Overview
The ASEAN Socio Cultural Community is all about realizing the full potential of ASEAN citizens. The ASCC Blueprint 2025 was adopted by the ASEAN Leaders at the 27th ASEAN Summit on 22 November 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
ACSS is working towards:
- A committed, participative, and socially responsible community for the benefit of ASEAN people
- An inclusive community that promotes high quality of life, equitable access to opportunities for all, and promotes and protects human rights.
- A sustainable community that promotes social development and environmental protection
- A resilient community with enhanced capacity and capability to adapt and respond to social and economic vulnerabilities, disasters, climate change, and other new challenges, and
- A dynamic and harmonious community that is aware and proud of its identity, culture and heritage.
To achieve this, Member States are cooperating on a wide range of areas, including: Culture and Arts, Information and Media, Education, Youth, Sports, Social Welfare and Development, Gender, Rights of Women and Children, Rural Development and Poverty Eradication, Labour, Civil Service, Environment, Haze, Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance and Health.
Many of these issues, such as human capital development, social protection, pandemic response, humanitarian assistance, green jobs and circular economy, are cross-sectoral in nature. To manage both the cohesiveness of the pillar and also cross-sectoral issues, two platforms have been developed: (1) the ASCC Council, supported by the Senior Officials Meeting on the ASCC (SOCA), and (2) the Coordinating Conference on the ASCC (SOC-COM).
The ASCC Council ensures that relevant decisions of the ASEAN Summit pertaining to the ASCC pillar are implemented. It also serves to enhance coherence and consistency in ASCC policies and oversees the implementation of the ASCC Blueprint. The ASCC Council meets twice a year, with its first meeting held on 24 August 2009.
SOCA supports the work of the ASCC Council. It identifies, considers and provides recommendations to the ASCC Council on issues requiring a cross-sectoral approach, and also supports collaboration between ASCC Sectoral Bodies. Relevant working groups to address particular issues are formed as needed.
A Working Group on the Culture of Prevention (CoP) was established to ensure the implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on Culture of Prevention (CoP) for a Peaceful, Inclusive, Resilient, Healthy and Harmonious Society, adopted by the ASEAN Leaders at the 31st ASEAN Summit in Manila on 13 November 2017. This includes developing an ASEAN plan of action to promoting six thrusts as contained in the declaration, which are (i) a culture of peace and intercultural understanding; (ii) a culture of respect for all; (iii) a culture of good governance at all levels; (iv) a culture of resilience and care for the environment; (v) a culture of healthy lifestyle; and (vi) a culture supporting the values of moderation.
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As a coordinating conference, SOC-COM supports the work of SOCA on coordination of cross-sectoral issues, particularly at the technical and operational level. It meets at least once a year. SOC-COM includes participation from ASCC sectoral bodies, SOCA, Committee of Permanent Representative, relevant sectoral bodies from the political-security and economic pillars, ASEAN entities and the ASEAN Secretariat. Recommendations of SOC-COM are submitted to SOCA.
Effort is made to monitor the work conducted under the ASCC pillar, both at regional and national levels, to ensure that the eighteen key results areas as contained in the ASCC Blueprint 2025 are being collectively achieved. A Results Framework has been adopted and development of a baseline report is underway. A mid-term review of activities carried out between 2016-2020 is being undertaken. Trainings on the implementation of ASCC Blueprint 2025 monitoring systems are conducted as part of capacity building for ASEAN Member States and ASEAN Secretariat.
The ASCC also recognizes that there is a need to bring the ASEAN process closer to the people in order to fully fulfill its objective of being people-centered. To achieve this, the ASCC Department is producing a monthly magazine focusing on the work of the pillar. The ASCC Magazine aims to be a platform which introduces key issues of importance to the people of ASEAN. It also aims to provide an insight into ASEAN’s activities which focuses on building skills and developing a sense of community in ASEAN. The first issue of the magazine, known as “The ASEAN” was produced in May 2020. In addition to the monthly issues, special issues focusing on selected themes are also produced.
Despite uncertainties and challenges posed by the COVID-19 outbreak, ASCC forges ahead in its efforts to address the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic and identify opportunities for revitalisation of the ASEAN region post- pandemic.