The 8th Asia Economic Forum
17 March 2012
ASEAN Community Building:
The Countdown to 2015
ASEAN-ADB Engagement
Peter Brimble
Deputy Country Director/
Senior Country Economist
ADB Cambodia Resident Mission
Presentation Outline
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Context and content of existing ASEAN-ADB
engagement, and recent developments
Building a more focused ADB approach to assist
ASEAN realize AEC by 2015:
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Subregional programs of GMS, BIMP-EAGA, IMTGT as building blocs and test beds
Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity
ASEAN Infrastructure Fund
Planned Regional technical assistance on Trade
Facilitation Support for AEC Blueprint
Context of ADB-ASEAN Engagement
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ADB’s own charter 1996
ADB RCI Strategy (2006):
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Pillar 1: Regional and subregional cooperation on cross-border
infrastructure and related software; RDs)
Pillar 2: Trade and investment (RDs and OREI)
Pillar 3: Monetary and financial integration (RDs and OREI)
Pillar 4: Regional public goods (RSDD)
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ASEAN Charter and “New” SERD (2007), including all ASEAN
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ADB Strategy 2020 (2008):
member countries
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RCI is one of the three complementary strategic agendas, and one
of the five core areas of specialization
Institutional and operational goal of RCI activities accounting for
at least 30% of all activities by 2020
ADB-ASEAN Secretariat MoU, 2006-2010;
2011-2015 MoU to be signed this April 4
Content ADB-ASEAN Engagement
since
1997-1998
ASEAN & ASEAN+3 has been requesting ADB to support their
initiatives on regional monetary and financial cooperation
ADB-ASEAN Secretariat MOU (policy dialogue, research,
2006-2010 capacity building & institutional strengthening; support for
subregional programs; narrowing development gap; support
for regional public goods; knowledge sharing & dissemination)
since late
2000
started
2010
TAs on health and food security
TAs on ASEAN Community; Subregions as building blocks
Proposed New ADB-ASEAN Secretariat MOU for 2011-2015:
Focal areas – connectivity (physical & soft), environmental
2011-2015 sustainability, financial & capital market integration; EAS
process; macroeconomic surveillance; trade & investment;
agricultural development through trade facilitation;
Crosscutting Theme – narrowing the development gap
OREI
&
SEFM
OREI
&
SERD
RSDD
OREI
&
SERD
SERD
OREI
RSDD
New Strategic Focus for ASEAN-ADB
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ASEAN: Against backdrop of the global economic crisis and
member country vulnerabilities, need for macro rebalancing
externally and narrowing development gaps internally
New strategic focus on:
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Prioritizing connectivity infrastructure projects and related software
Extending financial & capital market integration;
Environmental sustainability through climate change mitigation and
adaptation/disaster risk management issues; and
Results-based approach
Continuing Cooperation on: Economic ASEAN Secretariat
process, macroeconomic surveillance, trade and investment,
and planned Trade Facilitation Support to AEC Blueprint
Implementation
Recent ADB assistance to ASEAN-led Initiatives: Master Plan on
ASEAN Connectivity, and ASEAN Infrastructure Fund (AIF);
Speeding-Up AEC Opportunities
Establishing new strategic compact between national,
sub-regional and regional connectivity
Extending and enhancing physical connectivity to
transform transport corridors into economic corridors,
and linking to rural areas
Complementing with targeted software from sub-region
groupings (e.g. transport and trade facilitation, SPS, and
logistics; power purchase agreements), consistent with
ASEAN agreements and protocols
Improving sub-national, national and cross-country
policy coordination, and strengthening institutions
Engaging all key stakeholders; especially private sector
Borders divide, sub-regions connect, and regions bridge
sub-regional and global agendas
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Subregional Programs and ASEAN
TA: Promoting Links and Improving Coordination Among
GMS, BIMP-EAGA, IMT and ASEAN
Improving the strategic and institutional linkages between
the subregional groupings and ASEAN
BIMP-EAGA
Building blocks
to ASEAN
Test beds for ASEAN
IMT-GT
ASEAN
GMS
Linkage with
Initiative for
ASEAN integration
(IAI) - CLMV
ADB’s Multi-faceted Role in the GMS
• ADB worked with the 6 countries of the GMS in
launching a program of subregional economic
cooperation (GMS Program) in 1992 to enhance their
economic relations
• Since then, ADB has been the program secretariat and
coordinator
• Serves as a financial (loans and technical assistance),
technical (capacity development), and increasingly a
knowledge supporter
• An honest broker of subregional dialogue at both
political and operational levels, and among stakeholders
• As a catalyst by bringing together different participants
in the program and helping them reach a consensus
• New GMS Strategic Framework, 2012-2022 focused on
so-called second-generation projects and software
People’s Republic of China
The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)
in 2011
Myanmar
Land area: 63,100,000 ha
Population: 93.6 m.
GDP per capita: US$1,988
(figures for Yunnan and Guangxi only)
Land area: 67,658,000 ha
Population: 50.5 m.
GDP per capita: est. at US$340
Viet Nam
Land area: 32,931,000 ha
Population: 92.0 m.
Thailand
GDP per capita: US$1,032
Land area: 51,312,000 ha
Population: 65.5 m.
Lao PDR
GDP per capita: US$3,893
Land area: 23,680,000 ha
Population: 6.3 m.
The GMS in 2011
GDP per capita: US$940
Land area: 256,758,000 ha
Population: 323.4 M
GDP per capita: US$1,477*
• With estimates for Myanmar
• Data for 2009 from World Bank
Cambodia
Land area: 18,104,000 ha
Population: 15.5 m.
GDP per capita: US$667
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Enhancing Connectivity,
Competitiveness And Community
Strategic Thrusts
Strengthen
infrastructure
linkages
Facilitate crossborder trade,
investment & tourism
Enhance private
sector participation &
competitiveness
Develop human
resources & skills
competencies
Protect environment &
promote sustainable
use of shared natural
resources
Action Plan
• Transport
• Telecommunications
• Energy
• Environment
• Tourism
• Trade
• Investment
• Human Resource
Development
Goals
Vision
• Accelerated and
sustained
economic growth
• Reduced poverty
& income
disparities
• Improved quality
of life
• Sustainable
management of
environment &
natural resources
More
Integrated
Prosperous
Harmonious
Subregion
• Agriculture
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GMS Strategic Framework: 2002-2012
GMS Results
Connectivity
1992
Roads
Telecommunications
Power Transmission
Line
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GMS Results
Connectivity
2008
Roads
Telecommunications
Power Transmission
Line
12
GMS Results
Connectivity
2015
Roads
Telecommunications
Power Transmission
Line
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The GMS Southern Economic Corridor
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Economically
diversified
Endowed with
abundant natural
and human
resources
Has the necessary
drivers of
economic growth
Linking three key
nodes – Bangkok,
Phnom Penh, and
Ho Chi Minh City
InterCorridor
Link
Northern
SubCorridor
Southern
Coastal
SubCorridor
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Much progress in infrastructure; less on software!
Central
SubCorridor
Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity
• ADB participated in the High-Level Task Force
meetings and helped in the review process
• ADB drafted a chapter on mobilizing resources
for enhancing connectivity in ASEAN
• ADB is featured in MPAC in two specific areas:
(i) support to subregional cooperation in
Southeast Asia; and (ii) as a key partner in
mobilizing resources
• MPAC includes proposed flagship projects, two
of which are ADB energy projects in
Indonesia/Malaysia
ASEAN Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
• New instrument to help resolve paradox of ASEAN;
namely massive infrastructure deficits, yet very
large amounts of private savings and foreign
exchange reserves
• Preparation of AIF coordinated by an ASEAN-led
High-Level Task Force (Chaired by Malaysia), with
assistance on technical financial design,
operational structure, and governance framework
from ADB
• ADB requested to manage the fund
[http://www.aseansec.org/26643.htm]
Planned Regional TA on Trade Facilitation
Support for AEC Blueprint
• Preparation in 2012 of the above technical
assistance project
• Meet the AEC vision through enhancing transport
and trade facilitation, through leveraging activities
in the three sub-groupings
• Key proposed activities:
• Generating baseline data and analytical reports
• Capacity development for national single
window systems, coordinated border
management, strengthening risk management
• Assessing hardware and software systems
Concluding Thoughts
• Perceptions of ASEAN:
• Check out the website of the ASEAN Mekong
Basin Development Cooperation (AMBDC)
• Need for ASEAN to:
• Support CLMV countries to leapfrog the
development gap (in fact perhaps CLM – as V is
rumored to be planning to join VIP)
• Support members that are lagging in
implementing AEC
• Ongoing balancing of national interests and
regional interests, and also subregional interests
Thank You!