NEWS

On 7 October 2026, the 11th Governing Council (GC) Meeting of the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue (ACSDSD) was held and chaired by H.E. Mrs. Millicent Cruz-Paredes, Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to Thailand. ACSDSD’s Executive Director Phasporn Sangasubana, as the GC’s secretariat, and her team presented the Centre’s key initiatives to the Council.

The Governing Council is ACSDSD’s policy guidance body. It brings together the Ambassadors of ASEAN Member States to Thailand, or their designated senior representatives, and a representative of the ASEAN Secretariat, and takes decisions by consensus. The Council guides ACSDSD, reviews ACSDSD’s policy, and ensures that its projects and activities are in line with ASEAN principles, processes and priorities. Its meetings are therefore where ASEAN Member States jointly review progress and set ACSDSD’s direction, so that its work remains relevant to the region it serves.

At this meeting, the Council reviewed ACSDSD’s progress, through activities and projects, in 2026 and discussed its direction and activities under the ACSDSD five-year strategic plan (2026-2030). These include the MU-ACSDSD Sustainability Research Grant, Empowering Educators for Sustainable Development, the ASEAN Circular Economy Forum, the Thai-Danish Strategic Sector Cooperation on Bio Circular Green Economy and Waste Management, the ASEAN Youth Camp on Sustainable Development, and regional knowledge management and outreach on social media.

ACSDSD sincerely appreciates the leadership of the Philippines as the Chair of the GC Meetings in 2026 and will continue to work closely with Singapore as the Incoming Chair of the GC Meetings in 2027.