ASEAN - US Cooperation - Friends with All, Foes with None: Working with all to facilitate Inclusion of Special Needs People

In this article, I will focus on the potential of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) cooperation with the United States of America (US) in Special Needs Inclusion. I have already mooted ideas on Special Needs Inclusion in two previous articles. One is the BRICS and Special Needs Inclusion policy, and the other is the desire for Russia to share best practices and policies on facilitating Special Needs Inclusion globally, especially the BRICS Alliance. Neither of those articles focused on the role of ASEAN. I believe that since Malaysia is Chair of the association this year, there is an opportunity to promote ASEAN cooperation for inclusion globally.

Source: statecraft.co.in

As the CEO of the Women’s Social Foundation of Malaysia (Yayasan Social Wanita Malaysia, YSWM) and consultant CEO of the Myprodigy Foundation Malaysia, I am taking the liberty of sharing my thoughts on how ASEAN Hedging may help with facilitating the inclusion of Special Needs People and especially Children and Youth in society.

The ASEAN was established in August 1967 with the purpose of accelerating the economic growth, social progress, and cultural development in the region, and promoting regional peace and stability. ASEAN has many policies for cooperation, including economic, political, and social policies. These policies are designed to promote cooperation among the ten ASEAN member countries, and soon with Timor-Leste,eleven member countries and with other countries and organizations. Furthermore, ASEAN Member Countries have adopted the following fundamental principles in their relations with one another, as contained in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and national identity of all nations.

The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) was established in 1976 and embodies universal principles of peaceful coexistence and friendly cooperation among States in Southeast Asia. It is a legally-binding code for inter-state relations in the region and beyond. The three pillars of the ASEAN Community are the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC), the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC). 

• ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) 
• Aims to ensure regional peace and a just, democratic, and harmonious environment.
• Is ASEAN rules-based and people-centered

• ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)
• Aims to achieve a well-integrated and connected regional economy within the global economic system 
• Is characterized by a single market and production base, and a highly competitive economic region 

• ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) 
• Aims to enhance the quality of life of ASEAN citizens and promote sustainable developments in the region

ASEAN collaboration in facilitating Special Needs People’s Inclusion without domestic policy interference

Although ASEAN’s principle of non-interference in domestic affairs is central and paramount, it can pose challenges for collective actions on sensitive issues. However, this principle can coexist with regional collaboration when initiatives are framed to respect sovereignty while addressing shared goals. ASEAN collaboration for supporting children and youth with special needs offers a compelling area where both parties can work together, focusing on inclusivity, education, and empowerment. Key Strategies for Collaboration could include: Capacity Building; Policy Harmonization, such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD; and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs): Mobilizing resources and expertise from the government, private sector, and civil society organisations and NGOs.

This kind of ASEAN hedging allows for good relations with the US, China, Japan, South Korea (ASEAN+3), South Asia (ASEAN-SAACR), Europe ASEAN-EUROPE (Asia-Europe: ASEAN+3 and the 26 EU member nations), ASEAN-AFRICA nations and so forth. There is also ASEAN-BRICS is a partnership between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the BRICS intergovernmental organization. The three ASEAN countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand became a full member and economic partner countries of BRICS on October 24, 2024. 

Furthermore, some member nations of ASEAN like Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore have long-standing relationships as part of the Commonwealth of Nations, primarily former colonies of United Kingdom. ASEAN also has had a relationship with the BRICS Alliance from its conception, and now in 2025 with Indonesia, is a full member, and Malaysia and Thailand are economic partners. Most ASEAN nations also have had independent good relations with Russia, and India as superpowers. Furthermore, at request, ASEAN has been open to dialogue and cooperation with Taiwan. Most ASEAN member nations have a representative office of Taiwan on their soil for trade and people-to-people exchanges, education and mobility reasons.

ASEAN-USA Collaboration for Inclusion of Special Needs People

According to the Pew Research Center in 2022, there were about 42.5 million people in the United States with a disability, which is about 13% of the civilian non-institutionalised population. This number comprises of people with disabilities in hearing, vision, cognition, walking, self-care, and independent living. Public K-12 schools in the United States educate about 7.3 million students with disabilities. In 2022, about 22 million working-age people (18 to 64 years old) in the United States had a disability. 

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in many areas of public life, including employment, transportation, and schools. The USA has a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) system which is a federal programme that provides cash payments to people with disabilities and limited income. SSI can help with food, medical care, and other needs. Additionally, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides financial assistance to families with disabled children who make too much money for Medicaid but not enough for private insurance. 

ASEAN-US collaboration for children and youth with special needs has the potential to advance regional and global goals of inclusivity, equity, and sustainable development. USA, by respecting ASEAN’s non-interference principle and focusing on capacity building, public-private partnerships, and regional cooperation, both sides can create transformative initiatives that benefit special needs populations. This partnership can also serve as a global model for addressing shared challenges while honouring sovereignty.

The U.S. already invested $476.3 billion in ASEAN in 2023. This is almost double the amount invested in China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan combined. Trade relations between the USA and ASEAN improving. Both ASEAN and the U.S. have shared the priority to emphasise inclusive development, with ASEAN adopting the ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025: Mainstreaming the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the U.S. promoting global inclusion through initiatives like the USAID Disability Rights Programme.

I hope that the Trump administration will continue to be supportive domestically and even expand their cooperation in knowledge-sharing, and technical and resource assistance through relevant agencies. This is because the US has many resources available to support people with special needs in the United States, including federal programs, non-profits, and civil rights laws in the USA. It will be a shame if they do not take a proactive position to outreach to the rest of the world. So, why not take a positive step towards collaboration in facilitating joint actions for enabling the inclusion of Special Needs People, especially Children and Youth?

US knowledge sharing, resource and technical assistance in Southeast Asian nations for instance with youth demographics can be significant to address the needs of special needs youth - unlocking their potential to be involved in driving inclusive growth. So there is a lot of potential for cooperation. I suggest the following potential areas for ASEAN-US collaboration:

• Inclusive Education
• Accessibility and Infrastructure
• Employment and Skill Development
• Healthcare and Early Intervention
• Advocacy and Awareness
• Data Collection and Research

Thus, through a bespoke YSWM joint-venture or a collaborative multi-partner joint-venture, we at YSWM will be enable to promote to the Malaysian government to begin a discussion with the ASEAN Secretariat and ASEAN Foundation to realise some of the suggested ideas mentioned above. Likewise, YSWM discussion with the US Embassy in Malaysia and relevant Departments and Agencies in Washington DC may fast-track the realisation of these inclusion areas of work. This process is not dissimilar to what we aim to do with new partnerships with the founding member BRICS countries like Russia, China, India, Brazil and South Africa and also with ASEAN+3 partners - Japan, the People’s Republic of China, and South Korea.

For ASEAN-US cooperation we suggest the mechanisms for collaboration will be very comprehensive:

• Realising Special Needs inclusion work through existing ASEAN Frameworks such as:
• ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025: Align U.S. support with ASEAN’s roadmap for disability inclusion.
• ASEAN Social-Cultural Community (ASCC): Use the ASCC as a platform to drive initiatives for special needs populations.

• ASEAN-US Dialogue and Funding Platforms
• ASEAN-US Partnership: Expand the ASEAN-US partnership to include disability-focused initiatives.
• USAID Collaboration: Leverage USAID’s expertise and funding to implement programs for special needs youth.

• ASEAN Initiatives and Networks
• Implementing global initiatives, programmes and projects for Special Needs Inclusion with the U.S. in partnership with other multilateral and bilateral agencies, the private sector, trusts and foundations, ASEAN Governments and the ASEAN Foundation and others.

Civil Society Engagement

• Work with NGOs like Handicap International and ASEAN-based organizations to ensure grassroots participation. Additionally, engaging with U.S.-based organizations like Special Olympics and the American Foundation for the Blind to share expertise and resources.

Yayasan Social Wanita Malaysia (YSWM) or Social Women’s Foundation of Malaysia was officially registered with the Government of Malaysia in 2008. Yayasan Social Wanita Malaysia (YSWM) or Social Women’s Foundation of Malaysia was officially registered with the Government of Malaysia in 2008. The foundation has been facilitating Women, Special Needs People and the Community in Malaysia and globally through Inclusion, Empowerment and Sustainability initiatives, programmes and projects. You may wonder why a male is the CEO of a women’s women-centric foundation. The Chairperson of YSWM, Datin Paduka (Dame) Komala K Moorty, a former Parliamentary Secretary (Junior Minister) of Education, Member of Parliament, and Women’s leader of her party strongly believes that men also have a role in promoting women’s empowerment and inclusion by being educated to be supportive to the cause.

Myprodigy is a recently established Foundation, in 2021, by a former Senator of Parliament Malaysia and President of the Bersatu Party of Sarawak State in East Malaysia, Mr Jaziri Alkaf, to encourage and support Inclusion, Sustainability and Enterprise development.