Media Release
For Official Release
2nd ASEAN Think Tank Summit: Track II Approach to Regional and Global Challenges
Jakarta, 2 October 2025 – The second ASEAN Think Tanks Summit (ATTS) convened today at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, bringing together leading minds from across the region. Aligned with Malaysia’s ASEAN Chair year theme of “Inclusivity and Sustainability,” the summit addressed a broad spectrum of pressing geopolitical and economic issues critical to the region.
Organised by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) on behalf of the ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies (ASEAN-ISIS) — an ASEAN-accredited entity listed in Annex II of the ASEAN Charter — and supported by the ASEAN Secretariat, with funding assistance from the Australia Mission to ASEAN, the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by GIZ, the Embassy of Switzerland in Indonesia, Timor-Leste and ASEAN, the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Singapore Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, the ATTS brought together thought leaders and key representatives from ASEAN think tanks and dialogue partners to foster a forward-looking agenda for the region’s future.
2025 is a key milestone in regional community building, with the bloc adopting the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, which looks at ASEAN’s strategic direction over the next two decades. It also marks the 10th anniversary of the formal establishment of the ASEAN Community. These discussions are especially timely as they precede the upcoming 47th ASEAN Summit from 26-28 October 2025.
Secretary-General of ASEAN, H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, in his Keynote Remarks, highlighted that “It is in ASEAN’s strategic interest to deepen collaboration with think tanks and policy research institutions. The challenges we face – cross-sectoral, multidimensional, and fast-moving – require fresh analytical frameworks and innovative responses. Expanding ASEAN’s engagement with Track II partners, academics, and researchers is therefore indispensable.’’
Besides the ASEAN Member States, the 2nd ATTS also extended invitations to include representatives from Timor-Leste and ASEAN’s external partners. This broader participation reflects a commitment to fostering diverse perspectives, ensuring ASEAN’s future is shaped by a comprehensive and inclusive dialogue.
Australia Ambassador to ASEAN, H.E. Tiffany McDonald, said, “ASEAN holds the centre of our region, and underpins its peace, stability and prosperity. Mechanisms like the ATTS bring together diverse voice and great minds from across our region to find solutions to shared challenges.”
Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to Indonesia, ASEAN and Timor Leste, Mr. Thomas Graf, said, “Through the ATTS, Germany is proud to support policy debates and knowledge communities at the heart of ASEAN. This contributes directly to achieving the aims formulated recently in the “ASEAN Community Vision 2045.”
First Secretary of the Embassy of the Swiss Confederation, Ms. Tessa Nerini, said “Think tanks play a vital role and help us test new ideas, generate evidence, and turn research into policies that respond to real needs. The ATTS reflects the kind of collaboration that Switzerland values deeply.”
The discussions from the summit brought attention to five shared priorities aimed at strengthening ASEAN’s regional cooperation and progress:
- Building Digital Trust for a Safe and Inclusive Digital ASEAN: Strengthening ASEAN and the region to combat the rise in online scams and broader digital trust challenges.
- Mainstreaming Sustainability in ASEAN: Building on ASEAN’s commitment to its sustainability agenda and green transition goals.
- Strengthening ASEAN Economic Integration: Deepening ASEAN’s economic integration and enhancing supply chain resilience and partnerships.
- ASEAN Centrality & Engagement with Regional and Mini-lateral groupings: Navigating ASEAN’s role in the Indo-Pacific and its engagement with mini-lateral groupings and global multilateral forums
- Ocean Governance and Maritime Security: Examining the challenges and opportunities in ocean governance and maritime security in the Indo-Pacific and its impact on ASEAN.
The 2nd ATTS was attended by almost 100 participants from the ASEAN Member States and the external partners, highlighting the extensive regional and international engagement in promoting and facilitating Track II diplomacy and dialogues.
The success of this year’s ATTS underscores ASEAN’s vital role in today’s volatile and uncertain global landscape, highlighting its continued relevance on the world stage while drawing on its collective strengths as a bloc to find shared solutions to regional and global challenges.
For more information on the outcomes of the ATTS or to arrange interviews ahead of the 47th ASEAN Summit in October, please contact shamini.priya@siiaonline.org.
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ASEAN
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on 8 August 1967 and constitutes ten Member States: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. In 2022, ASEAN Leaders decided in-principle to admit Timor-Leste to be the 11th member of ASEAN. On 31 December 2015, the ASEAN Community was formally established. The ASEAN Secretariat is based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Find out more on: https://asean.org
Australian Mission to ASEAN
The Australian Mission to ASEAN was established in 2013 in Jakarta, headquarters of the ASEAN Secretariat and ASEAN Committee of Permanent Representatives. Australia is proud to be ASEAN’s first Dialogue Partner and a Comprehensive Strategic Partner of ASEAN. Australia’s Ambassador to ASEAN is H.E. Ms Tiffany McDonald.
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federal enterprise with worldwide operations. It supports the German Government in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. It is also engaged in education activities around the globe. GIZ assists people and societies in shaping their future and improving their living conditions. The ASEAN Think Tank Summit is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by GIZ under the Germany–ASEAN cooperation project “Capacity Building for the ASEAN Secretariat.” For more information: www.giz.de
Embassy of Switzerland to Indonesia, Timor-Leste and ASEAN
The Embassy of Switzerland in Jakarta was opened in 1952. It covers the relations with Indonesia, Timor-Leste and ASEAN, with which Switzerland has had sectoral dialogue partner status since July 2016. In this role, Switzerland helps to reduce development gaps between ASEAN countries, and supports ASEAN’s efforts in the thematic focus areas of peace and security, prosperity, sustainability and digitalization.
Singapore Institute of International Affairs
Insights ● Networks ● Access
Established in 1962, the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) is a non-profit and independent think tank committed to producing policy analysis, fostering in-depth dialogues and bridging gaps between policymakers, private sector decision-makers and experts to shape public policy and social responses. Centred around ASEAN focused themes, the institute aims to deliver policy analysis in international affairs and on issues driving environmental sustainability.
The SIIA has been consistently ranked as one of the leading think tanks in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, in the Global Go To Think Tank Index by the University of Pennsylvania. Since 2017, the SIIA was ranked the No. 1 independent think tank in Asia. It was also recognised as one of the top 50 think tanks globally, excluding the United States of America. For two consecutive years since 2019, it was recognised as the No. 1 think tank in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific (excluding India). In 2020, it was also recognised as one of the think tanks with the best policy and institutional response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
