Details

The future of ASEAN is in the spotlight once again this year, following the announcement of the ASEAN Community 2015 and the inauguration of the ASEAN Economic Community at the end of last year.

There is still skepticism about ASEAN ability to achieve a meaningful sense of community beyond 2015 without adopting new approaches to its core activities, especially in the context of the power shifting dynamic in the Asia-Pacific region. The ASEAN’s aspiration to realize a community must overcome ongoing challenges and shortfalls which hold back its inspiration and remove uncertainty and tensions that could jeopardize the hard-earned peace and prosperity the region of Southeast Asia has been able to enjoy thus far.

Therefore, looking ahead beyond 2015, it is a crucial time for ASEAN to reflect the way forward so as to maintain its credibility and be able to manage the emerging strategic currents that may pose a challenge to its relevance in the years ahead. It is in this light that this regional conference is organized.

The conference aims to gather a selected group of scholars, regional and domestic experts and officials to determine key issues that prescribe the post-2015 ASEAN agenda amidst emerging shifts in major power relations and security developments. It will focus on examining the effectiveness of ASEAN centrality beyond 2015, as well as the identifying some key elements of an appropriate plan of action to ensure that ASEAN continues to play a central role in regional and global issues. In addition it will assess the ability and preparedness of Cambodia in keeping up with ASEAN’s regionalism and identify fresh initiatives for Cambodia to bring forth to the new ASEAN 2025 Agenda.