News
Thailand tops UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) rank in ASEAN
The Prime Minister is satisfied with the latest Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ranking where Thailand’s is in 40th place and the highest placed country in ASEAN. Deputy Government Spokesman Lt Gen Werachon Sukondhapatipak said the Prime Minister has acknowledged and is satisfied with Thailand’s latest position ...
Asean embarks on collaborative effort to combat the menace of wildlife trafficking
The region needs a clear action plan to tackle wildlife trafficking, experts stressed this past weekend as the leaders of Asean nations meeting in Bangkok endorsed the “Chiang Mai Statement of Asean Ministers Responsible for CITES and Wildlife Enforcement”. The document’s goal is to address wildlife ...
Pratch Rujivanarom
Fighting climate change with bamboo
The world has 11 years left, as reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to beef up its efforts to reduce global temperatures before it crosses the threshold leading to climate catastrophe. While ASEAN countries have expressed their joint commitment through national pledges to take ...
Asean must embrace digitisation for development
ASEAN needs to put a stronger focus on digital literacy to enable the full potential of an ASEAN digital economy and society by 2025. The internet and social media are making access to knowledge wider than ever. Digital technologies have transformed the way more than ...
Southeast Asia launches $1 billion facility for green infrastructure
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and major financiers on Thursday launched a facility to spur more than $1 billion in green infrastructure investments across Southeast Asia. The facility offers loans and technical assistance for sovereign projects in areas such ...
Thailand must take action for cleaner air in Asean
When complaints are made about the haze crisis and air pollution in Southeast Asia, most usually think about fires in Indonesia’s provinces, which have been a recurrent problem for over two decades. However, the situation this year has been different as Thailand has been at the ...
Simon Tay & Liyana Othman
Talks on trade, crime seek to achieve development goals
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha urged Asean members on Wednesday to maintain a good balance between promoting cross-border trade and suppressing transnational crime, which he said holds the key to meeting the region’s sustainable development goals. He made the remark during a speech at Wednesday’s opening of the ...
Commentary: Myanmar on the cusp of opening up to mediation on Rakhine crisis
Myanmar has recognised ASEAN’s role in assisting with the displaced communities’ humanitarian needs. It has also indicated willingness to address this via the good offices of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Management (AHA Centre). To this end, the ASEAN Emergency Response ...
Courting ASEAN: US influence in the region has diminished but what comes next for ASEAN?
China and the US have long courted Southeast Asian nations, trying to bring them into their respective spheres of influence and establish a foothold in the region. No one nation dominates completely, but over the last couple of decades, China has stepped up its diplomatic ...
John Pennington
Asean countries struggling with inadequate labour skills
About half the population of the Asean region live in rural areas and suffer from a shortage of quality jobs and underemployment. In addition, rural people lack training opportunities in line with the needs of the labour market and suffer from the traditional exclusion of ...
