
Summary
Southeast Asia needs a combination of physical, institutional and people-to-people connections to boost its economic integration, panelists told a Friends of Europe Policy Insight meeting on 27 February. This will require large investment – but also technical assistance to ease cross-border business links and the movement of people. “One challenge is to build rail links,” said Lim Chze Cheen, Head of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Connectivity Division. “We also need institutional support: If it takes several days to cross border, then that is not an effective use of funds.”
About
Connectivity is crucial for ASEAN integration, the building of an ASEAN Economic Community by end-2015 and ensuring the grouping’s centrality in an evolving and dynamic regional architecture. The ambitious Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity adopted in 2010 includes the building of institutional, physical and people-to-people linkages among the ten countries – and also within countries. Physical connectivity includes transport, communication and energy projects while institutional connectivity covers trade and economic areas including trade and investment liberalisation and capacity building. People-to-people connectivity, meanwhile, includes tourism, education and culture. How much progress has ASEAN achieved in implementing the Master Plan for Connectivity? How are the projects being financed? What is the role of the private sector in promoting and encouraging ASEAN connectivity? How is ASEAN civil society being brought into the discussion and programmes? Can the EU help in speeding up ASEAN connectivity through its own experience and expertise? What business opportunities do the connectivity plans open up for European enterprises?
Schedule
Speakers
Jean-Claude Boidin
Head of Unit at the European Commission Directorate General for Development and Cooperation
Elizabeth Buensuceso
Philippines’ Representative to the ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC)
Lim Chze Cheen
Head of the ASEAN Connectivity Division at the ASEAN Secretariat
Pradap Pibulsonggram
Thailand’s Representative to the ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC)
Rahmat Pramono
Indonesia’s Representative to the ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC)
Moderator
Shada Islam
Managing Director at New Horizons Project
Speakers

Head of Unit at the European Commission Directorate General for Development and Cooperation
Boidin is Head of Unit for Centralised Operations, Asia and Central Asia, which coordinates and develops the Directorate’s Management Plan for the region. He co-chaired the 21st meeting of the ASEAN-EU Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC), held on 24 January 2014 in Jakarta.

Philippines’ Representative to the ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC)
Buensuceso is involved in the coordination and effective implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity. Prior to her appointment as Permanent Representative of the Philippines to ASEAN, she dealt with European Affairs at the Philippines Foreign Affairs Department. She was also Ambassador to Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Laos.

Head of the ASEAN Connectivity Division at the ASEAN Secretariat
Chze Cheen coordinated the development of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity and currently facilitates its implementation. He held other positions in the ASEAN Secretariat as Assistant Director of the Strategic Planning and Coordination Division and of the ASEAN Economic Community coordination.

Thailand’s Representative to the ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC)
Throughout his life-long diplomatic career, Pibulsonggram has been actively involved in the ASEAN integration process, including the drafting and implementation of the Master Plan for Connectivity and the ASEAN Charter providing legal status and institutional framework for ASEAN. He also served as Thailand’s Ambassador to eleven European countries.

Indonesia’s Representative to the ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC)
Pramono is currently the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Indonesia to ASEAN. He pursued a diplomatic career, recently acting as Director for ASEAN Economic Cooperation. Prior to that, he was Ambassador to Switzerland and Malaysia.
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