ASEAN for the Peoples Conference:
Harnessing Southeast Asia's Greatest Resource
AFPC will take place over two days, Saturday and Sunday, 6–7 September 2025. The event is open to the public and free of charge, ensuring inclusive access and broad participation from all sectors of society.
Initiated by Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI), ASEAN for the Peoples Conference (AFPC) is a civil society-led platform dedicated to strengthening people-to-people ties across ASEAN. It brings together community organizations, grassroots movements, and changemakers in a space where collaboration thrives and a shared future can be envisioned.
People-Centered ASEAN: From Vision To Reality
2015
At the 27th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, ASEAN Member States adopted the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, committing to build a people-oriented, people-centered ASEAN.
ASEAN Community Vision 20252015–2024
Over the years, “people-centered” became a recurring mantra in ASEAN statements and documents. However, public awareness, engagement, and regional connectivity remain limited—the vision has yet to fully translate into reality.
Reality Check: Where Gaps Persist
- Thousands of CSOs exist across ASEAN, but with limited coordination or engagement.
- Only around 80 CSOs are formally accredited as ASEAN entities.
- ASEAN identity is not widely embraced by the public.
- Understanding of key ASEAN frameworks (e.g., ASEAN Charter, ASEAN Economic Community, etc) remains low.
- Intra-ASEAN trade hovers at ~20%, dominated by only a few countries.
- Student mobility across ASEAN remains minimal, limiting people-to-people exchange.
2025
At the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, ASEAN launched the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, reaffirming its long-term commitment to building a people-centered regional community.
ASEAN Community Vision 2045In the same year, FPCI launches AFPC to translate the vision of a people-centered ASEAN into reality by connecting civil society actors from across the region through meaningful and constructive engagement. AFPC is grounded in the belief that people-to-people relations must advance in step with government-to-government cooperation.
Initiator
Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) is an independent, non-governmental, and non-partisan organization established in 2014. Founded on the principles of positive nationalism, healthy internationalism, and regional solidarity, FPCI has grown to become the largest foreign policy community in Indonesia, Southeast Asia, and the Indo-Pacific, engaging more than 100,000 individuals.
FPCI serves as a bridge connecting government institutions, academia, civil society, and youth, with the mission of making foreign policy more inclusive and accessible to the broader public.
Deeply committed to the vision of a people-centered ASEAN, FPCI actively supports and promotes people-to-people relations by strengthening civil society engagement and contributing to the realization of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
FPCI's Works on ASEAN-Related Issues
ASEAN Peoples' Perceptions Survey
Developed in collaboration with Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), this regional survey assesses public opinion on ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners. The 2024 edition captures insights from 2,028 respondents across all 11 Southeast Asian countries, offering valuable perspectives on regional and international engagement.
Forum on ASEAN Community Building
An informal Track 1.5 platform initiated by FPCI to support the development of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. This forum brings together experts, academics, and representatives from civil society to contribute complementary input to the High-Level Task Force on the ASEAN Community Vision (HLTF-ACV). The forum has convened in Vientiane (2024), Jakarta (2025), and Kuala Lumpur (2025).
Southeast Asia Lecture Hall
A regional hybrid lecture series initiated by FPCI to foster academic exchange and youth engagement across Southeast Asia. The program connects students, scholars, and thought leaders in accessible, high-quality discussions on pressing regional issues, promoting a more informed and integrated ASEAN academic community.
AOIP Vision Group Conference
An annual multi-stakeholder symposium hosted by FPCI to support the implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). This conference facilitates strategic dialogue among ASEAN and Dialogue Partner officials, researchers, and experts, focusing on practical cooperation in AOIP’s four priority areas: maritime cooperation, connectivity, SDGs, and economic collaboration.
Strategic Dialogue Platforms
FPCI regularly organizes high-level and expert-level discussions to explore ASEAN's evolving role in global affairs. Notable forums include:
Southeast Asia–Quad Dialogue
U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy and Southeast Asia Conference
Think Tank Trilateral Dialogue (U.S.–China–Southeast Asia)
ASEAN–China Future Relations Forum
These platforms provide space for critical reflection and collaborative exchange between Southeast Asia and major global stakeholders.
Inquiry for CSO Application, Please Contact:
rizky@fpcindonesia.org