July 23, 2025
JAKARTA – ASEAN must ensure that its processes remain centered on the people and not reserved for the elites amid complex geopolitical challenges and the region’s ambitions to remain strategically sovereign, according to Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) founder Dino Patti Djalal.
Meaningful engagement with grassroots communities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other non-state actors cannot be an optional task for ASEAN leaders as they charter troubled territories, the former deputy foreign minister added, urging cooperation instead of cracking down on critical voices.
Dino, who is also a former Indonesian envoy for Washington, said that as ASEAN navigates complex challenges it faces, the bloc has to ensure that its politics could engage and benefit the people to show its seriousness about implementing its long-term community vision.
“ASEAN has been struggling in the last 10 years in realizing its people-centered community,” Dino told The Jakarta Post on Thursday. “Go out on the street and ask anybody [if] they identified as an ASEAN citizen. A lot of them will say ‘no’.”
He added that ASEAN activities must engage with and be supported by the people, so the bloc’s initiative would not make people feel marginalized.
Dino made the comment as the FPCI is set to hold the first ASEAN for the People’s Conference (AFPC) in September, where representatives from hundreds of civic organizations across Southeast Asia will convene in Jakarta to engage in discussions on climate, conflict resolution, immigration and other issues.
The two-day talk, aimed at supporting the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 that was adopted during the bloc’s leaders’ summit in May, will take place against the backdrop of instabilities across the region and the world, such as Myanmar’s unceasing political crisis and Washington’s unpredictable foreign policy.
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Analysts deemed that ASEAN, which just concluded its ministerial-level meetings earlier this month, has been grappling to navigate the tricky geopolitical landscape.
The bloc has been intensifying its efforts to present a more united front, particularly on economy, as it attempts to assert its independence against China and the United States, two major powers battling to influence Southeast Asian nations.
During the AFPC in September, non-state actors representing communities and movements across the region will follow up on the bloc’s leaders’ summit to discuss ASEAN identity, disaster preparedness, tourism exchange, technology and e-commerce, among other issues.
The conference will produce a joint statement that would “reflect the aspirations, concerns and policy recommendations from the people of ASEAN”, according to the official description of the upcoming talks.
First introduced by Indonesia in 2023 and eventually adopted during May’s leaders’ summit, the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 outlines the group’s goals for deeper integration, resilience and global relevance over the next two decades.
The final 155-page document highlighted plans that included boosting economic integration and its global competitiveness, institutional strengthening and sustainable development. Among its most spotlighted plans was the call to create greater financial integration across the region, including by harmonizing trade standards.
Analysts highlighted that the blueprint was lacking new geopolitical or security dimensions regarding how ASEAN would respond to its contemporary challenges, suggesting that the bloc would heavily rely on its economic cooperation to navigate geopolitical hurdles.