Policy paper

Plan of Action to Implement the ASEAN-United Kingdom Dialogue Partnership (2027-2031)

Published 23 July 2026

Plan of Action to Implement the ASEAN-United Kingdom Dialogue Partnership (2027-2031)

Building on the longstanding relations between ASEAN and the United Kingdom (UK); recalling the conferment of ASEAN Dialogue Partner status on the UK in August 2021; and noting the successful implementation of the ASEAN–UK Plan of Action (POA) for the period 2022–2026, this successor POA is intended to further realise the shared goals and objectives of ASEAN and the UK, build upon the significant milestones marking the commemoration of the 5th Anniversary of the ASEAN–UK Dialogue Partnership in 2026, and serve as a framework for meaningful, substantive, and mutually beneficial ASEAN–UK Dialogue Relations, with a focus on areas of mutual interest and expertise, in accordance with the objectives and principles laid out in the Charter of the United Nations and other relevant international law including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),  the ASEAN Charter, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), as well as the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ).

This POA will also contribute to the promotion of ASEAN Community building and support efforts to realise ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future and its Strategic Plans, as well as the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), while noting priorities under the UK’s strategies, including its National Security Strategy and Trade and Industrial Strategies.

This POA calls for strengthening existing ASEAN-UK mechanisms by improving coordination, monitoring, and review processes, as appropriate, to ensure the effective and timely implementation of its action lines.

ASEAN and the UK hereby endeavour to pursue cooperation in the following priority areas through the corresponding activities, in conformity with their obligations under international law and in accordance with their respective domestic laws, regulations, and policies, on the basis of mutual trust, mutual respect, and mutual benefit.

1.      POLITICAL-SECURITY COOPERATION

2.          Political and Defence Cooperation and Dialogue

1.1.1 Strengthen the existing mechanisms for consultation and cooperation between ASEAN and the UK, including the annual ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference (PMC+1) with the UK, ASEAN-UK Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM), and the ASEAN-UK Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) Meetings;

1.1.2 Cooperate to strengthen ASEAN Centrality, including deepening dialogue and cooperation through engagement with ASEAN-led mechanisms such as the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) Experts’ Working Groups through the observership programme with the UK represented by its Integrated Global Defence Network, the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC), including the possible establishment of the ASEAN Plus the UK Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC + UK) Consultation;

1.1.3 Continue to promote two-way exchanges of high-level visits, as well as inter-Parliamentary dialogue and cooperation to raise the profile of ASEAN-UK relations, and to enhance political momentum for cooperation;

1.1.4 Promote the purpose and principles of the TAC, as well as the importance of all High Contracting Parties (HCPs) to fulfil, in good faith, their obligations assumed under the Treaty while continuing to enhance the relevance and visibility of the TAC in the region and beyond, as well as exploring cooperation between the HCPs, including through active participation in activities such as the Conference of the HCPs to the TAC; and

1.1.5       Strengthen cooperation, coordination and mutual support, where relevant and feasible, in regional and multilateral fora, including at the United Nations, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), G7, and G20.

3.          Peace, Security, and Stability

1.2.1. Enhance cooperation by providing capacity-building, among others, to support ASEAN’s efforts in peace and reconciliation, preventive diplomacy, crisis management, and conflict resolution in the region, including through engagement with, where appropriate, regional mechanisms and institutions such as the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (ASEAN-IPR) and the ASEAN Women for Peace Registry (AWPR), support for the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in the ASEAN region, and support to ASEAN Member States in the implementation of their respective WPS national action plans;

1.2.2. Continue the full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation and leadership of women in peace and security efforts, including peace processes, mediation efforts, and strengthen the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda in the region;

1.2.3. Support ASEAN’s efforts to preserve Southeast Asia as a Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone and free of all other weapons of mass destruction as enshrined in the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (SEANWFZ Treaty) and the ASEAN Charter;

1.2.4. Encourage sharing of best practices and experiences amongst ASEAN Member States and the UK on the topics of gender responsive peace-building, conflict and crisis prevention, management, and resolution, and reconciliation by peaceful means, based on shared interest, constructive engagement, and mutual benefit, including through workshops, seminars, and other consultations in relation to the said topic;

1.2.5. Promote cooperation to address humanitarian and socio-economic challenges posed by landmines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW) including unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the region, including supporting landmine and ERW clearance, the delivery of explosive ordnance risk education (EORE), assistance to landmine and ERW victims, and the development of national capacity to manage mine action, as well as recognising the work of the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Centre (ARMAC) on these matters; and

1.2.6. Promote cooperation in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and cooperation to facilitate humanitarian assistance.

4.          Transnational Crime

1.3.1. Work together through exchange of best practices, trainings and information among relevant authorities to prevent and combat transnational crimes, such as smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons (TIP), cybercrime and online scams, illicit drug trafficking (including synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals), terrorism and money laundering, including through engagement with the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) and the ASEAN Working Group on Anti-Online Scams (WG-AS) under the ASEAN Digital Senior Officials’ Meeting (ADGSOM), the ARF Intersessional Meeting on Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime, and the dialogue partnership between ASEANAPOL and the UK National Crime Agency, and strengthening nationwide public awareness campaigns to educate citizens on the prevention of online scams and cybercrime; and

1.3.2. Support ASEAN Member States in the implementation of the ASEAN Convention Against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (ACTIP), through practical initiatives in line with the current and future cross-sectoral work plans, as well as other relevant ASEAN guiding documents.

5.          Maritime Cooperation

1.4.1.      Underline the importance of the respect for the rule of law, sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, maritime security and safety, freedom of navigation and overflight, peaceful resolution of disputes, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS and the relevant standards and recommended practices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO);

1.4.2. Promote deeper understanding of and advance the 1982 UNCLOS while emphasising that the 1982 UNCLOS is the basis for determining maritime entitlements, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in respect of maritime zones, and the 1982 UNCLOS provides the comprehensive legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out;

1.4.3. Promote cooperation and dialogue in areas such as maritime safety, freedom of navigation and communication at sea, maritime security, and maritime domain awareness, in line with the 1982 UNCLOS;

1.4.4.      Promote cooperation on maritime security capacity-building, including on multilateral maritime law enforcement, through appropriate activities, to strengthen maritime cooperation;

1.4.5. Promote maritime safety, freedom of navigation and overflight, protection of submarine cables and other critical underwater infrastructure, unimpeded lawful commerce, mutual trust and confidence, the exercise of self-restraint, and peaceful resolution of disputes, without resorting to the use of force or of the threat to use force, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS;

1.4.6. Support the implementation of the ASEAN Blue Economy Framework to facilitate sustainable, resilient, and inclusive use, governance, management, and conservation of oceans, seas, as well as marine and coastal resources and ecosystems for economic growth across various sectors;

1.4.7. Promote regional maritime cooperation, including within the framework of the AOIP, through ASEAN-led mechanisms by among others, encouraging collaboration on issues such as the sustainable use and management of marine resources and protection and conservation of marine environment, biodiversity, and ecosystems; increasing efforts to develop maritime connectivity in line with and in support of the vision and goals of the ASEAN Connectivity Strategic Plan, and ASEAN’s development of the Blue Economy; addressing and combating issues such as the adverse impacts of pollution, ocean acidification, marine debris, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, threats to maritime security such as piracy, armed robbery against ships and threats to offshore installations, submarine cables and pipelines and other critical infrastructure and maritime interests, cybersecurity of the maritime sector, and hydrography and charting;

1.4.8. Encourage collaborative activities between ASEAN and UK maritime institutions and other related institutions in marine science; supporting regional networks of maritime expertise and encouraging maritime cooperation in multilateral institutions;

1.4.9. Promote cooperation in maritime safety and search and rescue (SAR), including by exchanging best practices on the implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on Cooperation in Search and Rescue of Persons and Vessels in Distress at Sea, through activities such as exchange of information, technological cooperation, and exchange of visits of relevant ASEAN and UK officials; and

1.4.10. Continue to support the development of ASEAN Maritime Outlook

(AMO), as well as explore further cooperation through relevant ASEAN-led mechanisms, and where appropriate, promote cooperation on mutually agreed maritime-related areas, including maritime strategy development.

6.          Human Rights

1.5.1.      Support ASEAN’s efforts in the promotion and protection of human rights, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) and the Phnom Penh Statement on the Adoption of the AHRD and the principles of the ASEAN Charter, including by encouraging cooperation and sharing of information and best practices between the UK’s human rights institutions and relevant ASEAN bodies including, but not limited to, the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR);

1.5.2. Increase exchanges and capacity-building in public sector leadership, with a focus on strengthening the promotion and protection of the rights of all women and children, persons with disabilities, and people in vulnerable situations, including through improved implementation, coordination, and monitoring, and advancing gender equality in decision-making processes; and

1.5.3. Explore collaboration to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in ASEAN, including by exploring regional dialogues, seminars and workshops, education and awareness raising activities, exchange of best practices, and other capacity building initiatives.

7.      ECONOMIC COOPERATION

8.          Trade and Investment

2.1.1. Uphold a predictable, open, free, non-discriminatory, transparent, fair, inclusive, sustainable, and rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core, including working towards reducing non-tariff barriers to trade, promoting resilient supply chains, as well as narrowing the development gap;

2.1.2. Continue regular dialogues under the ASEAN Economic Ministers-UK (AEM-UK) Consultation and the ASEAN Senior Economic Officials

Meeting-UK (SEOM-UK) Consultation;

2.1.3. Advance the full and effective implementation of the ASEAN-UK Joint Ministerial Declaration on Future Economic Cooperation as the foundational framework for ASEAN-UK economic relations, including in shared priority areas such as supply chains and maintaining open markets, regulatory excellence, digital innovation, financial services, and sustainable growth, to further deepen ASEAN-UK economic cooperation;

2.1.4. Strengthen ASEAN economic integration and institutional capacity through timely and effective implementation of the ASEAN-UK Economic Integration Programme (EIP), under its three pillars of cooperation: (i) Regulatory Reform; (ii) Financial Services; and (iii)

Open Trade, with a view to fostering sustainable and inclusive economic growth across the region, in line with ASEAN priorities;

2.1.5. Promote trade, investment, and strengthen trade links, including by facilitating business communities to participate in trade and investment promotion activities, through collaboration with the UK private sector and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council and active participation in the Joint Business Council;

2.1.6.      Encourage and empower Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) by promoting and accelerating the use of digital technology, including   Artificial    Intelligence   (AI),    in        order to       enhance competitiveness and resilience of MSMEs as well as market access, and MSME-related initiatives under the ASEAN-UK EIP;

2.1.7. Support ASEAN’s women’s economic empowerment agenda through activities delivered under the ASEAN-UK EIP; and

2.1.8. Enhance cooperation to strengthen our collective economic security, including through dialogues, capacity-building, and exchanges to support horizon scanning of emerging global and regional economic risks, as well as cross-pillar cooperation to mitigate geo-economic risks and seize emerging opportunities to secure growth.

9.          Financial Services

                    2.2.1.       Promote cooperation and support efforts in FinTech, capital market

development, as well as developing green and sustainable finance by supporting the development of conducive ecosystems and tools;

2.2.2. Support regional financial development and integration, and resilience of the overall financial system in ASEAN Member States by deepening the understanding and strengthening the capacity of ASEAN financial regulators in the areas of digital finance, cross-border payments, and consumer protection; and

2.2.3. Support ASEAN in further expanding financial inclusion to reach the underserved, including MSMEs and women, by leveraging digital innovation, exploring innovative financing solutions, and promoting access to digital credit.

10.          Regulatory Reform

2.3.1.         Support ASEAN’s efforts on regulatory improvement, including transparency, good governance, sound regulatory practices aligned with international best practices, in a broad range of activities, including, among others, standards harmonisation and regulatory convergence, through technical assistance, economic cooperation, exchange of best practices, information sharing, and capacity-building and training;

2.3.2. Support the implementation of the ASEAN Intellectual Property Rights Action Plan (AIPRAP) 2026–2030 by working to support strengthening effective, inclusive, and market‑oriented intellectual property ecosystems, enhancing regional regulatory coherence, improving cooperation and consistency in intellectual property enforcement, and advancing ASEAN’s regulatory readiness for the commercialisation of intellectual property, and exploratory discussions in areas of mutual interest and exchange of views on intellectual property commercialisation mechanisms including Technology and Innovation Support Centres (TISCs), and technology transfer offices particularly for MSMEs and creative enterprises; and

2.3.3. Continue to support the enhancement of product safety and consumer protection measures in ASEAN, including consumer advocacy, awareness-raising efforts, sharing between regulators, and the promotion of business compliance, particularly in the digital marketplace.

11.          Digital, Science, Technology and Innovation

2.4.1. Strengthen and enhance MSMEs’ digital transformation and technology adaptation capabilities towards an inclusive, resilient digital economy, including through supporting ASEAN’s implementation of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework

Agreement (DEFA) with emphasis on digital integration, cross-border digital payment systems, and enhancing e-commerce proficiency through targeted digital literacy and technical upskilling programs for small business owners and entrepreneurs;

2.4.2. Strengthen cooperation on AI governance, which may include the development and promotion of national and regional digital and AI strategies and frameworks, and guidelines for AI ethics, including in news dissemination and media management based on the UKASEAN Action Framework on AI Partnership and Collaboration once endorsed, including through the ASEAN Working Group on AI Governance (WG-AI) and its relevant workstreams such as the ASEAN AI Safety Network (ASEAN AI SAFE), which could include

support for closing AI divides, including gaps on AI technology and the capacity to use AI, and other digital divides in the region such as the gender digital divide, and continue to support ASEAN representation and attendance in the international groupings being developed to coordinate on these issues and promote technical competencies for policy-makers and practitioners;

2.4.3. Support ASEAN in promoting secure and trusted cross-border data flows while respecting domestic data protection and privacy legal frameworks, through the ASEAN Working Group on Digital Data Governance, the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules Forum, and the mapping of the ASEAN Model Contractual Clauses with other jurisdictions;

 2.4.4. Support ASEAN in promoting the resilience of digital infrastructure and the importance of digital trust, including through the ASEAN Working Group on Submarine Cables, and the ASEAN WG-AS;

2.4.5. Promote cooperation and cross-sectoral collaboration between the UK and ASEAN on AI for development to seize the benefits offered by AI, foster safe, responsible, and inclusive AI ecosystems, and progressively bridge the existing disparities in AI, such as through knowledge-sharing and sustainable learning, technological transfer on mutually agreed terms and voluntary basis, capacity-building,  technical assistance, sustainable learning pathways, workforce reskilling and joint research, including in collaboration with the ASEAN WG-AI and its workstreams such as the ASEAN AI SAFE;

2.4.6. Support evidence-based policymaking and responsible research, development, deployment, and innovation of emerging technologies, potentially in sectors such as engineering biology and life sciences, while upholding scientific integrity, ethical standards, and societal impact by strengthening the technical expertise of researchers and government officials on risk management and responsible use and ethical oversight in the development of emerging sciences and technologies; and

2.4.7. Strengthen research and innovation systems and science leadership in ASEAN by promoting cross-sectoral collaboration on research commercialisation and technology for development in joint priority areas between the UK and ASEAN,  strengthening technology startups and entrepreneurship ecosystems, improving the mobility of scientists and innovators, capacity-building, including for institutions and national ecosystems by intensifying partnerships among universities and laboratories, while fostering ethical, equitable, diverse and inclusive research cultures.

12.          Clean, Just, and Inclusive Energy Transition

2.5.1. Explore cooperation to promote a just and inclusive energy transition and security through regional power integration and cooperation, and technology transfer. Collaborate to enhance energy market’s resilience to ensure affordability, power supply reliability and security, and the development of affordable, environmentally sustainable, renewable, alternative, and low-carbon energy sources. Promote emerging clean and low-carbon energy technologies, including civil nuclear energy, and energy efficiency and conservation practices, including through exchanging experiences and best practices, capacity-building, and technical assistance, in line with the ASEAN Plan of Action on Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2026-2030, with support from relevant ASEAN’s energy Sectoral Bodies, as well as the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE); and

2.5.2. Support regional energy interconnection, including through cooperation, technical assistance, and funding to promote crossborder energy connectivity, expansion of grids and storage infrastructure, emission reduction, as well as the demonstration of technologies such as Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS), and green hydrogen in industry, to realise the ASEAN Power Grid by 2045, as part of efforts to advance a secure, resilient, and interconnected low-carbon regional energy future.

13.          Agriculture

2.6.1. Promote closer cooperation in agricultural trade and regulation, food standards, animal disease, and gene editing to support economic growth, food security, and enhance the accessibility of ASEAN and the UK’s products to regional and global markets. This cooperation will be advanced through knowledge and policy exchange to build capability, promotion of agricultural innovation, and the facilitation of agribusiness and agricultural trade;

2.6.2.      Work towards reducing non-tariff barriers affecting trade in agriproducts and keeping trade flows open, including through exchanges and technical work to enhance transparency; and

2.6.3. Explore collaboration to promote sustainable and climate-smart agricultural practices.

14.          Minerals

2.7.1. Support ASEAN’s minerals cooperation under the ASEAN Minerals Development Vision 2045 and ASEAN Minerals Cooperation Action Plan (AMCAP) through policy dialogue, capacity-building, technical cooperation, and best-practice exchange, including on responsible and sustainable mining, urban mining, critical minerals, and investment promotion. Collaborate to promote responsible and resilient critical minerals supply chains in the region.

15.            SOCIO-CULTURAL COOPERATION

16.          Climate and Environment

3.1.1. Collaborate to accelerate adaptation to, and mitigation of, climate change with the aim of strengthening climate and disaster resilience of ASEAN in the face of adverse impacts of climate change, natural disasters, and environmental degradation, especially on women and children, including to accelerate just and inclusive clean energy transition, low emissions, and climate action;

3.1.2.      Continue cooperation and exchange of best practices on the research, development, and deployment of green technologies to maximise sustainable economic growth, while promoting environmental protection and sustainability;

3.1.3. Strengthen cooperation including by enhancing capacity-building and governance initiatives on climate change response and preparedness, including climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, and disaster resilience; and promote collaboration on transboundary haze pollution and biodiversity conservation and management in the region, as well as collaboration with relevant bodies and relevant ASEAN centres, such as the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), the ASEAN Coordinating Centre on Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACCTHPC), ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) and the ASEAN Centre for Climate Change (ACCC), where appropriate;  and

3.1.4.      Strengthen sustainable forest management through promoting enhanced Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) including efforts to enhance mutual understanding and acceptance of credible timber legality verification and licensing systems; the promotion of nature-based solutions in the forestry sector; and the scaling up of forest restoration and rehabilitation initiatives, with the active engagement of the private sector and corporations, including through public–private partnerships and innovative financing mechanisms such as carbon markets and carbon credit schemes, to support reforestation, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, and climate mitigation.

17.          Disaster Management

3.2.1. Strengthen capabilities in comprehensive, inclusive and peoplecentred disaster risk management including monitoring, analysis, risk reduction, prevention and mitigation, preparedness and response, recovery, and sustainable resilience, including through collaboration with the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) and through the UK Weather and Climate Information Services (WISER) programme, in line with relevant ASEAN and global frameworks and mechanisms, such as the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM), the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM), the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) Work Programme 2026-2030, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the ASEAN Declaration on ONE ASEAN, ONE RESPONSE: ASEAN Responding to Disasters as One in the Region and Outside the Region, and the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Sustainable Resilience.

18.          Education and Skills

3.3.1. Enhance regional basic education, higher education, skills, and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) integration and reduce development disparities by improving inclusive learning outcomes for the most marginalised and people in vulnerable situations, and strengthen national systems through locally led evidence-based solutions and an industry-driven approach to ensure education quality and provide decent work for all;

3.3.2. Strengthen cooperation between UK and ASEAN education institutions, staff and students, including through mobility programmes and scholarships, such as the Chevening ASEAN scholarship scheme, complementing national Chevening awards in ASEAN Member States;

3.3.3. Continue sustainable cooperation between the ASEAN TVET Council (ATC) and the UK through the implementation of its ATC Work Plan (2021-2030) in supporting ASEAN’s efforts in strengthening TVET and skills, by providing support for talent creation, workforce development and reskilling using digital education platforms, through policy forums and sharing of best practice on labour market intelligence, sectoral approaches, education curriculum and qualifications development teaching pedagogies, competency assessment, resource development in consideration of national and regional contexts, and safeguarding  and driving inclusive access for all, including socioeconomically disadvantaged youth;

3.3.4.      Strengthen sustainable academic links and enhance mutual knowledge and understanding between various stakeholders in ASEAN and the UK, through dialogue on higher education focusing on shared priorities such as quality assurance, including transnational education and research collaboration; and

3.3.5. Support access to quality English language training in basic education, acknowledging English as ASEAN’s working language and its role in enabling future education and employment opportunities for young people across the region, by collaborating with ASEAN Member States, where appropriate, to strengthen policy-making and implementation; capacity development of educators; and curriculum, assessment, and resource development.

19.          Global and Regional Health

3.4.1. Collaborate and share information on priority health issues under the ASEAN Post-2025 Health Development Agenda, including but not limited to: responding to all hazards and emerging threats, strengthening health systems and access to care, and food safety, in coordination with relevant international and regional agencies, based upon the endorsed, updated Rules of Procedure on the Engagement of Entities with the ASEAN Health Sector;

3.4.2. Promote coordination and collaboration in sectors involved in One Health, such as human, animal, and environmental health, in addressing antimicrobial resistance, zoonotic diseases, or other emerging diseases, including through exchanging understanding of and experience in development, evaluation, and approval of new vaccines and therapeutics;

3.4.3. Promote cooperation between ASEAN and UK health systems and coordination on shared efforts to support Universal Health Coverage and advance equitable health outcomes;

3.4.4.      Sustain and consolidate partnerships to prevent, detect, and respond to global health security threats, including through technical cooperation with the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED) once established, and collaboration to strengthen disease surveillance systems and integrated public health capabilities;

3.4.5. Further enhance cooperation on Chemical, Biological, Radiological and/or Nuclear (CBRN) safety; and

3.4.6. Promote cooperation and partnership between ASEAN and the UK in enhancing food safety control, including through technical cooperation on food safety control, surveillance, and food safety risk assessment, including with the ASEAN Risk Assessment Centre on Food Safety (ARAC).

20.          Arts and Culture (Creative Economy)

3.5.1. Promote greater cultural understanding and awareness between ASEAN and the UK, while strengthening cooperation on arts and cultural policy and exchanges to support the implementation of the ASEAN Work Plan on Culture and Arts (2026-2035);  

3.5.2. Support the implementation of the ASEAN Creative Economy Sustainability Framework, and strengthen creative entrepreneurship and global competitiveness by building networks, enhancing market access, supporting collaboration, and fostering market development across ASEAN and the UK’s creative industries  through ASEAN-UK cooperation, including but not limited to training programmes, research initiatives, and policy dialogue  leveraging the  respective expertise in digital transformation, creative innovation, and the intersection of arts and technology to support regional adaptivity and resilience; and

3.5.3. Promote the exchange of expertise and best practice among artists, cultural personnel, practitioners, as well as policy makers, and support training for the creative economy, to stimulate creative and entrepreneurial skills to support the development of the creative economy in ASEAN and in the UK.

21.    Human Capacity-Building for Public Administration and Good Governance

3.6.1. Promote cooperation between ASEAN and the UK through sharing of experiences, knowledge, and best practices, and other capacity building initiatives, such as networking between parliaments and the judiciaries, to promote and support efforts in strengthening democracy, good governance, and rule of law;

3.6.2. Promote cooperation and dialogue on innovation in public service delivery and public finance administration among representatives from governments, private sector organisations, and other relevant stakeholders in society to embed principles of good governance and foster transparent, accountable, participatory, and effective governance in the region, including through exploring cooperation with relevant ASEAN mechanisms including the ASEAN Cooperation on

Civil Service Matters (ACCSM);

3.6.3. Promote scholarships, academic mobility, and professional development programmes between ASEAN Member States and the UK, including for early-career public officials, researchers, and educators, including opportunities in areas such as public policy, education management, science, technology, and innovation; and

3.6.4. Explore potential cooperation to strengthen the capacity of ASEAN Member States civil servants, including supporting training programmes, policy fellowships, and exchange programmes with UK institutions to strengthen public administration, regulatory governance, and policy implementation capabilities, and English language proficiency.

22.          Information and Media Cooperation

3.7.1. Enhance initiatives to promote knowledge-driven and digitally transformative information sharing, including digital accessibility, information, and media cooperation between ASEAN and the UK. Share views on the promotion of media, information and digital literacy, countering threats to the integrity of the information environment, including misinformation and disinformation, and advancing responsible and ethical standards in digital and broadcast media, understanding the impact of emerging technologies such as the ethical use of AI, AI-generated media on the information ecosystem, developing shared approaches to harness technology for public good while mitigating risks to media integrity and public trust, including through exploring engagement with relevant ASEAN mechanisms.

23.            CROSS-PILLAR COOPERATION

24.          Cybersecurity

4.1.1. Promote responsible state behaviour in cyberspace and provide wider cyber capacity-building to ensure everyone can benefit from an open, secure, stable, accessible, interoperable, and peaceful Information and Communications Technology (ICT) environment, including through exploring collaboration with the UK’s ASEAN Regional Cyber Lead, with the aim of increasing collaboration and engagement on a range of areas including upskilling programmes for women in cyber to advance gender equality, promoting cyber awareness across all aspects of society, strengthening our links on good cyber governance at a national and regional level and working to increase coherence across cybersecurity regulation;

4.1.2. Promote a rules-based cyberspace based on the application of  relevant international law including the UN Charter,  and the implementation of the voluntary, non-binding norms of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace adopted by consensus in the relevant UN Group of Governmental Experts (UNGGE)  further elaborated in the Open-ended Working Group processes, and continued under the new permanent UN Global Mechanism on developments in the field of ICTs in the context of international security and advancing responsible State behaviour in the use of ICTs, through exploring information exchange, confidence building and dialogue, including through relevant ASEAN-led mechanisms; and

4.1.3. Strengthen cooperation on bolstering cybersecurity resilience, tackling cyber threats and the impact of cyber-attacks, including cyberenabled crime, online scams, and threats to critical national and digital infrastructure and supply chains, as well as evolving risks arising from emerging technologies such as AI, including by exploring collaboration with the ADMM Cybersecurity and Information Centre of Excellence

(ACICE), ASEAN-Singapore Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (ASCCE), the ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Capacity Building Centre (AJCCBC), and the ASEAN Regional Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT).

25.          Gender & Inclusion

4.2.1. Collaborate across the breadth of ASEAN’s pillars, to promote and protect the rights of women and children, promote gender equality and women’s empowerment, including by supporting the implementation of the ASEAN Gender Mainstreaming Strategic Framework (AGMSF), through gender-responsive governance and leadership to increase women’s leadership and meaningful participation in policy and decision-making at all levels including in political, economic, and public life; 

4.2.2.      Enhance cooperation, including through dialogue and capacity building, to promote social welfare and rights in the region, including through relevant multilateral and regional fora, frameworks, conferences, and mechanisms;

4.2.3. Promote human rights and gender equality, and support the empowerment and inclusion of women, children, youth, and persons with disabilities, including those in vulnerable situations, and explore cooperation in promoting and protecting the welfare of older persons and unlocking the silver economy; and

4.2.4. Support and strengthen initiatives to advance women’s leadership, and economic empowerment, through ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) and ASEAN Committee on Women (ACW) including through knowledge-sharing platforms, and policy dialogues, and the development of practical tools and initiatives to support women’s entrepreneurship, financial literacy, inclusive governance, and to advance the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.

26.          Sustainable Development Cooperation

4.3.1. Strengthen dialogue and cooperation on sustainable development to promote complementarities between the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including through exploring potential engagement with relevant ASEAN institutions such as the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue (ACSDSD).

27.          Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI)

4.4.1. Continue to support ASEAN’s efforts in narrowing the development gap within and among ASEAN Member States and continue to

address the development disparities to achieve a more balanced and inclusive regional development through the implementation of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan V (2026-2030), as well as aligning sub-regional growth with the comprehensive development of ASEAN.

28.          Connectivity

4.5.1. Strengthen cooperation to enhance connectivity within ASEAN and with the UK through the ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC), ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN), and other relevant ASEAN sectoral bodies, and implementation of tangible connectivity projects under the AOIP, the ASEAN Connectivity Strategic Plan, as well as the ASEAN-UK Joint Ministerial Statement: Enhancing Connectivity for a Prosperous and Sustainable Future; and

4.5.2.      Strengthen people-to-people connectivity through cooperation between ASEAN and the UK, as well as through a potential ASEANUK Air Services Agreement (ASA) that would boost people-to-people links, tourism, and economic ties.

29.          Strengthening the ASEAN Secretariat

4.6.1. Continue to support strengthening the ASEAN Secretariat, including by extending opportunities where appropriate for Secretariat officials to participate in training and capacity-building programmes.

30.            IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISMS

5.1.1. This Plan of Action will be taken forward with the support of funding mechanisms available through the UK and ASEAN governments, in a manner that promotes inclusive participation of all stakeholders, equal opportunities, and equitable benefits for all ASEAN Member States and the UK;

5.1.2. This Plan of Action will be reviewed through existing mechanisms, including the ASEAN-UK SOM and ASEAN-UK JCC Meeting(s); and

5.1.3. An annual progress report of the implementation of the POA will be submitted to the ASEAN PMC+1 with the UK.