ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on the Development of Strategic Plans 

to Implement the ASEAN Community Vision 2045

WE, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (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, gathered in Vientiane, Lao PDR on the occasion of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits, on 9 October 2024;

RECALLING the ASEAN Community Vision 2025: Forging Ahead Together (Kuala Lumpur, 2015), Ha Noi Declaration on the ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision (Ha Noi, 2020), the ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on ASEAN Connectivity Post-2025 Agenda (Phnom Penh, 2022), and the ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on the Development of the ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision (Labuan Bajo, 2023);

MINDFUL OF the impacts and inherent opportunities of existing and future megatrends presented by the rapidly evolving global environment, as well as the need to strengthen ASEAN’s resilience and effective and innovative responses to global challenges and future shocks to secure the future of ASEAN and its peoples; 

EMPHASISING the significance of mutual trust and confidence, mutual respect, and mutual benefits, as well as adhering to the shared principles, purposes, values and norms enshrined in the United Nations Charter, the ASEAN Charter and other ASEAN instruments, and international law; 

ASPIRING to build a resilient, innovative, dynamic and people-centred ASEAN towards 2045 and envisioning a developed ASEAN as the epicentre of growth in the Indo-Pacific region, in which ASEAN Member States are bonded by regional solidarity and cooperation, where a shared ASEAN identity and the sense of belonging are promoted; and where we continue to narrow development gaps through relevant initiatives, and promote inclusive, participatory and equitable access to economic opportunities, and achieve sustainability in all dimensions; 

CONTINUING the commitment to strengthening the ASEAN Community, its unity and Centrality to ensure ASEAN’s proactive role as the primary driving force in its relations and cooperation with its external partners, including through ASEAN-led mechanisms, with the view to maintaining an ASEAN-centred, open, inclusive, transparent, resilient and rules-based regional architecture that upholds international law; 

WELCOMING growing interest from other countries, regional and international organisations to engage in peaceful and constructive dialogue and develop stronger cooperation with ASEAN and reaffirming the commitment to strengthen our engagements with external partners to raise the profile and contributions of ASEAN to international efforts for peace, stability and prosperity; 

UNDERSCORING the need to promote an enabling environment for peace, stability and prosperous development for all through ensuring a culture of dialogue and cooperation, instead of rivalry, enhancing mutual trust and confidence, and respect for international law; 

ACKNOWLEDGING the need to further strengthen ASEAN’s institutional capacity and effectiveness to support the agenda of ASEAN Community-building; WELCOMING the successful convening of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 hosted by Viet Nam, which complements the exercise of developing the Strategic Plans of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, and further welcoming Viet Nam’s plan to convene the ASEAN Future Forum in the years to come; 

HEREBY AGREE TO: 

     1. DEVELOP the Strategic Plans of all ASEAN Community Pillars and ASEAN Connectivity based on the draft ASEAN Community Vision 2045: Resilient, Innovative, Dynamic and People-Centred ASEAN, that has been noted by the Leaders at the 43rd ASEAN Summit on 5 September 2023, in Jakarta, Indonesia.

     2. COMMEND the High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision (HLTF-ACV), the High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration (HLTF-EI), the Ad Hoc Working Group on Development of ASCC Post-2025 Strategic Plan, and the ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC) for their efforts in developing the respective Strategic Plans to implement the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.

     3. ENSURE that lessons learned and experiences in the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, its Blueprints and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025, including coordination of cross-pillar and cross-sectoral issues, are taken into account in developing the respective Strategic Plans to implement the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.

     4. REAFFIRM the importance of ensuring that the development of the Strategic Plans of all ASEAN Community Pillars and ASEAN Connectivity is inclusive, participatory and holistic through engagement and consultations with relevant ASEAN organs and bodies, and other stakeholders, to ensure ownership of the respective Strategic Plans to implement the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 that is relevant, beneficial, and meets the expectation of the peoples of ASEAN.

     5. UNDERSCORE the importance of review mechanisms for the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its Strategic Plans to ensure its relevance and flexibility in adapting and responding to regional and global developments as well as current and emerging opportunities and challenges.

     6. TASK the HLTF-ACV, HLTF-EI, Ad Hoc Working Group on Development of ASCC Post-2025 Strategic Plan and ACCC to work closely together to ensure the timely finalisation of the respective Strategic Plans to implement the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 for adoption at the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur in 2025.

Adopted on this Ninth Day of October in the Year Two Thousand and Twenty-Four in a single original copy in the English language.