Theme: Youths, Democracy & Electoral Legitimacy in Asia
Date: 4 April 2025 from 8:30 – 17:30 GMT+7
Location: Four Points by Sheraton, Bangkok, Thailand
Host: The Asia Centre
The Asia Regional Forum 2025, titled “Youths, Democracy & Electoral Legitimacy in Asia,” is a pivotal gathering organized under the umbrella of the Global Democracy Coalition Forum. Taking place on 4 April 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, this one-day hybrid event sought to address the unique challenges and opportunities faced by the region’s youth in engaging with democratic governance and electoral processes.
Background
The Asia-Pacific region is a diverse tapestry of political systems, encompassing democracies, hybrid regimes, and authoritarian states. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index 2024, only five countries in the region qualify as “full democracies,” while others fall into categories such as “flawed democracies,” “hybrid regimes,” and “authoritarian states.” A consistent decline in democratic standards, particularly free and fair elections, has been noted by International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy 2024 report.
Researchers from Asia Centre, in their March 2025 special issue of the Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia, identify the erosion of electoral integrity as a significant driver of this democratic backsliding. Amidst these challenges, the role of youth—constituting over 700 million people aged 15-24 in the region—emerges as critical to revitalizing democracy. However, significant barriers persist, ranging from legal and institutional obstacles to systemic underrepresentation in political structures.
This forum built on discussions from the 2024 Global Democracy Coalition Forum and sught to create actionable solutions for empowering youth to play a more active role in the region’s political processes.
The forum allowed both in-person and virtual participation. Approximately 30-40 participants, including youth activists, civil society leaders, policymakers, and other stakeholders, attended. The event was live-streamed on YouTube, with recordings included below.
Objectives
The forum was designed with three key objectives:
- Regional Dialogue: Facilitate discussions to identify the unique challenges and opportunities for democratization in Asia-Pacific.
- Strategic Agenda Development: Formulate a regional action plan for youth engagement in democracy.
- Movement Building: Foster collaboration between regional and international partners to promote and sustain democratic values across the region.
Programme:
Panel Profiles:
Key Takeaways
The Asia-Pacific Regional Forum 2025 represented a timely and significant effort to address youth disenfranchisement in democratic processes. By fostering dialogue, building partnerships, and developing actionable strategies, the forum empowered young people to become active agents of democratic change in the Asia-Pacific region. This collective endeavor not only strengthened democracy but also ensured its resilience and inclusivity for generations to come.
Recap:
