The Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) is an intergovernmental organization created on 18 June 2002 to promote Asian cooperation at a continental level and to ensure coordination among different regional organizations such as the ASEAN, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and the SAARC. It is the first international organization to cover the whole of Asia. Its secretariat is in Kuwait City. History The idea of an Asia Cooperation Dialogue was raised at the First International Conference of Asian Political Parties (held in Manila between 17–20 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, 23–24 July 2001 and at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat in Phuket, 20–21 February 2002. Ministerial meetings Summits Member states The ACD was founded by 18 members. Since May 2019, the organization consists of 35 states as listed below (including all current members of the ASEAN and the GCC). Overlapping regional organization membership in italics. See also Asia Council Asia–Europe Meeting Asian Clearing Union Asian Currency Unit Asian Development Bank Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Asian Parliamentary Assembly Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia Continental regional organizations Continental union East Asia Community Eurasian Economic Union International organization One Belt One Road Pan-Asianism Shanghai Cooperation Organisation References Further reading Why We Need an Asian Union European Policy Centre (2005-01): EU and Asian Integration Processes Compared The Guardian (2005-04-12): Hopes and Fears of an Asian Union International Herald Tribune (2005-06-18): Toward an 'Asian Union'? Asia Times (2005-10-01): Hedging China with FTAs International Herald Tribune (2005-12-16): An Asian Union? Not Yet Bangkok Post (2006-05-19): Towards a Truly Pan-Asian Community China Daily (2007-04-21): Asian Integration Still a Long Way Off Tehran Times (2010-03-14): Ahmadinejad Proposes Establishment of Asian Union External links Asia Cooperation Dialogue Asia Regional Integration Center Association for Asian Union Boao Forum for Asia New Asia Forum Society for Asian Integration Continental unions International organizations based in Asia Organizations associated with ASEAN Organizations established in 2002