ASEAN risks irrelevance amid growing sub-regional groupings
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn has warned that the regional bloc risks losing its central influence as nations increasingly form smaller, fragmented security alliances. He urged member states to modernize their institutions to remain relevant in a changing global landscape.
Why it matters
As major power competition intensifies in the Indo-Pacific, the potential decline of ASEAN could lead to a more unstable and fragmented regional security architecture.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn speaks at the ASEAN Think Tanks Summit at the grouping’s headquarters in Jakarta.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF SINGAPORE INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Listen Summarise ASEAN risks losing influence as countries form smaller security groups, so it must strengthen its existing institutions to remain central in regional diplomacy. ASEAN's continued relevance depends on its ability to unite countries, manage differences, and enable collective action amid growing major power competition. Key challenges include economic resilience, technological change, and transnational threats, requiring ASEAN to adapt and enhance regional cooperation for the future. AI generated
JAKARTA – ASEAN risks being sidelined as countries increasingly turn to smaller groupings to deal with security and other challenges, its Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn warned on Sept 14.
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