ASEAN Officials, Business Councils Gather to Discuss post-2025 Investment Policy Priorities

BANGKOK, 4 July 2024–The ASEAN Secretariat, United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Australia4ASEAN Futures Initiatives, and Board of Investment of Thailand organised a two-day consultative forum on “Post-ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) 2025: Investment Priorities and Policy Imperatives”.

The forum was attended by ASEAN officials and business councils’ representatives, with Timor Leste officials participating as observer, andheld as part of the works in developing the ASEAN Investment Report (AIR) 2024, under the purview of the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Investment.   

The forum aims to provide an opportunity for key stakeholders of investment integration in ASEAN to collectively take stock and assess the outcome of investment agenda under the AEC over the past decade. It also aims to identify and discuss the road ahead to further transform ASEAN into a more attractive and sustainable global hub for production, trade and investment in the next chapter of ASEAN’s integration.

The forum acknowledged ASEAN’s positive foreign direct investment (FDI) development over the years, alongside the improved investment policy environment regime amid ongoing global challenges, such as geopolitical tensions and macroeconomic uncertainties. It also discussed areas for future improvements as well as emerging FDI opportunities in new sectors such as digital transformation, sustainability, and inclusive developments.

The outcomes of this forum will feed into the AIR 2024, expected to be presented to the upcoming 56^th ASEAN Economic Ministers – 27^th ASEAN Investment Area Council meeting in September 2024, and launched during the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in October 2024.

AIR is ASEAN’s strategic publication highlighting the latest information about investment-related developments in ASEAN, which have been produced annually since 2012. The previous publications of AIR can be accessed  here.