5th Phnom Penh Forum to focus on challenges facing ASEAN: organizer

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- International experts will gather in the Cambodian capital on Thursday to discuss key geopolitical, economic, and non-traditional security challenges facing ASEAN, an organizer said Wednesday.

Kin Phea, director general of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia, a think tank under the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said that around 100 policymakers, diplomats, scholars, and experts will attend the fifth Phnom Penh Forum (PPF5).

He said that ASEAN operates in an increasingly complex environment marked by strategic competition, geopolitical conflicts, economic uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, and rising transnational threats.

"These developments continue to test ASEAN's cohesion and central role in the regional architecture," Phea told Xinhua. "Participants will explore ways to strengthen regional unity and resilience."

A key focus of the forum will be the growing threat of online scams, telecommunications fraud, and transnational cybercrime. Phea emphasized that combating these issues requires stronger regional cooperation, law enforcement coordination, intelligence sharing, and active engagement with private-sector actors.

"Beyond cybercrime, PPF5 will also discuss ASEAN's broader challenges, including strategic rivalry, economic turbulence, and regional cohesion," Phea added. Enditem