Introduction: Concept and Development of ASEAN Connectivity

ASEAN leaders first discussed the concept of ASEAN Connectivity at the 15th ASEAN Summit in October 2009. The leaders observed that ASEAN has great potential to physically anchor itself as the transportation, ICT, and tourism hub of this region. Enhanced connectivity between ASEAN member states will encourage competitive growth; facilitate economies of agglomeration and integrated production networks; enhance intra-regional trade; and attract investments.

At the conclusion, the ASEAN leader called for development of an ASEAN Master Plan on Regional Connectivity. The task was assigned to the High Level Task Force on ASEAN Connectivity (HLT F-AC), in consultation and cooperation with relevant international organizations — the Asian Development Bank (AD B), Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the World Bank.

In developing the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC), the HLTF-AC met five times from March to October 2011. The HLTC-AC looked at the state of regional cooperation in ASEAN, including initiatives at the subregional level, in the three dimensions of physical, institutional and people-to-people connectivity. It has been recognized that ASEAN had put in place numerous programmes and initiatives, and some good progress had been made, for building and enhancing regional connectivity. In doing so, the HLTC-AC is able to do a mapping of what are the ongoing programmes, projects and initiatives that are happening both within and outside ASEAN, draw the complementarities and synergies, identify gaps and develop strategies and actions. The Master Plan thus aims to consolidate and provide a more focused approach to these efforts in order to enhance regional connectivity.

In the elaboration, the ADB, ERIA, ESCAP and World Bank had given valuable inputs and support until the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) was completed and adopted at the 17th ASEAN Summit in October 2011.