Details

The theme of this year’s ASEAN Roundtable is “ASEAN in a Fragmented Global Order”. The Roundtable will examine ASEAN’s central role as the primary forum for dialogue and cooperation in Southeast Asia, and its relevance in shaping the future of the region.

H.E. Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN will be Keynote Speaker at the ASEAN Roundtable. A stellar panel of regional thought leaders, experts, and notable personalities will participate in the discussion. Details can be found in the programme that can be downloaded on the right hand side of the page. 

 

The global order is under threat of fragmentation due to the rise of protectionism, nationalism, and the intensifying Sino-US rivalry. The United States’ preponderant position in the Asia-Pacific is increasingly challenged by a rising, assertive China. Globalisation gains in the last three decades are now at risk of economic decoupling, which can be felt in the form of supply chain dislocations, export bans, and attempts to near-shore or re-shore industries. With an increase in the number of non-state actors such as multinational corporations, international organisations, and civil society movements, the global order is experiencing a shift in the balance of power.

In the face of these challenges, ASEAN has maintained its central role as the primary forum for dialogue and cooperation in Southeast Asia. Through Community building efforts, ASEAN has encouraged regional cooperation and reduced socio-economic discrepancies in the region. ASEAN’s inclusive approach towards regional cooperation has promoted regional stability and a rules-based order. These efforts may have helped manage the fragmented global order in the past, but is it still useful today? Can an increasingly disunited ASEAN continue to demonstrate its relevance in shaping the future of Southeast Asia, ensuring collective responses to regional challenges and strengthening the international rules-based order? The 38th ASEAN Roundtable seeks to unpack these questions with insights from regional thought leaders and experts.

 

The annual ASEAN Roundtable is a platform for leading scholars and commentators to examine key issues and challenges affecting ASEAN as a region and as an institution. The event is supported by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.

 

For more information visit: https://www.iseas.edu.sg/mec-events/38th-asean-roundtable-asean-in-a-fragmented-global-order/