ASEAN Economic Integration Brief no. 16: Driving Synergy and Collaboration Across ASEAN Community Pillars
ASEAN’s vision of sustainable, inclusive, and equitable development requires regular interaction and collaboration between all ASEAN Communities—socio-cultural, economic, and political security.
Whilst the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASSC) Blueprint and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprints have distinct focuses, they share common goals related to human development, sustainable development, and ASEAN identity building. The intersection of these areas highlights the interconnectedness of economic, social, and cultural factors in achieving ASEAN’s integration objectives.
The ASCC and AEC have forged a close working relationship, applying a multifaceted approach to resolving regional challenges. This collaborative effort underscores the shared
commitment to the ASEAN vision of sustainable, inclusive, and equitable development. One concrete example is the development and implementation of the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework.
The Framework contains the region’s consolidated strategy to cushion the impact of COVID-19, facilitate recovery, strengthen health systems, and build resilience to future disruptions and crises. The ASCC’s contributions include: (1) initiating the ASEAN COVID-19 Genomics Project, which rendered real-time genomic surveillance for early detection of virus mutations; (2) setting up the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED) for the prevention, early detection, and faster response to future health emergencies; and (3) tapping the ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour for discussions on protecting workers’ rights as the region recovers from COVID-19.
The write-up is written by the Former Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, Ekkaphab Phanthavong. The full article is available in ASEAN Economic Integration Brief no. 16 through the link below.
