Business leaders from across Southeast Asia gathered for the launch of the ASEAN Responsible Business Collective, committing to strengthen collaboration, share practical solutions, and support companies in addressing human rights and environmental impacts across their operations and supply chains. (Photo by Bambang Nurjaman/UNDP Indonesia)
Jakarta, 9 March 2026 — As new global standards on supply chains, human rights and environmental practices reshape international trade, business leaders from across Southeast Asia gathered in Jakarta today to launch the ASEAN Responsible Business Collective, a regional platform designed to help companies stay competitive and prepared in a rapidly changing regulatory landscape.
Funded by the Government of Japan, the platform is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and aims at convening companies, industry associations and diplomatic representatives from across the region. ASEAN is now the world’s fifth-largest economy, with a combined GDP exceeding USD 4 trillion, and plays a central role in global production networks spanning electronics, palm oil, garments, minerals and digital services.
At the same time, new due diligence and transparency requirements in major markets such as the European Union and Japan are changing how companies demonstrate accountability. For export-driven economies like Indonesia, which recorded more than USD 200 billion in exports in recent years, meeting these expectations is increasingly linked to continued market access.
“The question for companies in Southeast Asia is no longer whether global expectations are changing, they already have,” said Sara Ferrer Olivella, UNDP Resident Representative in Indonesia. “The real question is how businesses have the capacity to quickly adapt to rapidly changing global standards and remain competitive to access markets such as the EU and Japan. The ASEAN Responsible Business Collective is about working together to find practical solutions and moving from commitment to implementation.”
Unlike a traditional policy forum, the Collective is designed as a forum where companies can address real operational challenges, from supply chain traceability to grievance mechanisms and corporate governance. The launching event was attended by various business stakeholders such as Global Compact Networks from Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce, and representatives from Indonesian industry groups across manufacturing, agriculture, digital services, extractives, finance and infrastructure.
In addition to the launch of the Collective, a key highlight of the event was the session on UNDP’s latest research, “Human Rights vs. Competitiveness — A False Dilemma?”, which analyzed 235 global companies operating in high-risk sectors. The study found no evidence that stronger human rights performance harms financial results.
On the contrary, based on the research findings, companies with stronger human rights practices were more efficient in turning their assets into profit, suggesting that better-managed supply chains and stronger worker protections can reinforce business performance. These findings challenge the long-held assumption that responsible business undermines competitiveness and instead show that respecting human rights can strengthen operational efficiency and long-term resilience.
Deputy Head of Mission of Japan to ASEAN, Kazuo Chujo, opens the inaugural meeting of the ASEAN Responsible Business Collective, a new platform bringing companies together to advance responsible business practices through peer learning and regional collaboration. (Photo by Bambang Nurjaman/UNDP Indonesia)
H.E. Mr. Kazuo Chujo, Minister and Deputy Head of the Mission of Japan to ASEAN welcomed the initiative, stating, “As we are currently facing complicated and unpredictable challenges, economic resilience and sustainability in the ASEAN region, boosted by robust and trusted supply chains, are increasingly important. Today’s discussions, including mutual learning in a peer-platform, will be a critical step toward addressing unprecedented challenges in the global context.”
As ASEAN continues to position itself as a major manufacturing and investment hub, the launch of the ASEAN Responsible Business Collective signals a coordinated regional effort to help companies meet evolving global standards while safeguarding growth and credibility in international markets.
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Media Contact:
Nabilla Rahmani, Head of Communication UNDP Indonesia