JAKARTA, 28 August 2024 – The 74th Meeting of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Task Force took place today at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat, marking its concluding session for 2024.

The meeting was chaired by Ambassador Aung Myo Myint, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to ASEAN, attended by the IAI Task Force members from all ASEAN Member States, IAI National Coordinators from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam, and the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to ASEAN, who attended as an observer.

The meeting reviewed the progress of all 91 projects under the IAI Work Plan IV (2021-2025). It also addressed the final draft of the Priority Economic Deliverable on Reframing Strategies for Narrowing Development Gap under Lao PDR’s ASEAN Chairmanship and discussed the role of the IAI Task Force in the upcoming ASEAN Economic Community’s Strategic Plan 2026-2030.

The IAI National Coordinators from the four IAI beneficiary Member States also had the opportunity to present the progress and challenges of the IAI projects in their respective countries. Additionally, the IAI Task Force accredited four new projects, bringing the total number of IAI projects under the current Work Plan IV (2021-2025) to 95 projects in the priority areas of food and agriculture; trade facilitation; micro, small and medium enterprises; education; as well as health and wellbeing.

For more information on the IAI, please visit https://asean.org/our-communities/initiative-for-asean-integration-narrowing-development-gap-iai-ndg/