Indonesia announces chairmanship priorities, deliverables of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community

JAKARTA, 28 February 2023 – The Senior Officials Committee for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (SOCA) Retreat took place today. SOCA Chair Professor Warsito, Deputy Minister for Education Quality Improvement and Religious Moderation, Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs of Indonesia chaired the meeting.

Professor Warsito welcomed Timor-Leste Director General of the Ministry of Solidarity and Social Inclusion Florençio Pina Dias Gonzaga as an Observer to the meeting and reiterated ASEAN’s continued support for Timor-Leste’s preparations to join ASEAN.

The SOCA leaders discussed ASEAN’s priorities including the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) priority areas and deliverables under Indonesia’s Chairmanship theme ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth.

Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASCC Ekkaphab Phanthavong commended the range of deliverables for the ASCC this year. “I am confident that the ASCC under Indonesia’s able leadership will allow ASEAN to continue to be an epicentrum of growth,” he commented.  

In his remarks, Professor Warsito stressed ASEAN’s need to remain relevant by maintaining its centrality and becoming an anchor of stability and prosperity. Towards that end, he underlined the importance of the ASCC pillar in strengthening health architecture, accelerating rural development, mitigating impacts of climate change, protecting and enhancing capacity of labour, and strengthening disability-inclusive development.

On strengthening the regional health architecture, the meeting was briefed on the promotion of the one health approach to better respond to the health risks in the region. The approach recognises the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment.

Empowering villages to enable them to fast-track rural development in the region will be another ASCC priority this year. The ASCC will accelerate rural development by harnessing collaborative platforms for knowledge-sharing and cooperation opportunities.

Promoting environmental cooperation to conserve biodiversity and mitigate the impacts of climate change will also feature in Indonesia’s chairmanship of the ASCC.  In particular, it will enhance the regional capacity to conserve biodiversity and implement the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.

On better protecting land-based and sea-based ASEAN migrant workers and enhancing the capacity of workers for the future of work, ASCC will strengthen the protection of the rights of migrant workers in crisis situations and fishing vessels, and promote reskilling and upskilling of workers to meet future workforce demands.

Strengthening disability-inclusive development through enhancement of partnership is another capstone of Indonesia’s chairmanship of ASCC in 2023. It will ensure the rights of persons with disability through the implementation of ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025 and beyond.

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