On June 9-10, 2026, the ASEAN Future Forum (AFF 2026) was held in Hanoi, with the theme “Shaping a Shared Future Together: Peace, Prosperity, and People-Centered Approach.” This is a notable high-level multilateral diplomatic event hosted by Viet Nam in 2026.

The ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) is a Vietnamese initiative, proposed at the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia in 2023 and held in 2024 and 2025. The AFF is positioned as an open dialogue platform, complementing ASEAN's formal processes, where leaders, policymakers, academics, businesses, youth, and civil society organizations exchange views on the region's development direction. In 2026, the Forum will expand to include over 20 activities, including dialogues between Southeast Asian political parties, ASEAN City Leaders' Meetings, the Mekong Sub-region Roundtable, the Southeast Asian Youth Conference, and discussions on artificial intelligence governance. The main sessions of AFF 2026 will focus on issues directly related to ASEAN's adaptability in the new era, such as regional resilience and solidarity, conflict prevention, the application of artificial intelligence, energy security, and development models. 

The emphasis on "people-centered" development demonstrates Viet Nam's desire to promote a more inclusive development approach, where growth, technology, and regional security are linked to the tangible interests of people and businesses. For the business community, AFF 2026 is an opportunity to early monitor new ASEAN policy directions in areas directly impacting the business environment, from digital transformation, energy, urban infrastructure to supply chains and sustainable development. The Forum's expanded participation of businesses and academics creates additional channels for policy exchange beyond formal mechanisms, thereby supporting the identification of new cooperation trends in the region.

In the context of ASEAN implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, the discussions at AFF contribute to further shaping the cooperation space for Vietnamese businesses in the regional market of over 700 million people./.

Source: Compiled by the Multilateral Trade Policy Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade of Viet Nam