Asean‘s Expanding role: Weaving Multilateralism in a Shifting World

SEPTEMBER 2 – When Timor-Leste formally joins the Association of South-east Asian nations (Asean) at the October 2025 Summit, Asean will reach a symbolic milestone: 11 members united under one regional umbrella.

For Malaysia, chairing Asean and related summits this pivotal year, Timor-Leste’s inclusion is more than a ceremony. It coincides with a purposeful expansion of Asean’s external outreach. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has overseen Asean’s internal consolidation and extended its focus outward-to Brics, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

This outward push isn’t accidental. It reflects Asean’s understanding of the current global landscape and Malaysia’s desire to position the region as a meeting point for different worldviews.

By engaging with Brics, Asean acknowledges the shifting center of global economics toward the Global South.

Attending and inviting GCC representatives recognizes the energy, security, and financial connections linking South-east Asia to the Middle East. Connecting with the SCO places Asean within the Eurasian security dialog, where China, Russia, India, and Central Asia address terrorism, connectivity, and great-power competition.

Sewing the Fabric of Multilateralism

Asean and malaysia are attempting, even on a small scale, to build multilateral connections in an era defined by unilateralism and zero-sum competition. The aim isn’t to replace the United Nations, but to address its shortcomings.

The UN Security Council, dominated by its five permanent members, now resembles a platform for great-power disputes more than a steering committee for global order. From climate change to financial crises, the Council often struggles to reach consensus.

This is where Asean sees an possibility: if existing institutions can’t adapt, new regional partnerships must be formed.

Asean’s dialogues with Brics, GCC, and SCO are early steps in this process. The goal is to create a world not dependent on a single dominant power or a single set of rules.