Timor-Leste participates in the 36th Meeting of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council in the Philippines
The Vice-Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Rural Development and Community Housing, participated in the 36th Meeting of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council (ASCC Council), in his capacity as Timor-Leste’s ASCC Council Minister. The meeting was held under the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN Chairship. 
The meeting reviewed progress in implementing the ASCC Strategic Plan and the outcomes of the conclusion of the ASCC Blueprint 2025. Discussions covered regional priorities relating to inclusive development, social protection, education, youth, gender equality, migrant workers’ rights, resilience and environmental sustainability.
One of the key outcomes was the launch of the ASCC Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) System, alongside the enhancement of the ASEAN Database for Monitoring and Evaluation (ADME 2.0), aimed at strengthening the monitoring of results and implementation of regional commitments.
The Council also considered the outcome documents to be submitted to the 49th ASEAN Summit, comprising 11 documents for adoption and 48 documents for notation by ASEAN Leaders. These documents cover areas such as social protection, family development, foundational learning, youth, poverty reduction and rural development.
Regarding Timor-Leste’s integration into the ASCC, the meeting noted the completion of the country’s accession to the six legal instruments under the socio-cultural pillar: the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER); the Establishment Agreement of the AHA Centre; the Establishment Agreement of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity; the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP); the Charter of the ASEAN University Network (AUN); and the Establishment Agreement of the ASEAN Centre for Active Ageing and Innovation (ACAI).
The meeting also noted Timor-Leste’s readiness to assume chairmanship responsibilities in ASEAN sectoral bodies, namely in the labour sector through the ASEAN Labour Ministers’ Meeting (ALMM), the Senior Officials Meeting on Labour (SLOM) and the SLOM Working Group, during the 2028–2030 period; and in the disaster management sector through the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM) and the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM) in 2033.
Timor-Leste’s participation reaffirms its commitment to actively contributing to the implementation of the ASCC Strategic Plan and to building an inclusive, resilient and people-centred ASEAN Community.
