Every two years, ASEAN hands out the ASEAN Rural Development and Poverty Eradication Leadership Awards to outstanding private sector and non-government or civil society actors in each ASEAN Member State. Winners are chosen for their impact on rural communities and poverty reduction; innovative approaches to addressing rural development challenges; sustainability, scalability, and replicability of anti-poverty initiatives; and partnership with government and other institutions.
“The outstanding practices we celebrate feature practical approaches and solutions that enable and empower people in local communities. Such approaches feature dynamic collaboration that strengthens resilience to demographic shifts and challenges that converge at the community level. These efforts uplift people from poverty and transform their lives for the better,” said Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, during the awarding ceremony on 21 November 2023 in Singapore.
