New Plan Of Action To Future-Proof ARF Beyond 2025 

KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 (Bernama) -- The ASEAN foreign ministers have agreed to commence the development of a new Plan of Action (POA) for the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), as a document to guide the forum in facing the changing complexity of global geopolitical landscape beyond 2025. 

The new POA is to replace the Hanoi POA (HPOA) II 2020-2025, which expires at the end of this year, according to the ASEAN Chairman’s statement of the 32nd ARF.

The 32nd ARF, held on Friday in conjunction with the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) and related meetings, agreed that a new ARF POA beyond 2025 should be developed to include concrete measures and measurable goals that ensure ARF cooperation remains relevant, effective and inclusive, and aligned with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.

While noting the progress in the implementation of the ARF Hanoi Plan of Action (HPOA) II 2020–2025, the meeting underscored the importance of continuity and that ARF would continue to implement confidence building measures through the activities under ARF Inter-Sessional Meetings while the ARF Plan of Action beyond 2026 is being developed.

 It also commended the region’s continued commitment to addressing the complex challenges posed by terrorism, violent extremism conducive to terrorism (VECT), cyber-enabled and transnational organised crime, particularly online scams, which continue to grow in scale, sophistication, and impact across the region.

Additionally, the meeting recognised the increasing importance of security of and in the use of ICTs to economic growth and of addressing the challenges arising from the rapidly changing ICT environment.

-- BERNAMA