ASCC Sectoral Bodies. The dialogue focused on building governance frameworks capable of delivering long-term socio-cultural development objectives.
The second session shifted attention to the local implementation of ASEAN initiatives, featuring representatives from Indonesia’s Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC), the ASEAN Governors and Mayors Forum, and the ASEAN Smart Cities Network. Panellists explored localisation mechanisms and emphasised the importance of empowering local governments as the “last mile” of ASEAN integration, ensuring that regional strategies are effectively translated into tangible outcomes for citizens.
The 2nd Regional Forum on the ASCC Strategic Plan, held from 1 to 3 July 2026 at the ASEAN Headquarters in Jakarta, forms part of the “Supporting the Development of the ASCC Strategic Plan” project. The initiative is supported by the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) 3.0, reinforcing the partnership’s commitment to implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 through stronger regional, national, and local collaboration.
Source: The ASEAN Secretariat
