On 25 September 2018, H.E. Mr. Virasakdi Futrakul, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, together with Ms. Christine Heenan, Vice President of the Rockefeller Foundation and Mr. David Arnold, President of the Asia Foundation co-hosted the event “Shaping Sustainable Development in Southeast Asia in a New Era of Change - the Future of ASEAN Cooperation” at the Rockefeller Foundation Headquarters in New York. H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General of ASEAN was also present to deliver a keynote address. This event brought together a group of experts across government, philanthropy, and development sectors to discuss ways forward for regional development cooperation in ASEAN based on the study entitled “ASEAN as the Architect for Regional Development Cooperation” developed by the Asia Foundation.

          In his keynote address, the Deputy Foreign Minister recognised the Rockefeller Foundation’s and Asia Foundation’s long-term partnership with Thailand as well as their continued contribution to Thailand and the region. He also commended the joint effort in launching the study which highlighted ASEAN’s central role in shaping the future of development cooperation in the region and underscored the importance of sustainable development. In this regard, the Deputy Foreign Minister reiterated Thailand’s firm commitment to fostering partnerships to take forward the sustainable development agenda in the region and beyond.

          During the discussion, participants exchanged views on how ASEAN can play a more catalytic role in shaping the future of regional development cooperation, in order to maintain its centrality. Moreover, collaboration on sustainable development was identified as one of the strategic approaches that ASEAN could utilise to engage with external partners. The “ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue” (ACSDSD), to be established in Thailand in 2019, was also recognised as  a potential platform to strengthen ASEAN’s leadership in regional development.      

          This event was part of a series of activities organised by Thailand as the ASEAN Coordinator on Sustainable Development Cooperation to promote sustainable development in the region during the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA73) in New York.