On the 10th annual U.S.-ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, President Biden and the ASEAN leaders will elevate U.S.-ASEAN relations to a Complete Strategic Partnership (CSP). President Biden may even attend the annual East Asia Summit, additional demonstrating america’ prioritization of the Indo-Pacific and the ASEAN-led regional structure.
At each summits, President Biden will reaffirm america’ sturdy help for ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, constructing on the historic success of the first-ever U.S.-ASEAN Particular Summit in Washington, DC earlier this 12 months. President Biden will evaluate implementation of the numerous new U.S.-ASEAN initiatives he has launched with ASEAN leaders over the previous 12 months, and he’ll additionally announce a number of new initiatives designed to supportthe 4 pillars of the ASEAN Outlook: maritime cooperation, connectivity, the UN sustainable growth targets, and financial cooperation.
OUR COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP
Increasing our Diplomatic Structure: President Biden has overseen an unprecedented growth in U.S.-ASEAN relations, marked by the launch of 5 new high-level dialogue processes on well being, transportation, ladies’s empowerment, setting and local weather, and power, in addition to elevated engagement in current dialogue tracks on international affairs, economics, and protection, led on the U.S. aspect by Secretary Becerra, Secretary Buttigieg, Administrator Energy, Secretary Kerry, Secretary Granholm, Secretary Blinken, Ambassador Tai, and Secretary Austin, respectively. Beneath the framework of our newly established U.S.-ASEAN Complete Strategic Partnership, america and ASEAN will institutionalize and broaden cooperation in every of those essential areas, as a way to help strong implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and promote a free and open area that’s related, affluent, safe, and resilient.
- In Could, Secretary of Well being and Human Companies Xavier Becerra traveled to Bali, Indonesia for a particular U.S.-ASEAN Well being Ministerial Assembly, throughout which the 2 sides agreed to develop a cooperation work plan and to convene senior officers’ conferences.
- In June, the Division of Transportation led U.S. participation within the first-ever U.S.-ASEAN Senior Transport Officers Dialogue in Bali, Indonesia, the place ASEAN endorsed an ASEAN-U.S. transport cooperation work plan.
- In August, Secretary of State Antony Blinken attended the annual U.S.-ASEAN, East Asia Summit, and ASEAN Regional Discussion board international ministers’ conferences in Cambodia.
- In September, the Division of Power participated within the second U.S.-ASEAN Power Ministers’ Assembly, institutionalizing a dialogue first convened by Secretary of Power Granholm in 2021.
- In September, U.S. Commerce Consultant Ambassador Katherine Tai traveled to Siem Reap, Cambodia to satisfy with ASEAN Financial Ministers and attend the East Asia Summit Financial Ministers’ Assembly. ASEAN endorsed a brand new ASEAN-U.S. Commerce and Funding Framework Association Work Plan to additional promote financial relations and commerce.
- In September, USAID Administrator Samantha Energy co-chaired a particular U.S.-ASEAN Ministerial Dialogue on Gender Equality and Ladies’s Empowerment.
- In October, the Workplace of the Particular Presidential Envoy for Local weather joined a senior officers’ dialogue on the setting and local weather with ASEAN, throughout which the 2 sides agreed to determine a cooperation work plan and to carry a particular U.S.-ASEAN Ministerial Dialogue on the Surroundings and Local weather in 2023.
- Later this month, Secretary of Protection Lloyd Austin will journey to Cambodia for the ASEAN Protection Ministers Assembly “Plus” (ADMM+) the place he’ll coordinate with ASEAN companions on protection issues, persevering with america’ unbroken file of attending each ADMM+ assembly on the highest stage.
Supporting the PARTNER with ASEAN Act: The Biden-Harris Administration welcomes the current introduction of bipartisan laws that may authorize the President to increase privileges and immunities underneath the Worldwide Organizations Immunities Act to ASEAN. President Biden hopes to have the chance to signal the PARTNER with ASEAN Act into regulation.
U.S. Help in Southeast Asia: The US is proud to supply over $860 million in help by means of the Division of State and U.S. Company for Worldwide Improvement to our ASEAN companions in 2022. This help is supporting local weather ambition and the clear power transition, entry to schooling, strengthened well being techniques, safety modernization efforts, rule of regulation and human rights, and extra.
PROMOTING CONNECTIVITY
U.S.-ASEAN Electrical Car Initiative: At this time, President Biden launched the U.S.-ASEAN Electrical Car Initiative, by means of which america and ASEAN will work collectively to develop an built-in electrical automobile (EV) ecosystem in Southeast Asia, thereby enhancing the area’s connectivity whereas guaranteeing ASEAN nations can obtain bold emissions reductions targets. Because the flagship initiative of the U.S.-ASEAN Transportation Dialogue Partnership, the U.S.-ASEAN Electrical Car Initiative will:
- Help the planning, integration, and deployment of EV infrastructure;
- Help the event of an ASEAN EV Implementation Roadmap;
- Present capacity-building and technical help to speed up the adoption of EVs throughout Southeast Asia; and
- Facilitate partnerships with U.S. corporations and familiarize ASEAN governments and corporations with U.S. options and applied sciences.
U.S.-ASEAN Platform for Infrastructure and Connectivity: President Biden introduced the institution of a U.S.-ASEAN Platform for Infrastructure and Connectivity, a demand-driven co-development mechanism by means of which america will help ASEAN initiatives that improve connectivity throughout Southeast Asia and facilitate high-quality funding in regional infrastructure tasks, underneath the auspices of the Partnership for World Infrastructure and Funding (PGII). Primarily based in Jakarta to facilitate partnershipwith the ASEAN Secretariat and the ASEAN Committee of Everlasting Representatives, this mechanism will supportimplementation of the Grasp Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025, the ASEAN Interconnection Masterplan Research III, and different high-priority ASEAN infrastructure initiatives.
Rising Protection Leaders Program: The Division of Protection plans to speculate roughly $10 million every year to launch and help a new community of Southeast Asian rising protection leaders. This initiative will present coaching alternatives that may speed up protection sector professionalization, whereas constructing mutual understanding and lasting connections among the many subsequent technology of Southeast Asian protection leaders and their U.S. counterparts. Coaching alternatives will embrace English language lessons, in addition to programs targeted on worldwide regulation, protection technique planning, and accountable protection budgeting and useful resource allocation. This system seeks to construct people-to-people connectivity by supporting an alumni community, facilitating exchanges with high-level officers, and providing follow-on programs and trainings.
ACHIEVING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Meals Safety and Entry to Clear Water: The U.S. Division of Agriculture and U.S. Worldwide Improvement Finance Company will make investments $57 million in new applications throughout Southeast Asia to advertise meals safety and guarantee entry to wash water, together with a brand new “Meals for Faculty Feeding” program that may present meals to 109,000 Cambodian college students over the following 5 years, in addition to loans that may present reasonably priced consuming water to susceptible populations in Southeast Asia, in addition to India, and assist the Philippines broaden manufacturing of natural coconut merchandise.
Resilient Well being Provide Chains: The U.S. Worldwide Improvement Finance Company will accomplice with the Quadria Capital Fund III to speculate $75 million in strengthening healthcare techniques and constructing resilient well being provide chains throughout Southeast Asia – in addition to India and Sri Lanka. This partnership will enhance entry, affordability, consciousness, and high quality of healthcare providers for low- and middle-income shoppers all through the area.
ASEAN Heart for Pandemic Well being Emergencies and Rising Ailments: The US will help the ASEAN Heart for Pandemic Well being Emergencies and Rising Ailments (ACPHEED), together with by means of USAID help and by means of the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management, which is assigning Regional Technical Advisors to help ACPHEED within the areas of workforce growth, an infection prevention and management, antimicrobial resistance, respiratory illness surveillance, and zoonotic illnesses.
ASEAN Heart for Local weather Change: The US will help the brand new ASEAN Centre for Local weather Change, primarily based in Brunei Darussalam, together with by means of technical exchanges with america’ premier local weather specialists. For instance, the U.S. Division of Power’s Argonne Nationwide Laboratory will present trainings that broaden the Centre’s capability for decarbonization analysis, catastrophe administration planning, and different areas of labor.
Incapacity Rights: The US is working with ASEAN and civil society companions to launch a U.S.-ASEAN Dialogue on the Rights of Individuals with Disabilities, targeted on implementing the ASEAN Enabling Masterplan on Mainstreaming the Rights of Individuals with Disabilities and the obligations of States Events to the Conference on the Rights of Individuals with Disabilities. The US will help complementary applications that help ASEAN nations and disabled folks’s organizations to speed up regional implementation of the ASEAN Masterplan.
ASEAN Regional Plan of Motion on Ladies, Peace, and Safety: In December, USAID, in collaboration with ASEAN and UN Ladies, will launch the Regional Plan of Motion on Ladies, Peace, and Safety. The plan will construct on the achievements of the inaugural U.S.-ASEAN Ministerial Dialogue on Gender Equality and Ladies’s Empowerment, and it will likely be applied by means of a partnership with the ASEAN Committee for Ladies and ASEAN Fee on the Promotion and Safety of the Rights of Ladies and Kids.
ADVANCING ECONOMIC COOPERATION
Supporting Ladies Entrepreneurs: The U.S. Worldwide Improvement Finance Company will make investments $215 million in loans to Southeast Asian monetary establishments, so as to help ladies entrepreneurs and women-owned small- and medium-sized enterprises. These investments will assist low-income ladies entry capital and contribute to financial development, whereas addressing the credit score hole for women-led companies.
Investing in Sustainable Infrastructure: The U.S. Commerce and Improvement Company will launch $13 million in new infrastructure challenge preparation initiatives designed to catalyze financing for the event of high-quality sustainable infrastructure tasks valued at over $7 billion throughout Southeast Asia. These tasks will strengthen transportation hyperlinks and provide chains, promote regional power safety and the clear power transition, facilitate improved healthcare, and advance digital connectivity.
Digital Financial system & Digital Commerce Requirements: To strengthen ASEAN’s digital commerce ecosystem and improve regional connectivity, the U.S. Division of Commerce will accomplice with the ASEAN Consultative Committee on Requirements and High quality (ACCSQ) to co-develop applications on digital belief and cybersecurity requirements. Commerce will convene U.S. trade leaders and the ASEAN Digital Commerce Requirements and Conformance Working Group to advertise good regulatory practices, handle cyber dangers, and pursue finest practices for regional harmonization and stronger interoperability.
ASEAN SME Academy 2.0: In April 2022, USAID launched the ASEAN SME Academy 2.0 in collaboration with the U.S.-ASEAN Enterprise Council. Now, USAID will broaden SME help within the ASEAN area to speed up financial restoration from the COVID-19 pandemic and handle the rising price of dwelling. New sources to strengthen small enterprise restoration might be accessible in 4 languages (English, Thai, Indonesian, and Vietnamese) in 2023. By the modernized SME Academy platform, SMEs might be higher geared up to handle money stream, enhance income, and leverage digital applied sciences for development.
EXPANDING MARITIME COOPERATION
Countering Unlawful, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing:USAID is strengthening the regional capability to fight unlawful, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing by means of the Sustainable Fish Asia (SuFiA) challenge. SuFiA is partnering with the ASEAN Secretariat and ASEAN members to undertake a demand-driven technical service mannequin for the area, a gender equality and social inclusion evaluation, with a concentrate on small-scale and indigenous fishers and youth, and a regional IUU fishing danger evaluation.
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