JAKARTA, 3 December 2024 – ASEAN and Australia held the second meeting of the Joint Planning and Review Committee (JPRC) for the Australia for ASEAN Futures Initiative (Aus4ASEAN Futures) at the ASEAN Secretariat.
Ambassador M.I. Derry Aman, Permanent Representative of Indonesia to ASEAN and Country Coordinator for ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations, co-chaired the meeting with H.E. Tiffany McDonald, Australian Ambassador to ASEAN. Representatives from all ASEAN Member States (AMS) and Timor-Leste were in attendance.
The Aus4ASEAN Futures Initiative (AUD 204 million; 2022-2032) is the flagship investment under the ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and updated ASEAN-Australia Plan of Action. The Initiative is demand-driven, agile and responsive to ASEAN priorities, providing practical support through ASEAN regional architecture.
The JPRC reviewed implementation progress of the 30 ASEAN-led projects currently underway and approved the Rolling Prioritisation Plan, including reporting from November 2023 to October 2024.
In her remarks, Ambassador McDonald reflected that as ASEAN’s oldest Dialogue Partner, and a Comprehensive Strategic Partner, 2024 had been an important year to mark 50 years of ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Partnership. Over half a century Australia had developed deep, broad, and practical cooperation with ASEAN, supporting the central role that ASEAN plays in maintaining a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. She said “Aus4ASEAN Futures, driven by ASEAN’s priorities, is ramping up technical assistance across all ASEAN Community Pillars, increasing resources, mobilising new funding modalities, and advancing new projects delivering meaningful outcomes for the ASEAN Community, in turn supporting enduring partnerships between the people of ASEAN and Australia.”
In 2024, Aus4ASEAN Futures supported 2,025 AMS and Timor-Leste participants to attend 49 events, consultations and capacity building workshops to advance ASEAN’s Post-2025 Strategic Plans. The Initiative also supported implementation of Lao PDR’s Priority Economic Deliverables– including the ASEAN Digital Trade Standards Roadmap, development of Unique Business Identification Numbers (UBIN), and the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Enhancing Supply Chain Connectivity.
Ambassador Derry Aman thanked Australia for its genuinely collaborative partnership approach. On behalf of all ASEAN Member States, he welcomed Aus4ASEAN Futures expansion to all three ASEAN Community Pillars, and the mobilisation of the Technical Services and Support Program (TSSP). He further hoped that Aus4ASEAN Futures could also serve as a key mechanism for projects implementation under ASEAN-Australia Partnership, which would also support the mainstreaming and implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).
The JPRC agreed on key areas for future cooperation, seeking to grow the project pipeline in support of post-2025 ASEAN Community Vision, digital economy, climate action, energy transition, technical vocational education and training (TVET), green skills, social inclusion, and the care economy. Aus4ASEAN Futures was pleased to support Lao PDR’s Chair year theme “ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience” and will also work with ASEAN to Malaysia’s Chair year theme of Inclusivity and Sustainability in 2025.
As ASEAN and Australia harness the opportunities and tackle challenges of the future, Aus4ASEAN Futures will continue to listen and respond to ASEAN priorities, delivering tangible development outcomes for ASEAN.
