Articles Category: Social Protection

In September 2024, Typhoon Yagi tore through Southeast Asia, leaving devastation in its wake—claiming lives, displacing communities, and destroying livelihoods. At the same time, over 10,000 kilometres away, in the south of Europe, Portugal was battlin

The increasing frequency, scale, and complexity of disasters in Southeast Asia underscore the need for strengthened regional cooperation in humanitarian action. The ASEAN region—one of the most disaster-prone in the world—faces a convergence of risks t

Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, ASEAN is the most disaster-prone region in the world. In just mid-2025, ASEAN has faced close to 2,000 disasters, which have affected 45.6 million persons and displaced 2.1 million persons. Some 6,000 lives were los

The ASEAN Vision 2025 on Disaster Management seeks to position ASEAN as a global leader in disaster management. Towards this, ASEAN continues to build the professional capacities of its disaster management sector, showcase ASEAN’s expertise and achieve

In September 2024, two powerful storms, namely Tropical Cyclone Yagi and Tropical Storm Soulik, tore through northern Laos, leaving behind widespread destruction. Homes were destroyed, roads were washed out, and communities were left struggling to reco

Cambodia currently serves as the Chair of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM). ACDM Chair and Secretary General of the National Committee for Disaster Management of Cambodia Kim Virak discussess ASEAN’s progress under the ASEAN Agreement

Ambassador Vicky Singmin shared her perspectives on ASEAN-Canada cooperation and outlined strategic partnership priorities for the coming decade, focusing on people-to-people connection and free trade partnership. She also emphasised Canada’s global le

MALAYSIA ASEAN CHAIRMANSHIP 2025 INCLUSIVITY AND SUSTAINABILITY On 1 January 2025, Malaysia assumed the Chairmanship of ASEAN for the fifth time, marking a decade since its last leadership role. Coincidentally, this year marks the end of the ASEAN Comm

Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya served as the Permanent Representative of Thailand to ASEAN from 2021 to 2024. Ambassador Urawadee gave this interview shortly before she left Jakarta on March 2024 for her next assignment as Ambassador of Thailand to Vi

A group of mothers and grandmothers from Wates village, Majalengka, West Java, who bear the financial responsibility of keeping their households afloat, have banded together to form Mother Bank. Co-created by the artist Bunga Siagian, 37, Mother Bank i

At 76, Ngai Hin Kwok knows every turn of the trail at Singapore’s MacRitchie Reservoir. On even-numbered days, he laces up his running shoes and moves along the familiar path beneath a canopy of green. On odd-numbered days, he trades his running shoes

Sixty-eight-year-old Vanda Ou leads the Cambodian Ageing Network (CAN), a platform uniting organisations and stakeholders to improve the lives of older people in Cambodia.

It was a sweltering day in Brunei Darussalam in early May 2025. The “feels like” temperature in areas such as Bangar and Pekan Tutong reaches as high as 44 degrees Celsius. The Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department posted social media warnings an

Since its inception in 2007, Maya Dance Theatre (MDT) has been faithful to its philosophy: bridging the space between audience and artist to provoke thought and dialogue about pressing social issues. In 2018, MDT’s artistic director and co-founder, Kav

Nguyễn Văn Cử is the Deputy Director of Disability Research and Capacity Development Center (DRD) and Director of Doi Rat Dep Social Enterprise. Doi Rat Dep, or “Life is Beautiful” in Vietnamese, is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to promoting