As the world’s fourth most populous nation with the world’s fourth largest economy, Indonesia’s participation in the upcoming ASEAN Heads of State and Government Meeting in Cebu, Philippines, is going to be contentious, fragmented and uncertain. Here’s hoping that the Indonesian government can put the pieces together of the fragmented and fractured body of ASEAN collective and channel its energies into a unified, secure and economically integrated entity. This would be a befitting occasion for the Southeast Asian grouping as it endeavours to translate its long-term aspiration embodied in the ASEAN Vision 2045 into a meaningful roadmap for the future.

Organised under the theme for the Philippines’ 2026 chairmanship, “Navigating Our Future Together”, the Cebu Summit is the first opportunity for business leaders to come together in two years. In the highly competitive and volatile environment of today’s ASEAN, its future looks uncertain. Led by Indonesia, the region will embark on the first phase of the roadmap for the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 – a resilient, inclusive and people-centred region. But potential alone is not enough; it needs to translate into concrete actions and follow through.

The deteriorating security situation in the South China Sea demands immediate and sustained attention from nations and organisations operating in the region. Talks on the ASEAN Code of Conduct for the area are stalled, and there is a continued lack of clarity as to the positions of key nations involved in a series of recent maritime incidents. Indonesia can play a constructive role by pushing for early talks on the Code of Conduct’s much delayed Confidence Building Measures, Maritime Encounter Standards and reaffirmation of the basic principles in UNCLOS. These measures are not a panacea to the complex security issues that are increasingly defining the South China Sea, but ASEAN must move to address these issues through rules-based frameworks.

There is also growing concern in the volatile Middle East region, particularly as the crisis affects energy prices. The unstable situation in the region has also affected the safety of the Indonesian people who are living, working, or on business trips in the area. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) calls for a peaceful solution and for the protection of the civilians. While ASEAN can do a lot in dealing with the humanitarian crisis, much more is needed to address the crisis that affects the energy security, navigation safety and the protection and welfare of the Indonesian and other ASEAN migrant workers overseas. Indonesia can take a leadership role for ASEAN in addressing these issues.

Beyond the immediate matter of having reliable sources and adequate stockpiles of essential medicines is the need to strengthen the economy’s resistance in the face of increasingly complicated global supply systems. The Philippines has proposed the establishment of the ASEAN Prosperity Corridors, a series of cross-border economic zones that would promote connectivity and cooperation among Southeast Asian nations. Indonesia can express its support and develop a proposal for a pilot project for one of the corridors, possibly in the manufacturing, digital trade, or green logistics sectors. These improved and interconnected regional supply systems can serve as a buffer against future economic shocks.

There is a distance that needs to be bridged between governments and institutions within ASEAN and the public at large. There is a huge vacuum of awareness and understanding of ASEAN, especially amongst the young. Indonesia has a strategic role to play in heightening digital engagement, promoting the study of ASEAN in schools, and championing the inclusion and representation of civil society groups and the broader stakeholders in ASEAN processes. The AESF is therefore supportive of and has co-organised the inaugural ASEAN for the People’s Week, conceptualised and led by Indonesia, to showcase that ASEAN is about serving the people and not merely confining itself to dialogues amongst government officials and bureaucrats.

Alongside the renewal of individual characters, there is also a need to renew existing institutions and frameworks. Easy to declare in the ambition of ASEAN Vision 2045, the tasks on the ground remain far from being fulfilled, as lacking in their supporting structures. It is therefore important that Indonesia also pushes for a more structured framework, a follow-up mechanism, and intensification of collaboration and metrics.

Indonesia’s biggest challenge is to keep ASEAN relevant in the midst of great power rivalry. Members have different economic systems and security concerns that will naturally have different interests. Indonesia cannot alter those calculations, but it can manage the interactions by providing a neutral, credible and fair venue for dialogue for all stakeholders. Keeping all the ASEAN stakeholders and their counterparts from other camps actively and constructively engaged will require a lot of patience, smart thinking and the ability to be an honest broker.

The Cebu Summit is a great opportunity for Indonesia to produce concrete outcomes such as a roadmap for the Code of Conduct negotiation, an ASEAN framework on energy and maritime issues, progress on the initial Prosperity Corridor projects, a people-oriented Cebu Declaration, and a more effective mechanism to monitor the realisation of Vision 2045. These products are expected to be practical, meaningful, and relevant without having to compromise on our core values and principles, and to show the relevance and dynamism of ASEAN.

We must follow the spirit of strengthening cooperation and unity and put the Vision 2045 into practical action so that Jakarta can make ASEAN more solid and constructive in facing global challenges.

Simon Hutagalung is a retired Indonesian Foreign Ministry official. The opinions expressed in this article are his own.

Lin, J., & Sothirak, P. (2025). The elusive code: Why ASEAN needs a new playbook for the South China Sea. ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. 

Purnama, Y., & Rakhmat, M. Z. (2026). ASEAN’s push to finalise the South China Sea Code of Conduct places Indonesia in a pivotal role. Global Policy Journal.

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