Phnom Penh, 21–22 May 2025: The Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY) of the Royal Government of Cambodia, in partnership with ERIA, co-organised a Regional Workshop on Technical Assistance to Improve Access and Opportunities for Older Persons in ASEAN. The event took place under the framework of the ASEAN Strategic Framework on Social Welfare and Development (2016–2020) and the SOMSWD Work Plan 2021–2025.

The primary goal of the workshop was to develop a framework for technical assistance that ensures affordable, inclusive, and effective access to essential services for older persons across the region – advancing the agenda of healthy and productive ageing. Over the 2-day event, SOMSWD representatives from ASEAN Member States (AMS) convened to exchange insights, share national experiences, and formulate recommendations for strengthening regional collaboration in the context of rapid demographic ageing.

Opening Session

The workshop opened with remarks from Mr Chane Nhep, SOMSWD Cambodia Leader and Director of the Cooperation Department at MoSVY. He highlighted Cambodia’s role as the coordinating country for this initiative under the SOMSWD Work Plan and thanked ERIA, the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE), and the ASEAN Secretariat for their support. He expressed optimism that the discussions would yield practical recommendations to enhance care for older persons in ASEAN.

Dr Manami Uechi, Director of ERIA’s Healthcare Unit, reaffirmed ERIA’s commitment to supporting healthy ageing through regional research and policy dialogue. She emphasised the importance of strong partnerships with the ASEAN Secretariat and AMS. Ms Hajah Nor Ashikin binti Haji Johari, Chair of SOMSWD and Permanent Secretary (Community) of Brunei Darussalam’s Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, delivered a presentation on ASEAN’s commitment to empowering older persons by 2025 and beyond.

Session Highlights

• Session 1, moderated by Dr Liem Nguyen (ERIA), featured expert presentations from Dr Kyaw Min Soe (ASEAN Centre for Active Ageing and Innovation – ACAI), Prof. Tengku Aizan Hamid (Private Pension Administrator Malaysia), and Prof. Sumit Kane (University of Melbourne). Panelists addressed the region’s challenges and opportunities in ensuring service access for older persons.

Participants later broke into three groups – facilitated by Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, and Lao PDR – for focused discussions and shared back their key findings and recommendations.

• Session 2, titled ’Human Resources Enhancing Services for Older Persons in ASEAN’, was moderated by Prof. Sumit Kane and included breakout group discussions led by Malaysia, Myanmar, and the Philippines. Topics included stakeholder roles, communication challenges, and gender considerations in service provision.
• Session 3, led by Ms Momoko Abe (JCIE), explored non-human resources such as infrastructure, insurance, and technology. Thailand, Viet Nam, and Timor-Leste facilitated group discussions on improving accessibility and inclusivity for older persons.
• Session 4, moderated by Ms Jacel Javier Paguio (ASEAN Secretariat), focused on multi-sectoral and regional collaboration. Representatives from ACAI, UNFPA Cambodia, UNESCAP, WHO, the Tsao Foundation, HelpAge Cambodia, and ERIA shared strategies and reaffirmed their commitment to collective action on ageing-related issues.

Closing Session

The final session, led by the ASEAN Secretariat, consolidated recommendations and outlined ways forward. Participants reached consensus on a draft set of recommendations that will be presented at the 21st SOMSWD Meeting in August 2025. The workshop concluded with closing remarks from MoSVY, marking the end of a productive event aimed at advancing social inclusion and support for ASEAN’s older populations.