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THE ten leaders of ASEAN, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, have signed a landmark diplomatic accord known as the ‘ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future’, at the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, committing the region to a unified, long-term strategy for growth and cooperation over the next two decades.
Enshrined in the ‘Kuala Lumpur Declaration on ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future’, the initiative is described as a “significant milestone” in Southeast Asia’s journey towards deeper regional integration.
The accord supersedes the ‘ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together’ agenda, which was also adopted under Malaysian chairmanship in 2015.
The declaration introduces a new strategic direction anchored by six core documents, most notably the ‘ASEAN Community Vision (ACV) 2045 — Resilient, Innovative, Dynamic and People-Centred ASEAN’, as well as updated strategic plans spanning political-security, economic development, socio-cultural progress and regional connectivity.
The Kuala Lumpur Declaration outlines the region’s shared priorities through to 2045, emphasising “effective implementation, enhanced institutional capacity and deeper regional cooperation”. It also calls for support from ASEAN’s external partners to help realise these long-term aspirations.
The document reaffirms the bloc’s enduring commitment to “unity, stability and sustainable development”, and positions ASEAN as an increasingly influential actor in global affairs.
In the broader framework, ‘ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future, sets out a detailed vision for transforming the region into a key growth hub in the Indo-Pacific. It builds upon the foundations of ASEAN 2025, reaffirming a commitment to becoming a “resilient, innovative, dynamic and people-centred” community.
Its long-range approach allows for “clear and adaptive” policy direction in response to the global landscape’s evolving nature. The framework facilitates forward-looking planning, targeted resource deployment and consistent monitoring, while placing sustainability and resilience at its core.
The accord is centred on four interconnected themes: political-security, economic transformation, socio-cultural development, and connectivity with institutional strengthening.
On the political-security front, the vision advocates for peace, the rule of international law, and ASEAN neutrality, while reinforcing the region’s role in upholding regional stability. Economically, it seeks to elevate ASEAN into the world’s fourth-largest economy by fostering innovation, digital integration, and robust supply chains.
The socio-cultural dimension aspires to cultivate a cohesive identity across the region, with priorities that include public health, gender parity, youth engagement and the protection of cultural heritage. Connectivity goals include advancing both physical and digital infrastructure, bolstering urban resilience, and enhancing institutional governance.
The accord also introduces a number of key forward-looking priorities. These include strengthening ASEAN’s leadership in regional and global affairs, boosting the digital and green economies, and promoting greater inclusivity in policymaking and connectivity efforts.
The bloc pledges to “reinforce its role in regional and global discourse”, to promote a rules-based international order, and to advance ASEAN-led frameworks such as the ‘ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific’.
It aims to “accelerate the development of digital ecosystems”, support the growth of green and blue economies, and ensure better representation of women, youth and marginalised groups across all initiatives.
Environmental sustainability, climate action, pandemic preparedness and the resilience of regional supply chains are also set to become central to ASEAN’s agenda as it looks to shape its collective future. - May 27, 2025
