AFF Youth Statement: Aspiration 2030 and AFF NextGen Fellow

On 9 June 2026, Mr. Chhuon Vanndasambath, General Coordinator of the ASEAN-UK Young Leaders Initiative (ASEAN-UK YLI), was selected as the Cambodian representative to the AFF NextGen Fellow alongside other representatives from ASEAN Member States and the United Kingdom.

As part of the official youth-side event for the 3rd ASEAN Future Forum (AFF), AFF NextGen Fellows finalized and put together the AFF Youth Statement: Aspiration 2030, which raised the concerns and benefits of the younger generations to the ASEAN Leaders.

Under the AFF Youth Statement, young leaders focused on three pillars: (1) Political-Security, where they expressed a commitment to building ASEAN as a trusted community with regional security collaboration, partnering with ASEAN's Dialogue Partners, including the United Kingdom, the co-host of this event. (2) On economic matters, they focused on the green economy as ASEAN's future. They called for attention to the green transition and the creation of green jobs through a three-way partnership: government, universities, and talent agencies. (3) On social cohesion, they called for attention to developing peace-driven education and promoting Youth, Peace, and Security, as well as establishing a Youth Working Group for regular attendance at AFF and other relevant programs. In addition, they called for the creation of an Inclusive Policy Platform where youth can find relevant advocacy and declarations.