ASEAN’s 47th Summit Highlights Southern-Led Multilateralism and Expanding Pathways for South-South and Triangular Cooperation

ASEAN concluded its 47th Summit and Related Summits on 28 October 2025, in Kuala Lumpur, with a series of high-level engagements that underscored the bloc’s growing global influence, its distinctive model of regional cooperation, and its expanding role in shaping South-South and triangular cooperation. Hosted by Malaysia as current Chair under the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability,” the three-day summit brought together leaders from the 11 ASEAN members and nearly two dozen partner countries across regions. Established in 1967 by its five founding members, ASEAN has grown into a comprehensive regional community of 11 states, with Timor-Leste formally welcomed as the newest member during this year’s summit. What began as a subregional grouping navigating the geopolitical pressures of the Vietnam War has evolved into one of the world’s most influential regional blocs and the fourth-largest economic entity globally. A Multi-Layered Summit with Global Reach The annual ASEAN Summit remains the group’s highest decision-making body. Per tradition, it was accompanied by a number of “Related Summits” geared toward deepening ASEAN’s ties with key partners. This year’s meetings included:

ASEAN Plus One Summits with seven dialogue partners – Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia, and the United States – where trade, particularly US tariff pressures, shaped deliberations.
ASEAN Plus Three Summit, focusing on the digital economy, energy, connectivity, and macroeconomic stability, supported by briefings from the ASEAN+3 (ASEAN countries plus China, Japan, and Korea) Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) and the East Asia Business Council.
The 20th East Asia Summit, a flagship forum on regional security and economic strategy, notably attended by the Presidents of Brazil and South Africa, reflecting ASEAN’s intention to broaden ties with the wider Global South.
ASEAN-United Nations Summit, marking its 15th edition, where leaders adopted the ASEAN-UN Plan of Action 2026–2030, including a new action point on South-South and triangular cooperation championed by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC).
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit, celebrating five years of the world’s largest free trade agreement amid emerging global trends.
ASEAN-New Zealand Commemorative Summit, elevating relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

ASEAN’s meetings do not culminate in negotiated outcome documents. Instead, they release Chairman’s Statements, joint declarations and, crucially, new frameworks or action plans – such as the newly launched ASEAN–UN Plan of Action (2026-2030) – that strengthen and guide cooperation towards long-term gains. The full list of these Statements and Declarations (along with the Plans of Action) are available here. ASEAN’s Multilateralism: A Southern Model of Solidarity Throughout the Summit, delegates and observers alike highlighted the enduring relevance of the “ASEAN Way’’ – the bloc’s signature approach characterized by dialogue, consensus-building, non-interference, and persistent diplomacy. Originally forged to contain regional conflict and stabilize newly independent states, this approach has become one of the Global South’s most influential models of multilateralism. Over nearly five decades, ASEAN has transformed even former adversaries into partners — strengthened cross-border cooperation through coordinated policies on a range of shared priorities (such as connectivity and trade) and people-to-people exchanges. ASEAN’s strategic neutrality has also enabled it to maintain constructive ties with all major powers, serving as a stabilizing anchor amid shifting geopolitical dynamics within its sphere and beyond. At this year’s Summit, ASEAN leaders reiterated their commitment to ongoing dialogue and reaffirmed their role as a platform for peaceful engagement. ASEAN’s Economic Diplomacy: A Blueprint for the Global South ASEAN’s rise from a modest regional grouping with a combined GDP of US$24 billion in 1967 to a US$4.13 trillion economic powerhouse in 2024 has become a defining example of how South-South cooperation can transform regional and global economies. Central to this transformation is ASEAN’s long-standing push for economic integration, fortifying economic relations by lowering intra-regional tariffs to zero. It also forges innovative approaches for mutual benefit, such as the ASEAN Free Trade Area and the landmark ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) concluded at this Summit. DEFA – the region’s first digital-economy pact – will harmonize digital payments, data governance, e-trade rules, and the ASEAN Unique Business Identification Number, positioning Southeast Asia as a future digital hub. DEFA serves as a model for other regions of the Global South seeking to accelerate integration, with countries form other regions participating in its Summits increasing through the years. ASEAN’s experience in building regional markets and fostering investment-friendly corridors across borders have been drawing strong interest. This year’s Summit also saw Uruguay, the incoming 2026 Chair of Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), participating as signatory to the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), opening channels for cross-regional cooperation between CELAC and ASEAN. (Uruguay and the Philippines, the incoming Chair of ASEAN, engaged in the recent cross-regional dialogue on SS&TrC for regional integration and cooperation co-hosted by UNOSSC and the UN-Regional Commission New York Office (RCNYO)/Regional Commissions. (Please see more here.) Global South-South Partnership ASEAN’s engagement with global powers and regional organizations continues to broaden its reach and amplify its impact. The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) – ASEAN’s key diplomatic instrument for building peaceful relations – now counts 58 signatories, including five new accessions in recent years. At this Summit, Finland signed the Treaty and Uruguay participated for the first time as a signatory, reaffirming ASEAN’s growing global relevance. ASEAN’s strategic dialogues with Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, the EU, Russia, and the United States is anchored in South-South principles of sovereignty, non-interference, and peaceful cooperation. ASEAN–UN Cooperation: Renewed Commitment to Multilateralism A major highlight of the week was the adoption of the ASEAN-UN Plan of Action 2026–2030, which sets forth cooperation across peace and security, disaster management, humanitarian action, climate resilience, education, gender equality, and youth empowerment. UNOSSC contributed to the development process, helping frame a cross-cutting action point on South-South and triangular cooperation and affirming ASEAN’s potential as a hub for sharing regional integration lessons with other parts of the Global South. UN Member States welcomed ASEAN’s deepening engagement with the UN system. Many, including Viet Nam, Timor-Leste, Thailand, and the Philippines, called for enhanced cooperation on preventive diplomacy, early-warning systems, digital governance, marine biodiversity, and peacekeeping. Next Steps: Leveraging ASEAN’s Experience As regional organizations take on greater roles in the international system, ASEAN’s 2025 Summit demonstrated how Southern-led blocs can drive development, shape global economic rules, and elevate collective diplomacy and Southern role in the future of multilateralism. For UNOSSC, ASEAN is a unique partner for deepening South-South and triangular cooperation, including through:

Implementation of the ASEAN-UN Plan of Action 2026-2030, particularly its new South-South and triangular components;
Cross-regional exchanges (such as between ASEAN and CELAC);
Support to and leveraging of ASEAN’s emerging frameworks, including DEFA; and
Engagement with ASEAN’s cooperation platforms with other regions to channel Southern-led approaches.

As Malaysia concluded its chairmanship, leaders praised ASEAN’s continued stability and expanding influence and welcomed the Philippines chairmanship in 2026. The year ahead offers critical opportunities to advance cross-regional South-South cooperation anchored in ASEAN’s decades-long experience in solidarity-driven multilateralism. More Reading:

Chairman’s Statements, joint declarations, new frameworks of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits: