A proposal to establish an Asia-Pacific Union will be tabled in New Delhi on 21 February, with organisers positioning it as a structural shift in how the region defines its future.
The Association for Asia-Pacific Union plans to unveil what it calls the “Delhi Declaration”, urging countries across the region to consider a bloc modelled loosely on the European Union but shaped by what it describes as the cultural and economic strengths of the Global South.
The conference will run in hybrid format, with delegates gathering at the India International Centre in New Delhi and others joining virtually. Organisers say participation details will be shared through Dr YP Chawla, Chairman of the Pacific Region.
The proposal draws inspiration from the “Asia-Pacific Century” language once used by Australian leaders, but seeks to push the idea further, arguing the region must move from being a theatre of rivalry to becoming an architect of its own systems.
The conference will examine digital divide to healthcare inequities and mounting climate pressures
AAPU contends that Australia has a particular role to play as what it describes as a constructive middle power. The group points to the India–Australia relationship as an example of how regional cooperation can work in practice. Agreements such as the AI-ECTA trade deal and the MATES mobility scheme are cited as evidence of growing economic and skills integration between the two countries.
According to the association, the Asia-Pacific has for decades been treated as a strategic arena shaped by larger powers. It argues the region is now undergoing what it calls a “political maturation”, with an opportunity to form a Southern identity that emphasises shared growth and autonomy.
Three broad themes sit at the centre of the declaration. The first is media sovereignty, with the group advocating for the Asia-Pacific to tell its own story and counter misinformation through regional cooperation. The second is collective security, extending beyond maritime concerns to what it describes as a “Canopy Collective” aimed at ensuring regional stability and peace. The third is future skills, including the development of an “Asia-Pacific Skills Passport” designed to equip young people with digital and green capabilities linked to sustainability.
The conference will also examine what organisers describe as converging crises affecting over 60 per cent of the global population, including the digital divide, healthcare gaps and climate pressures. The declaration proposes integrating what it calls “Transformation Pillars”, connecting media literacy with pandemic preparedness and disaster resilience under the guiding phrase that “Brilliance is the Root of Excellence”.
AAPU contends that Australia has a particular role to play as what it describes as a constructive middle power. The group points to the India–Australia relationship as an example of how regional cooperation can work in practice
Organisers frame the moment as urgent. “The future of the Asia-Pacific starts now. We are no longer waiting for permission to grow; we are building the human infrastructure to lead.”
They argue that shifting global dynamics have changed the terms of debate. “In a world of shifting global orders, the question is no longer whether the Asia-Pacific will lead, but how. The AAPU invites the Australian business community, policymakers, and the public to examine the proposals it will present on February 21. We are presenting a narrative of regional evolution that moves beyond reacting to disruption to proactively building a new world order.”
The call extends beyond governments. “When the Asia-Pacific unites for sustainability and collective security, the whole world wins. Join us, lead with us, and transform with us as we turn the dream of a unified, prosperous region into a reality.”
Whether the idea gains traction will depend on how governments across a diverse and often divided region respond to a proposal that seeks to bind economic ambition with political coordination. The Delhi Declaration places that challenge squarely on the table, asking whether the Asia-Pacific is ready to move from discussion to design.
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