ASEAN Chief Urges Unity and Resilience Amid Global Uncertainty

JAKARTA, May 12, 2026 (KPT) — ASEAN Secretary‑General Kao Kim Hourn on Tuesday called on affiliated organisations and centres to strengthen regional cooperation and align their programmes with the bloc’s long‑term vision, warning that unity and resilience were vital as global uncertainty deepens.

Speaking at the opening of the 10th Forum of Entities Associated with ASEAN at the Secretariat in Jakarta, Kim Hourn said the region’s greatest strength lay in shared purpose.

“What began as dialogue has since evolved into concrete action and meaningful initiative,” he noted, praising ASEAN entities for their role in community‑building.

The forum, held under the Philippines’ chairmanship theme “Navigating Our Future, Together”, marked a decade since the platform was launched in 2017.

Kim Hourn cautioned that rising protectionism, supply chain disruptions, trade conflicts and technological rivalries were reshaping the global order, making ASEAN’s stabilising role “more vital and indispensable than ever.”

He stressed ASEAN centrality as the foundation of regional diplomacy and security.

He highlighted progress in economic integration through the ASEAN Free Trade Area and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, alongside advances in socio‑cultural cooperation promoting inclusivity and sustainability.

The meeting was the first since Timor‑Leste joined ASEAN, which Kao described as “a moment of genuine historic importance.”

He urged entities to support its integration and align efforts with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, calling them “partners, connectors and bridge‑builders” in creating a resilient, people‑centred community.