On 25 July 2023, H.E. Mr. Vijavat Isarabhakdi, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Thailand, delivered opening remarks at the Official Launch of the Regional Capacity Building & Orientation Workshop: eMpowering Youths Across ASEAN (EYAA) Programme: Cohort 3, which was jointly organised by the ASEAN Foundation and the Maybank Foundation at the Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University. The Workshop brought together 120 youth representatives from ASEAN Member States.

Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs expressed appreciation to the ASEAN Foundation and the Maybank Foundation in organising the EYAA programme for the past 5 years, which has expanded to cover more countries, with an increasing number of participants from civil society organisations, volunteers, and development partners. He reiterated that the Programme has provided a learning platform for the youth to create ASEAN networks and cutural exchanges through social volunteerism, contributing to realising a truly people-centred ASEAN Community, which are all in line with the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025. Vice Minister also encouraged the youth to continue cultivating the spirit of volunteerism to help drive a caring and sharing ASEAN Community that leaves no one behind.

During the Opening Ceremony, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Zamzamzairani, Chairman of Maybank and the Maybank Foundation, His Excellency Mr. Ekkaphab Phanthavong, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Socio-Cultural Community, and Associate Professor Dr. Sittidaj Pongkijvorasin, Dean of Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University, also delivered their Remarks emphasising the importance of the role of the youth volunteers in contribution with the regional community.

EYAA Programme was launched in 2018 to empower youth aged 19 - 35 years through social volunteerism, networking among the youth across ASEAN and representatives from CSOs and Social Enterprises (SE) in four areas, namely, education, environment, arts and culture, as well as community empowerment. At present, the proposed projects by youth volunteers have been implemented in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore.