World Order Lab Participates in the AIIAD Intellectual Discourse Series 8/2025
World Order Lab’s Analyst Ilham Amierah Zulfikri attended the Asian Institute of International Affairs and Diplomacy (AIIAD) Intellectual Discourse Series 8/2025 entitled "Towards a More Effective ASEAN Regionalism: Features, Fulfilments and Future Directions," organized in collaboration with School of International Studies, Universiti Utara Malaysia, on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
The speaker, Indonesian prominent scholar Prof. Dewi Fortuna Anwar, emphasized that Southeast Asia is currently grappling with a polycrisis driven by intensifying U.S.–China rivalry, which has placed ASEAN at the heart of shifting geopolitical currents. While ASEAN aspires to uphold regional centrality, its effectiveness is constrained by structural weaknesses, including an under-resourced secretariat, the absence of enforcement mechanisms, and member states’ preference for bilateral over collective approaches. To sustain its relevance, ASEAN must narrow the gap between its ambitions and actual capabilities, empower civil society, and recalibrate its institutional framework by shifting from a rigid adherence to non-interference toward a more principled stance of non-indifference.
Furthermore, women were recognized as agents of change: educators, advocates, and partners in peace-building, whose empowerment reinforces the foundations of regional security. Investing in women’s institutions, creating opportunities, and embracing feminine leadership as a source of empathy and dialogue were emphasized as essential for achieving a more secure and resilient Southeast Asia.
World Order Lab extends its appreciation to Universiti Utara Malaysia's Asian Institute of International Affairs and Diplomacy and Professor Dewi Fortuna Anwar for convening this timely discussion on the future of ASEAN regionalism. We value initiatives that encourage critical dialogue on ASEAN centrality, institutional effectiveness, regional cooperation, and the evolving strategic landscape of Southeast Asia, while creating greater opportunities for informed engagement on strengthening ASEAN’s role in a changing regional order.
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