The idea of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue was raised at the First International Conference of Asian Political Parties (held in Manila in September 2000) by Surakiart Sathirathai, then deputy leader of the now defunct Thai Rak Thai Party, on behalf of his party leader, Thaksin Shinawatra, then Prime Minister of Thailand. It was suggested that Asia as a continent should have its own forum to discuss Asia-wide cooperation. Afterwards, the idea of the ACD was formally put forward during the 34th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Hanoi in July 2001 and at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat in Phuket in February 2002.
Membership and expansion of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue:
Founding members
2003
2004
2005
2006
2008
2010 or later
The ACD was founded by 18 members. Since May 2019, the organization consists of 35 states[11] as listed below (including all current members of the ASEAN and the GCC). Overlapping regional organization membership in italics.
