Forging strong relationships, trust & collaboration
The social capital blue outcome seeks to strengthen the connections and collaborations which exist across the region, between AMS, between sectors and between sections of the community. Strengthening social capital is essential to the successful implementation of the ASEAN Blue Economy, yet several challenges persist, particularly around coordination and institutional clarity. A key issue is the lack of dedicated support for the ACTF-BE to effectively deliver on the ABEF and operationalise the implementation plan. Current arrangements rely heavily on existing ASEC sectoral bodies, many of which are already operating at full capacity. This raises concerns about the ability to sustain long-term implementation efforts.
Effective coordination across AMS is also critical, but remains difficult due to differing national priorities, institutional structures, and resource constraints. While the ACTF-BE provides a valuable central mechanism to guide and harmonise regional efforts, limited opportunities for engagement and resourcing risk fragmented implementation and missed opportunities for synergy and shared learning.
Another major challenge is the absence of standardised metrics and performance indicators to measure progress. Establishing a consistent framework for monitoring the health of the blue economy, potentially through ocean accounting methodologies, will be vital to track outcomes, assess impact, and inform adaptive management. Indonesia has established the Indonesian Blue Economy Index which provides a model on which a regional approach could be based.
Finally, fostering innovation and continuous improvement will require shared learning platforms that enable collaboration across sectors, countries, and stakeholder groups. This includes public–private partnerships, regional knowledge exchanges, and engagement with international communities. Understanding relevant initiatives that are closely linked to the implementation of ABEF is also important. For instance, the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity and its partners have identified the importance of coordinating access to national and regional data for informed decision-making, including through the development of a regional, science-based decision-support platform. Utilising existing resources and building these networks will help unlock new ideas, support capacity development, and ensure that the blue economy evolves in a way that is inclusive, resilient, and responsive to emerging challenges.
Opportunities for growth exist in the following priority sectors:
Forging strong relationships, trust & collaboration
The social capital blue outcome seeks to strengthen the connections and collaborations which exist across the region, between AMS, between sectors and between sections of the community. Strengthening social capital is essential to the successful implementation of the ASEAN Blue Economy, yet several challenges persist, particularly around coordination and institutional clarity. A key issue is the lack of dedicated support for the ACTF-BE to effectively deliver on the ABEF and operationalise the implementation plan. Current arrangements rely heavily on existing ASEC sectoral bodies, many of which are already operating at full capacity. This raises concerns about the ability to sustain long-term implementation efforts.
Effective coordination across AMS is also critical, but remains difficult due to differing national priorities, institutional structures, and resource constraints. While the ACTF-BE provides a valuable central mechanism to guide and harmonise regional efforts, limited opportunities for engagement and resourcing risk fragmented implementation and missed opportunities for synergy and shared learning.
Another major challenge is the absence of standardised metrics and performance indicators to measure progress. Establishing a consistent framework for monitoring the health of the blue economy, potentially through ocean accounting methodologies, will be vital to track outcomes, assess impact, and inform adaptive management. Indonesia has established the Indonesian Blue Economy Index which provides a model on which a regional approach could be based.
Finally, fostering innovation and continuous improvement will require shared learning platforms that enable collaboration across sectors, countries, and stakeholder groups. This includes public–private partnerships, regional knowledge exchanges, and engagement with international communities. Understanding relevant initiatives that are closely linked to the implementation of ABEF is also important. For instance, the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity and its partners have identified the importance of coordinating access to national and regional data for informed decision-making, including through the development of a regional, science-based decision-support platform. Utilising existing resources and building these networks will help unlock new ideas, support capacity development, and ensure that the blue economy evolves in a way that is inclusive, resilient, and responsive to emerging challenges.
Opportunities for growth exist in the following priority sectors:
Priority activities & supporting initiatives
Strengthen Regional Blue Economy Governance
Enhance ASEAN Blue Economy governance arrangements to support effective coordination and cooperation across sectors and member states, as well as institutional integration and accountability. Strengthen coordination mechanisms through the establishment of clear mandates, implementation responsibilities and reporting lines.
Develop and implement the ASEAN Blue Economy Index (ABEI)
Adopt a standardized regional index and ocean accounting system to measure progress across economic, environmental, social, and governance dimensions of the blue economy.
Create Regional Sandboxes & Knowledge Forums to support harmonisation across AMS, and between AMS, development partners and global ocean dialogue partners
Facilitate innovation and shared learning through regional and international sandboxes and forums focused on education, community empowerment, research, transboundary management and policy experimentation.
