Five priority areas in the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community

On April 25, the 33rd ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council (ASCC) Conference and related meetings held in Kuching, Sarawak Island (Malaysia) closed.

The conference identified five priority areas in the ASCC Strategic Plan and three other strategic plans to be adopted at the 46th ASEAN Summit, scheduled to take place next May in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang attended the conference.

According to a VNA reporter in Malaysia, the five priority areas in the ASCC Strategic Plan include: Arts and culture; Health ; Youth and sports; Artificial intelligence (AI), digitalization and green jobs; Climate action.

Speaking at the conference, Sarawak Chief Minister Dr. Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Datuk Abang Openg welcomed the attendance of ASCC Council Ministers and senior officials, and introduced Sarawak’s rich cultural heritage and biodiversity.

He reaffirmed Sarawak’s strong commitment to environmental sustainability, stressing that environmental protection supports long-term resilience, strengthens the tourism industry and safeguards cultural heritage for future generations.

He also highlighted Sarawak’s leadership in renewable energy, hydrogen, solar and hydropower, which have made the state a significant contributor to the ASEAN Power Grid, which currently supplies clean energy to the Malaysian state of Sabah, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore.

Meanwhile, Malaysia's Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) Tiong King Sing said ASEAN's arts and cultural heritage serve as a catalyst for sustainable development along with economic growth.

According to him, the sector has emerged as one of the most promising avenues for promoting inclusive growth, creating jobs, empowering local communities and preserving rich traditions.

From ancient crafts to contemporary arts, from traditional festivals to cultural and culinary heritage, cultural heritage is a living expression of shared identity and history, he stressed.

He called on ASEAN member countries to invest in arts and culture-based tourism and cooperate among parties in organizing real-life experiences for tourists.

The 33rd ASCC and related meetings, chaired by Sarawak Chief Minister Dr. Abang Haji, were also attended by Malaysia's Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Tiong King Sing, senior officials from ASEAN Member States (AMS) and Timor Leste as an observer country, and ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn.

According to official statistics, ASEAN's combined economy has risen from 15th to 5th globally with a total GDP of US$3.8 trillion and a total population of 677 million.

This extraordinary growth of ASEAN is due to the closeness and connection between people and people and the cultural diversity in ASEAN unity./.

(Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/nam-linh-vuc-uu-tien-trong-cong-dong-van-hoa-xa-hoi-asean-post1035035.vnp