Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, led the 57th ASEAN Day celebrations, highlighting resilience and connectivity, with events including a Collaborative Batik launch and an ASEAN Day Open House.
ON 8th August 2024, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, officiated the 57th ASEAN Day celebration at the ASEAN Headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia. In his remarks, Dr. Kao reaffirmed ASEAN’s unwavering commitment to fostering a connected, resilient, and people-centered community. He expressed confidence that ASEAN will continue to be adaptive, proactive, and responsive, seizing opportunities while addressing the emerging challenges posed by global uncertainties.
As part of the celebrations, Dr. Kao, alongside H.E. Retno L.P. Marsudi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, and H.E. Airlangga Hartanto, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs of Indonesia, witnessed the launch of a Collaborative Batik. This unique initiative celebrates ASEAN’s rich cultural heritage by featuring batik designs inspired by the insignia flowers of each ASEAN Member State. The Collaborative Batik symbolizes the unity and diversity within the ASEAN community.
Further marking the occasion, Dr. Kao, together with H.E. Retno L.P. Marsudi and H.E. Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning of Indonesia, officially launched the ASEAN Day Open House by cutting the ribbon at the ASEAN Heritage Building. The open house, the first since the COVID-19 pandemic, featured a tour of various exhibits from ASEAN Centres, the ASEAN Women’s Circle, ASEAN Member States, ASEAN Dialogue Partners, and the education sector, showcasing scholarship and bursary opportunities.
The day’s events culminated in a luncheon held in conjunction with the 57th ASEAN Day Celebration and the 3rd ASEAN-Maybank Scholarship Award Ceremony. During the luncheon, Dr. Kao congratulated and presented certificates to seven outstanding awardees from across the ASEAN region. The event, hosted by the Permanent Mission of Malaysia to ASEAN and the Maybank Foundation, was attended by representatives from the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR), senior staff from the Maybank Group, and the ASEAN Secretariat.
Source: ASEAN
