The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants ( ACCA ) is calling for accelerated action to boost trust, digital readiness, and sustainability across the Asean region, which welcomes Timor-Leste as its 11th member state and advances its 2045 vision.

The new set of recommendations outlines practical steps for policymakers, regulators, and business leaders to strengthen economic integration, build ethical and AI-ready finance functions, and advance sustainability reporting across both the public and private sectors.

Developed through extensive engagement with the accounting profession and presented to regional finance leaders at the Asean Finance and Central Bank Deputies Meeting held in Hong Kong, the recommendations highlight the critical levers needed to secure Asean’s long-term competitiveness, investment attractiveness, and inclusive growth, the ACCA says.

The proposals focus on four areas it considers vital to the region’s next phase of growth: ethical leadership and trust, sustainability reporting readiness, digital acceleration with accountability, and talent mobility to build a future-ready workforce across all member states – including emerging and smaller economies who stand to benefit most from shared standards and capacity-building.

ACCA chief executive Helen Brand says: “ACCA has supported the profession across Asean for almost 90 years, working with governments, regulators and educators to strengthen the infrastructure of trust. The vision of an economically integrated and socially responsible Asean is fully aligned with our purpose to be a force for public good. From sustainability and AI to governance and talent mobility, Asean is at the precipice of global change, and we have an important contribution to make.’

Its four priority recommendations for Asean are as follows:

• Strengthen ethics and trust in finance: Support high-quality financial and sustainability reporting, embed stronger governance frameworks, and harmonize standards to enhance investor confidence.
• Accelerate sustainability capability and readiness: Equip businesses, especially SMEs and public institutions across all Asean member states, with practical tools, training, and capacity-building to meet emerging reporting requirements aligned with the International Sustainability Standards Board ( ISSB ) and regional climate goals.
• Enable responsible digital transformation: Advance AI-ready finance functions, promote digital assurance, and ensure ethical use of technology in audit, regulation, and financial decision-making.
• Build and mobilize a future-ready talent pool: Support regional mobility pathways and partnerships to address the accountancy skills gap and develop a resilient, adaptable workforce across Asean.

ACCA says its recommendations directly align with Asean 2045: Our Shared Future, supporting the region’s goals of deeper economic integration, sustainable development, regulatory coherence, and digital leadership.