ASEAN-MALAYSIA CHAIRMANSHIP 2025 – “INCLUSIVITY AND SUSTAINABILITY”
This year, ASEAN will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the formal establishment of the ASEAN Community. Guided by the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and all its Blueprints, ASEAN has achieved significant milestones over the last decade in fostering regional peace, stability and prosperity. In order to sustain the momentum and to chart the future direction of the region, ASEAN has taken a bold step by developing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, which will be adopted at the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.
The theme of Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2025 is ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’. It reflects our aspiration for truly shared progress, ensuring that no one is left behind. It underscores our conviction that ASEAN is committed towards strengthening regional peace, stability and prosperity within an inclusive, sustainable and future-oriented framework.
Malaysia’s main priorities as the Chair of ASEAN in 2025 can be summarised as follows:
| • | to strengthen ASEAN Centrality by promoting strategic trust among nations through sustained dialogues, diplomacy and goodwill. Working together with Member States, Malaysia seeks to forge and expand our economic partnerships with those beyond our borders; |
| • | to push for greater commitment towards enhancing ASEAN intra-trade and investment. Malaysia will ensure that ASEAN will be able to leverage on advances in sciences, technology and innovation, and harness the benefits of digital transformation and new technologies; and |
| • | to ensure that the elements of inclusivity and sustainability, which is the theme of ASEAN-Malaysia Chairmanship 2025, take centre stage in our regional Community-building efforts. This will entail greater efforts at narrowing the development gap and inequalities, improving living standards, while mitigating the impacts of climate change. |
‘Inclusivity’ and ‘Sustainability’ are interdependent and mutually reinforcing values. The elements of inclusivity and sustainability will be embedded across all the three pillars of ASEAN cooperation.
25TH AWGWRM MEETING IN BALI, INDONESIA ON 3rd JUNE 2025
The 25th meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Water Resources Management (AWGWRM) will be held on June 3, 2025, in Bali, Indonesia. This meeting focuses on implementing the ASEAN Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) framework and measuring progress towards regional goals. The AWGWRM aims to promote IWRM for sustainable water resources, equitable access, and sufficient water quantity of acceptable quality for the people, economy, and environment.
24th AWGWRM Meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia on 2-3 July 2024
Siem Reap, Cambodia – The 24th meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Water Resources Management (AWGWRM) will take place in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on the 2nd and 3rd of July, 2024. This significant event will bring together water resource management experts and policymakers from the ASEAN member states to discuss strategies and initiatives for sustainable water management in the region.
Hosted by the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology of Cambodia, the meeting aims to enhance regional cooperation in addressing water-related challenges such as water scarcity, pollution, and the impacts of climate change. The agenda will include a review of ongoing projects, the sharing of best practices, and the development of new collaborative efforts to ensure the sustainable management of water resources across Southeast Asia.