Seminar on the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC): Past, Present and Future

2 October 2025
Asia Pacific University (APU), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), as a landmark document that laid the foundation for peace, trust, and stability in the region since its signing in 1976. In line with the upcoming anniversary, the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (ASEAN-IPR), under the initiative of the ASEAN-IPR Advisory Board (AB) Chair – Malaysia, convened a Seminar on the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC): Past, Present and Future on 2 October 2025 at the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Seminar was organised by Bait Al Amanah, in partnership with ASEAN-IPR and APU, supported by the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.

Organised in the spirit of ASEAN-IPR’s University Tour, the Seminar gathered over one-hundred (100) participants to reflect on the TAC’s enduring relevance. Members of the ASEAN-IPR Advisory Board, Executive Director (ED) of ASEAN-IPR, CEO and faculty members of APU, as well as academics/scholars/Eminent Persons from Malaysia, and members of the diplomatic corps in Kuala Lumpur was also present in the Seminar. The Seminar provided a platform for academics, practitioners, and youth to engage in an open dialogue on how ASEAN’s foundational principles continue to evolve in today’s geopolitical dynamics. 

The Seminar was officiated by H.E. Ms. Danielle Heinecke, High Commissioner of Australia to Malaysia; as well as Datu Parmjit Singh, CEO of APU.

In his welcoming remarks, Mr. I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja,  ED of ASEAN-IPR, highlighted the importance of University Tour as one of ASEAN-IPR’s flagship initiatives, aimed at bridging ASEAN-IPR with academic communities as one of its key stakeholders. He further underscored that as the TAC approaches its 50th year, it continues to serve as a living framework for peace, “not through rivalry, but through mutual trust and cooperation. Over the years, it has evolved from regional-based into a trusted global framework for peace and cooperation, with 57 High Contracting Parties as of 2024.”

Through his Plenary Address, H.E. Dr. Abdul Razak Ahmad, Chair of ASEAN-IPR Advisory Board and host of the Seminar, underlined that the vision in the TAC continues to remind us of three enduring fundamentals – (1) the primacy of diplomacy, namely ASEAN’s principles of dialogue, consultation and consensus; (2) the power of solidarity, shielding us from external pressures and guided us through crises; and (3) the foundation of trust – not only in our institutions, but in each other as a family of nations, which allow for candour, compromise and peaceful resolution.

The Seminar featured insightful panel sessions with Members of the ASEAN-IPR Advisory Board, academics/scholars from Malaysia (including the Host University) and youth experts, who explored the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation’s (TAC) enduring impact on regional peace and stability, as well as its role in shaping ASEAN’s identity as a community rooted in dialogue and consensus. Panel Sessions took on the themes of – among others: (1) The TAC and the idea of ASEAN Centrality; (2) Strengthening the Future of ASEAN’s capacity for peace in the face of emerging regional tensions; (3) The Role of Youth in ASEAN Peacebuilding Efforts. Through such panels, discussions focused not only on the TAC’s historical foundations, but also looked to underscore its continued relevance in reinforcing ASEAN Centrality and guiding regional diplomacy in evolving geopolitical dynamics.

This activity reflects ASEAN-IPR’s ongoing effort to raise awareness of ASEAN’s core instruments for peace and to engage younger generations in sustaining the culture of peace in the region. As ASEAN moves towards the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, activities such as this Seminar reinforce the importance of collaboration between ASEAN entities, academic institutions, and the public in maintaining a resilient, innovative, dynamic, and people-centred ASEAN.

For more information on ASEAN-IPR’s ongoing initiatives and upcoming events, please visit our website and social media platforms. Universities interested in partnering with ASEAN-IPR or hosting the next stop of the ASEAN-IPR University Tour are invited to contact ADMIN@asean-aipr.org. 

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