ASEAN COMMUNITY VISION 2045

 “Resilient, Innovative, Dynamic, and People-Centred ASEAN” 

Adopted by the 46th ASEAN Summit

26 May 2025

I. Introduction 

1. We, the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (hereinafter referred to as ASEAN), namely Brunei Darussalam, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore, the Kingdom of Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, gather here today at the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to reaffirm our commitment to building a resilient, innovative, dynamic, people-centred ASEAN, through the adoption of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. 

2. We remain a rules-based Community of nations committed to the letter and spirit of the Charter of the United Nations (UN), the ASEAN Charter, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) and other ASEAN instruments. 

3. We shall place the ASEAN peoples at the heart of our efforts and ensure the meaningful and inclusive participation of all stakeholders in our ASEAN Community-building process. 

4. We shall uphold the principles of democracy, the rule of law and good governance, respect for and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. 

5. We envision a prosperous ASEAN as a single market with highly-skilled and inclusive workforce, productivity and innovation-driven growth, and incorporating sustainability across and along the value chain. 

6. We underline the need for ASEAN to remain as the locomotive for peace, stability and prosperity in the region. ASEAN shall respond effectively to challenges and complex geopolitical and socio-economic environments in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. 

7. We envisage ASEAN within an interconnected global community of nations with deeper connectivity and cohesiveness. In this regard, we will strengthen ASEAN Centrality in our external relations. 

8. We endeavour to strengthen ASEAN’s institutions and to refresh processes to be more resilient, innovative, agile, adaptive, responsive, and decisive in addressing the increasing cross-cutting issues. 

II. Challenges and Opportunities 

9. The rapidly evolving global environment will continue to require effective and innovative responses to secure the future of ASEAN and its peoples. We are mindful of the impacts, as well as inherent opportunities of existing and future megatrends such as, but not limited to:

• Maintenance of peace, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region including the South China Sea; 

• Major power rivalries; 

• Digitalisation and its impacts on the future of work; 

• Cybersecurity; • Artificial intelligence; 

• Rising protectionism and barriers to trade and investment; 

• Supply chain resilience; 

• Blue economy; 

• Food, water and energy security; 

• Poverty, widening development gaps and scarcity of funding; 

• Natural disasters; 

• Climate change, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and transition to a green economy; 

• Pandemics, communicable and non-communicable diseases; 

• Increased world population, ageing societies and migration; 

• Inclusion of vulnerable and marginalised groups; 

• Empowerment of women and youth; and 

• ASEAN Connectivity. 

10. We need to strengthen ASEAN’s institutional capacity and effectiveness, which include but not limited to, arriving at decisions on urgent and specific situations in a timely manner, promoting greater synergy and coordination in cross-pillar and cross-sectoral issues, optimising work processes, effective mobilisation of resources, and strengthening the ASEAN Secretariat. 

III. Our Future ASEAN 

We shall realise a resilient, innovative, dynamic and people-centred ASEAN by 2045. We will be guided by the Core Elements of the ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision, which we endorsed at the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia. We envision a developed ASEAN as the epicentre of growth in the Indo-Pacific region. Our future ASEAN will be: 

Political-Security 

11. A peaceful, stable and secure region based on the fundamental principles as enshrined in the ASEAN Charter, the UN Charter and international law, including international humanitarian law, subscribed to by ASEAN Member States. 

12. A Community that sustains and reinforces its centrality through ASEAN-led mechanisms and other relevant platforms, leveraging its strengths in the peaceful conduct of relations among states, as well as in forging new and potential partnerships while ensuring substantive and mutually beneficial relations. 

13. A Community that is able to project ASEAN position on regional and global issues.

14. An ASEAN that remains a primary driving force in shaping the regional architecture and contributes towards a rules-based international order amidst geopolitical tensions and rivalries. 

15. An ASEAN that is a contributor to the maintenance of international peace and security through upholding the rules-based multilateral system and international law. 

16. A Southeast Asia that is a zone of peace, freedom and neutrality, and free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction. 

17. An ASEAN with shared commitment to maintaining and promoting peace, security and stability in the region, as well as to the peaceful resolution of disputes, including full respect for legal and diplomatic processes, without resorting to the threat or use of force, in accordance with the universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 

18. A Community that pursues the implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) through concrete projects and activities. 

19. An inclusive and cohesive Community that respects political, social, religious, cultural, ethnic diversities, which upholds the principles of democracy, rule of law and good governance, and respects fundamental freedoms, promotes and protects human rights, and promotes social justice. 

Economic 

20. A major player in the global economy and the fourth largest economy in the world; a single and future-ready economy, anchored on sustainable growth and good governance, empowered by advanced technologies and responsive to emerging opportunities. 

21. A nimble and resilient Community that is empowered in responding to future crises and long-term challenges. We continue to narrow development gaps through relevant initiatives and promote inclusive, participatory, and equitable access to economic opportunities. 

22. A more globally competitive and seamlessly integrated single market and production centre, with a significant increase in intra-ASEAN trade and investment and enhanced global supply chain linkages, that harnesses its collective impact and influence as a major player in the global economy. We aspire for ASEAN to be the industrial and manufacturing hub of the Indo-Pacific with dynamic micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). 

23. An enterprising region as well as a hub and centre of excellence, that is able to leverage on advances in sciences, technology and innovation, and harness new sources of competitiveness, including creative economy and advanced industry, to elevate its economic integration agenda and create a thriving ecosystem.

24. A leading and connected Digital and Technological Community with open and interoperable, secure and trusted digital ecosystem, supported by advanced digital services that will harness its potential of digital transformation and bring the greatest benefits to ASEAN and its peoples. 

25. A Community with strong and mutually beneficial economic relations with external partners anchored on agreements and other forms of cooperation that maintain ASEAN Centrality while generating value for stakeholders, including by bolstering innovation, sharing knowledge, building capacity, and strengthening sectoral cooperation. 

26. A Community that is an integral part of the global supply chain, by streamlining downstream and upstream production process, strengthening distribution and logistics networks, as well as safeguarding access to raw materials to reach maximum efficiency and increase the production scale of value-added goods. 

27. A Community that is economically and financially resilient, by among others, promoting the use of local currencies for cross-border transactions to reduce the region’s vulnerability to external volatility, enhancing disaster risk financing, and mitigating the risks/impact arising from climate change and environmental degradation. 

Economic/Socio-Cultural 

28. A green ASEAN that will be achieved through sustainable growth on land and in water, as we embrace the green economy and blue economy in the regional context, and strengthen ASEAN’s position in promoting sustainability and climate responses. 

Socio-Cultural 

29. A Community that is people-centred, people-oriented, and interconnected with seamless movement of peoples, goods, and services with a shared ASEAN ownership and identity. 

30. A caring Community that will ensure the full potential and improve the quality of life for its peoples that is participative, inclusive, sustainable, and promotes social cohesion, hereby ensuring shared prosperity, especially among vulnerable groups, and leaving no one behind. 

31. A Community that is able to optimise its demographic bonus to, among others, make ASEAN the epicentre of growth and innovation through inclusive, comprehensive and transformative education in a conducive learning environment to develop a highly skilled and competitive labour force, and the creation of decent work and high-quality jobs. 

32. A healthy ASEAN populace, with higher life expectancy, well-being for all ages, safe from communicable and non-communicable diseases with Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and access to resilient healthcare architecture. 

33. A Community where its peoples play an active role in all aspects of life through promotion of human security, enhancing peoples’ resilience through public-private partnerships in line with ASEAN sustainability agenda.

34. A Community with a shared ASEAN identity that is adaptive and responsive to evolving national needs, as well as relevant regional and global issues. 

35. A Community where women are empowered to participate fully and effectively in ASEAN Community-building and realise their full potential in its decision-making processes. 

36. A Community where youth can meaningfully contribute to the strengthening of a dynamic, innovative, resilient ASEAN Community, and in addressing contemporary and emerging challenges, advancing sustainable socio-economic development, and reinforcing ASEAN awareness, values and identity. 

37. A Community that is proud of its identity and assumes ownership of the preservation, conservation and value creation of its cultural heritage, arts and traditions while also promoting cultural industries. 

38. A Community that advances sports to contribute towards the growth of ASEAN as a sporting hub for excellence to promote peace, inclusion, health, education and socioeconomic development. 

Connectivity 

39. A seamlessly integrated Community with enhanced linkages within and between ASEAN Member States, connected through, among others, sustainable infrastructure, payments connectivity infrastructure, continuous digital innovation, enhanced cybersecurity, regulatory excellence, efficient and resilient logistics and supply chains, efficient crossborder flow of information, and greater people-to-people connectivity throughout the region. ASEAN will adopt a whole-of-Community approach to enhance ASEAN Connectivity by promoting synergies with key connectivity initiatives as well as other sub-regional and multilateral cooperation frameworks. 

40. A Community capable of managing future urban growth by leveraging modern technologies, and innovative infrastructure, as well as enhancing ASEAN smart and sustainable cities. 

Institutional Strengthening 

41. A Community that is anchored on ASEAN Centrality with enhanced institutional capacity and effectiveness, with ASEAN organs, bodies and mechanisms that are more decisive, responsive and timely as well as future-ready in addressing global and regional challenges, supported by a strengthened ASEAN Secretariat, with effective crosssectoral and cross-pillar coordination, and sufficient ASEAN funding towards realising the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. 

IV. Our Commitment 

42. We hereby adopt the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and task the ASEAN Coordinating Council, ASEAN Community Councils and ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee, with the support of the ASEAN Secretariat, to fully and effectively implement the commitments under this Vision Statement, namely Political-Security, Economic, Socio-Cultural, Connectivity, and Institutional Strengthening, to achieve a resilient, innovative, dynamic, and people-centred ASEAN Community.

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