The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Secretariat and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat held its 11th Annual Coordination Meeting virtually on 9 August 2022. Participated by SEAMEO and ASEAN Secretariat Directors, specialists, and officers, the annual meeting is a coordination mechanism and platform since 2011 to provide updates and discuss areas of collaboration on education plans and programmes to ensure the achievement of the goals of SEAMEO and ASEAN in the region.

His Excellency Ekkaphab Phanthavong, Deputy Secretary-General for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community emphasised the importance of partnership and regional cooperation and acknowledged the value of both organisations. He also recognised the significant contributions of SEAMEO to the region. Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela, Director of the SEAMEO Secretariat, highlighted the theme of the 55th founding anniversary of ASEAN which is “ASEAN A.C.T. – Addressing Challenges Together” under Cambodia’s chairmanship. She underscored that the coordination meeting provided an opportunity to discuss gains and challenges while working together to ensure inclusive, equitable, quality education in Southeast Asia.

The SEAMEO Secretariat provided updates on the SEAMEO Strategic Plan 2021-2030 and SEAMEO Integrated Operational Plan 2021-2025, Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM), SEAMEO Border School Quality Inclusive Education Project (BSQIEP), SEAMEO TVET Exchange Programme, and SEAMEO Ministerial Meeting on Higher Education (SEAHIED) 2022. The ASEAN Secretariat meanwhile updated the participants on their Declaration on Digital Transformation of Education Systems in ASEAN, ASEAN Ministerial Event on Recover Learning and Rebuild Education in the ASEAN Region, Policy Brief and ASEAN Guidelines on Safe School Reopening, Learning Recovery, and Continuity, Roadmap on the ASEAN Higher Education Space, Initiatives on Out-of-School Children and Youth (OOSCY) and TVET initiatives.

SEAMEO and ASEAN Secretariats discussed about areas of collaboration among its presented activities. After the meeting, the Secretariats agreed to discuss further on the technical level on the following areas: (1) Higher Education and Lifelong Learning; (2) Technical Vocational Education and Training; and (3) Inclusion and Digitalisation.

The participants of the 11th ASEAN-SEAMEO Secretariats Coordination Meeting on 9 August 2022 (Virtual)