ASEAN has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger cross-pillar coordination through a regional workshop focused on the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Strategic Plan. The initiative aims to enhance collaboration across the Political-Security, Economic and Socio-Cultural pillars to support the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
ASEAN has taken another step towards strengthening regional cooperation with the successful Regional Workshop on the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Strategic Plan’s Cross-Pillar Strategic Measures, held in Jakarta on 29–30 June 2026. Bringing together representatives from the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC), ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and ASEAN Connectivity, the workshop focused on reinforcing collaboration and fostering a shared understanding of ASEAN’s cross-pillar priorities.
The workshop was co-chaired by Hannah A. Giray-Carcido, Bureau Director of the Policy Development and Planning Bureau at the Department of Social Welfare and Development of the Republic of the Philippines, and Sara Abdullah, Senior Assistant Director of the International Relations Division, Strategy, International and Research Directorate at Singapore’s Ministry of Social and Family Development. Together, they led discussions aimed at strengthening coordination between ASEAN’s key community pillars and promoting more integrated implementation of regional initiatives.
Opening the workshop on behalf of the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, Ky-Anh Nguyen, Director of the Sustainable Development Directorate at the ASEAN Secretariat, highlighted the importance of stronger cross-pillar coordination in addressing increasingly complex regional challenges. Hannah A. Giray-Carcido also emphasised that the Strategic Measures are designed not only to improve coordination but to encourage deeper collaboration among the ASCC, APSC, AEC and ASEAN Connectivity in delivering shared regional priorities.
Throughout the two-day programme, participants examined the cross-pillar strategic measures across each ASEAN Community Pillar and ASEAN Connectivity while identifying common challenges, opportunities and areas for closer cooperation. Discussions also reviewed existing coordination mechanisms, successful collaborative practices and practical approaches that could be expanded to support the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its Strategic Plans. Participants further identified areas requiring greater collective action to improve policy coherence and strengthen regional cooperation.
Closing the workshop, Sara Abdullah reflected on the extensive collaborative process behind the development of the ASCC Strategic Plan, describing the workshop as an important milestone in strengthening ASEAN’s cross-pillar linkages. Organised by the ASEAN Secretariat with support from the Government of Japan through the Supporting the ASCC Strategic Plan project under the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund 3.0, the workshop reinforces ASEAN’s commitment to building a more connected, coordinated and resilient community for the future.
Source: The ASEAN Secretariat
