SOCA retreat in Desaru today focuses on strategic people, community goals

KOTA TINGGI: The Senior Officials Committee for the Asean Socio-Cultural Community (SOCA) Retreat in Desaru hereon Tuesday (March 4) will focus on the endorsement of the Asean Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Strategic People, which was scheduled to be adopted during the 46th Asean Summit in May.

Chaired by Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry secretary-general Datuk Roslan Abdul Rahman, the retreat is held in conjunction with Malaysia's Asean chairmanship this year.

All 10 Asean member countries would be present at the retreat, except for Vietnam, which would attend virtually.

The retreat will also review the End Term Review of the ASCC Blueprint 2025 and discuss Malaysia's Asean Chairmanship priorities, deliverables, and activities for the ASCC.

Alongside the Asean Political-Security Community (APSC) and Asean Economic Community (AEC) pillars, the ASCC plays a pivotal role in charting the course for the next 20 years, with a bold, inclusive and forward-looking direction as outlined in the Asean Community Vision (ACV) 2045.

Malaysia officially assumed the role of Asean Chair for 2025 on Jan 1, marking the fifth time it has held this position since Asean's establishment in 1967.

More than 300 meetings and major programmes are scheduled to take place nationwide throughout the year.

Malaysia previously held the Asean Chairmanship in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015. – Bernama