This ASEAN Guiding Principles aims to provide the basis for developing trust and understanding of national frameworks and competency certification systems of all ASEAN Member States and to provide principles and protocols for developing processes for recognition of these systems. Synergy with the ASEAN Qualification Reference Framework (AQRF) was taken into consideration in the production of this ASEAN Guiding Principles as it is expected to complement the AQRF. The use of this ASEAN Guiding Principles in the future would be voluntary by ASEAN Member States that would be ready to do cross-referencing of their skills standards for certain occupations.