On 30 March 2026, Ms. Suchada Maktara, Deputy Director-General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs, gave opening remarks at the 10th Young ASEAN Leaders Policy Initiative (YALPI), under the theme “Thriving Together in a Boiling World: Advancing Economic Growth and Climate Resilience in ASEAN”, to be held from 30 March to 3 April 2026 at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

DDG Suchada emphasised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ continued support for youth/student-led initiatives on ASEAN-related activities, including the YALPI 2026 Programme, which provided a good platform for youth discussions and policy recommendations on important regional and international issues. This exercise is also in line with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 (ACV 2045), which places youth at the heart of regional development. The ACV 2045 also stated that climate resilience and environmental sustainability are one of the key megatrends that ASEAN must collectively address.

The event was attended by more than 30 participants, including Assistant Professor Dr. Bhanubhatra Jittiang, representative of the Dean of the Political Science Faculty of Chulalongkorn University and supervisor of the YALPI Programme, and Dr. Piti Srisangnam, Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation, as well as YALPI delegates from the ASEAN Member States, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam, and ASEAN Dialogue Partners/Sectoral Dialogue Partners, including Australia, India, and Pakistan. Established in 2016, YALPI is a student-led initiative supported by the Faculty of Political Science of Chulalongkorn University, intended to serve as a platform for ASEAN youth to exchange views on regional and international issues and propose policy recommendations to relevant agencies and organisations.