A Decade of Progress: The Making of the ASEAN Community

Phonepaserth PHIMSAVANN, known as Bee, was born in Vientiane, Lao PDR. She graduated from the National Institute of Fine Arts in Vientiane, Lao PDR, in 2023 with a major in painting. Since childhood, she has enjoyed creating art and often tells stories drawn from her own experiences. Her work is shaped by nature, everyday life, the environment, awareness of its impacts, and childhood memories. Since 2023, she has been a member of Lost Jigsaw, a contemporary art collective based in Vientiane that

When the Leaders of ten ASEAN Member States convened in Kuala Lumpur, in 2015, for the 27th ASEAN Summit, they arrived carrying the weight of nearly five decades of regional cooperation—and the knowledge that much remained unfinished.

Introduction In 2015, the ASEAN Community, composed of three Pillars—ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC)—was established with the adoption of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Establishment of the ASEAN Community by the ASEAN Leaders during the 27th ASEAN Summit.

When ASEAN Leaders launched the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint 2025 in November 2015, they set out an ambitious vision: to transform Southeast Asia into a highly integrated and cohesive; innovative and dynamic, with enhanced connectivity and sectoral cooperation; and a more resilient, people-oriented, people-centred community, integrated with the global economy. A decade on, a comprehensive End-Term Review of the Blueprint, together with an assessment of its outcomes and impacts, shows

Regional integration is only as strong as the people who carry it forward. Hence, ASEAN has made institutional strengthening a priority for achieving a cohesive ASEAN Community.

ASEAN Community-building—spanning political security, economic progress, connectivity, and socio-cultural development—has always placed people at its core. The ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint 2025 has advanced this commitment and turned it into reality by attaining real progress on improving the well-being and quality of life of the ASEAN people.

The year 2026 marks the first year of implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its Strategic Plans. The ASEAN Leaders gave a clear mandate that ASEAN’s 20-year development roadmap would realise a resilient and inclusive people-centred ASEAN Community. At the heart of this vision is the recognition that people must remain at the centre of ASEAN’s community-building processes.

When ASEAN leaders adopted the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 (MPAC 2025) in Vientiane in September 2016, they set out a clear ambition: to achieve a seamlessly and comprehensively connected ASEAN that promotes competitiveness, inclusiveness, and a stronger sense of community. A decade on, that ambition has been tested against real-world outcomes.

Urbanisation is one of the biggest forces shaping Southeast Asia’s future. Across ASEAN, cities are growing in number, size, and complexity, driving economic opportunity, innovation, and cultural exchange. At the same time, they are also concentrating risk, inequality, and exposure to climate impacts. The question facing the region is not whether urbanisation will continue, but whether it can be steered in a way that delivers prosperity, resilience, and dignity for all.

When the world’s leaders adopted the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015, they set an ambitious goal of achieving prosperity that leaves no one behind. In that same year, ASEAN adopted the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, charting a regional pathway towards a peaceful, stable, and resilient community.

Circular economy has moved from niche sustainability circles to centre stage in global climate negotiations. At UNEA-7 in Nairobi in November 2025, member states deliberated on binding agreements to tackle plastic pollution and resource depletion. The year 2025 also marked the first time that circular economy was discussed at COP30, underscoring the role of circular economy in climate action and the economic potential of circularity spillover for the member states.

The COVID-19 pandemic reminded everyone how important care work is to daily life. When schools closed, and hospitals filled up, it was often women and girls who stepped up at home. Their contributions made a big difference, yet these responsibilities often go unseen and unrewarded.

As ASEAN Member States advance their efforts toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Voluntary National Review (VNR) process has become an essential instrument—not only for tracking national progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but also for fostering inclusive dialogue and shaping shared development visions and priorities.

In 2015, as UN member states adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Philippines made an additional commitment to conduct a Voluntary National Review (VNR) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) every three years. With the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) serving as Chair and Secretariat to the Philippine Subcommittee on the SDGs (SC-SDG), we have produced four VNRs, published in 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2025.

On his first night in La Union, the Philippines, Indonesian youth volunteer Andi Reza Zulkarnain arrived with a clear plan. Together with his team, he was scheduled to begin community sessions on marine conservation and environmental education as part of a local initiative to protect coastal ecosystems. Within hours, however, those plans were overtaken by events beyond anyone’s control. A powerful typhoon struck the area, disrupting daily life, damaging infrastructure, and leaving parts of the c

When we think of groundbreaking scientific achievements, names like Darwin and Alexander Graham Bell often come to mind. Rarely do we hear the names of the many women whose contributions have also been transformative. While women have always been involved in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), their contributions have often been overlooked or downplayed. Today, despite growing efforts toward gender equality, women are still significantly underrepresented in STEM fields acro

ASEAN has set a bold vision for transitioning to a low-carbon, climate-resilient, and resource-efficient economy—one that is socially inclusive and sustainable. This commitment is reflected in key regional policies that encompass a range of issues, including energy and climate change, sustainable finance, pollution control, and marine debris management.

Back in 2017, the Philippines, as ASEAN Chair, championed the ASEAN Declaration on Gender-Responsive Implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025. As the current ASEAN Chair, the Philippines is advancing another ASEAN Declaration focused on the gender-transformative implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.

Over the years, The ASEAN has shared stories from across ASEAN Member States that show how regional cooperation cascades into national and community actions and takes shape in everyday life. Some feature beneficiaries of national and regional initiatives, while others highlight advocates, creators, and community voices whose experiences bring those actions into human focus. Collected here, these stories offer a glimpse of the impact as it is lived on the ground.