The 31st ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council Meeting was convened on 24 March 2024 in Luang Prabang, the Lao PDR. It was attended by ministers and representatives from 10 ASEAN Member States, including Timor-Leste as Observer and the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn. The meeting deliberated on the Lao PDR ASCC chairmanship priorities in 2024 and strategic directions for the ASCC, especially in light of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism of Lao PDR and the ASCC Council Chair, Suanesavanh Vignaket, highlighted the timeliness of the Lao PDR’s ASEAN 2024 Chairmanship theme, “ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience,” on promoting the role of culture and arts for inclusion and sustainability, promoting environmental cooperation and climate change resilience, promoting the role of women and children towards the transformation of behaviourism in ASEAN, and transforming ASEAN health resilience.
During the meeting, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn commended the establishment of the Ad Hoc Working Group to Develop the ASCC Post-2025 Strategic Plan. He underscored the importance of ensuring that ASEAN Pillars and ASEAN Connectivity strategic plans leverage past achievements, and their development follows a standard, systematic and synergised process. Dr. Kao also highlighted key ASCC matters that will need collective action from the ASCC in further advancing the well-being and quality of life of the people of ASEAN.
At the meeting, the ministers endorsed nine outcome documents for adoption and notation by the ASEAN Leaders at the 43rd and 44th ASEAN Summits in October 2024. Two outcome documents for adoption are the Vang Vieng Declaration on Promoting Small and Medium-sized Cultural Enterprises aligned with the Green Growth for Sustainable Development and the Framework on ASEAN Public Health Emergency Coordination System.
The ASCC Council Ministers also interfaced with the Ministers of the ASCC Sectoral Bodies of the Lao PDR. They exchanged views and recommendations on charting the ASCC’s future beyond 2025 and identified ways and approaches to enhancing the ASCC’s preparedness amidst emerging challenges, trends, and opportunities.
The ASCC Database for Monitoring and Evaluation (ADME) System was launched by the ASCC Chair and the Secretary-General of the ASEAN on the sidelines of the meeting. The ADME System is designed to improve the timely collection and measurement of socio-cultural indicators and enable the ASEAN Member States to conduct more comprehensive and regular monitoring and evaluation of the ASCC Blueprint 2025 and the ASCC Post-2025 Strategic Plan.
