Future forum 2025 affirms ASEAN’s position in world of turmoil

Themed “Building a United, Inclusive and Resilient ASEAN amidst Global Transformation”, the forum brought together over 600 in-person participants, including more than 230 international delegates, who shared their analyses clarifying both immediate and long-term opportunities and challenges facing the ASEAN Community.

In his speech, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh pointed out several challenges for the bloc, including political polarisation; aging populations; resources depletion; diversification of markets, products, and supply chains; greening of production, business, and services; and digitalisation of human activities. However, the context also opens rare opportunities for ASEAN to affirm its position and make breakthrough advancement.

The Prime Minister's assessment received consensus and support from forum participants. Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa laid stress on several trends affecting ASEAN in the coming period such as demographics, digital transformation, cross-border threats, epidemics, and climate change, noting that digital transformation is an area ASEAN must particularly prioritise to keep pace with global development trends.

Prof. Simon Tay, Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, observed that the world is witnessing a decline in international cooperation while emphasising the challenges to the region from competition between major powers.

Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh, former Head of ASEAN SOM of Vietnam, suggested ASEAN, existing in a dynamic region with 58 years of operation and boasting unique strengths as a collective and a connector of regions and leading global partners, should strengthen economic integration, resilience, and regional cohesion. ASEAN has successfully completed the integration process over the past few decades and must upgrade to improve intra-bloc connectivity and economic-trade relations with partners. In this new context, ASEAN must keep up with trends in digital transformation, green transformation, and innovation.

Regarding ASEAN's working method, the diplomat noted that ASEAN has long operated based on consensus and active contribution to common work. To enhance its central role alongside the principle, ASEAN needs to promote decision-making processes in a more proactive and effective as well as faster fashion.

He stated that it is necessary for the bloc to maintain consultations and continue intra-bloc exchanges as well as with other partners.

Together with traditional and non-traditional challenges, the emergence of breakthrough technologies has forced governments, enterprises and individuals to strive to adapt. At the plenary session themed managing emerging technologies to ensure comprehensive security, participants shared the common view that building a united, inclusive, and resilient ASEAN requires solutions to effectively govern new technologies such as AI to serve people’s interests while promoting sustainable development in the region.

According to Prof. Matthias C. Kettemann from the University of Innsbruck (Austria), ASEAN has a great opportunity to take lead in AI and AI governance as well as build a global legal framework for AI governance that ensures AI use complies with ethical principles while pursuing global digital initiatives.

If ASEAN wants to harmonise AI benefits and ensure seamless AI integration, strengthen AI transparency without hampering innovation is essential, he said, adding policy-makers need to provide clear legal tools to define responsibilities to apply the technology.

In its second edition, the AFF continued to consolidate its brand as a meeting point for vibrant discussions on inclusive topics facing ASEAN on its development journey. The breakthrough exchanges and proposals at the Forum affirmed the bloc's central position in a world of turmoil and serve as valuable references when ASEAN finalises its strategic programme for the Community Vision 2045.