What Asean can expect from its 2045 vision

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From Hafidzi Razali

The challenges Malaysia faces as the current Asean chair have been unrelenting.

Global tension over new tariffs, renewed US-China rivalry, and the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, have left Asean in a complex environment even as it strives to stay the course.

Nonetheless, this has also presented the bloc with an opportunity to reaffirm its relevance by engaging in dialogues with parties beyond the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

But even as it presents itself as a reliable alternative within a multipolar global order, Asean must equally acknowledge the diverse challenges its nearly 700 million people face.

The region is strategically located at the crossroad of east-west trade flow, is rich in mineral resources and imbued with the energy of a population that is one-third youth.

It is only fitting that such potential is galvanised to future-proof Asean’s vision, with peace and prosperity at its heart.

Reasserting Asean’s strategic relevance

Beyond geopolitical concerns, there is the broader discussion on how Asean should adapt to rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, digitalisation, connectivity, trade and supply chain resilience, and climate risks as well as the need to better protect fundamental human rights and freedom.

These conversations have culminated in the form of the Asean Community Vision 2045 (ACV2045), a forward-looking aspiration for the next two decades.

Its adoption at the 46th Asean Summit on May 26 and 27 is, therefore, expected to be one of the hallmarks of Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship.

Consistent with the Asean pillars, the ACV2045 will serve as a roadmap to address the region’s development agenda across the political-security, economy, sociocultural and institutional strengthening dimensions.

It is envisioned that the ACV2045 would paint a clearer picture on where Asean stands against existing challenges and future megatrends.

Lead-up to Asean Community Vision 2045

This is not the first time Malaysia is spearheading the adoption of a region-wide vision, having previously shaped both Asean Vision 2020 and Asean Community Vision 2025.

There have been extensive consultations for ACV2045 since as early as 2022, where the perspective of each member state, industry stakeholder, NGO, and civil society group is incorporated.

Apart from new policy guidelines, there will also be greater emphasis on enhancing the monitoring and evaluation capabilities of the Asean secretariat and its member states, and better coordination among stakeholders.

Pursuing progress is a shared responsibility

Can the ACV2045 help to resolve some of Asean’s most pressing problems?

While this is a valid concern, we must first realise that the ACV2045 is not legally binding. Rather, it is an aspirational framework designed to instil collective awareness among member states.

The objective of ACV2045 is to encourage an organic realisation of its aspirations at the community, developmental, and political levels across the region.

It is also worth noting that the ACV2045’s aspirations are not set in stone but subject to periodic reviews.

The ACV2045 is a point of reference that not only prescribes mutual principles, but also a commitment to a set of strategies, action items and timelines.

The drafters would agree that the first step towards achieving peace, stability, and a rules-based international order is to agree on the common values and outlook of living as one community.

Once adopted and unveiled to the public, the level of scrutiny its contents will receive will undoubtedly vary, based on the observer’s depth of understanding and his perspective.

All said, the mood is that the ACV2045 will be able to retain the momentum to guide policy development in the face of direct realities of Asean’s 10 member states.

Hafidzi Razali is a founder and CEO of Strategic Counsel (stcounsel.com), a public affairs, policy advisory and strategic communications firm with network presence in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Jakarta. He is a Fulbright scholar and Oxford policy fellow.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.

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