ASEAN must address relevance gap as sub-groupings proliferate: Kao

ASEAN faces mounting pressure to reassert its central role in regional affairs, with Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn cautioning that the organisation's relevance could diminish if it fails to address fragmentation caused by competing sub-regional arrangements.

The proliferation of overlapping groupings—including various bilateral and multilateral initiatives among member states—has created parallel channels of diplomacy and cooperation that potentially undermine ASEAN's traditional positioning as the primary forum for Southeast Asian engagement.

Kao's remarks underscore concerns that have periodically surfaced within ASEAN circles regarding the bloc's ability to maintain cohesion and strategic influence amid evolving geopolitical dynamics in the Indo-Pacific. The challenge of balancing the interests of ten diverse member states has long been central to ASEAN's operational challenges.

As Singapore prepares to take the rotating ASEAN chair in 2027, the city-state will inherit an organisation tasked with demonstrating renewed vigour and purpose. Addressing the question of institutional relevance is likely to feature prominently in Singapore's agenda during what promises to be a consequential tenure.

The warning reflects broader discussions within ASEAN capitals about how the bloc can enhance its strategic utility while maintaining the consensus-based decision-making processes that have defined its operational character for decades.