Growing importance of ASEAN countries to Japan

Member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) constitute a cornerstone of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), a vision advocated by the Japanese government. Despite the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, ASEAN countries have been maintaining rapid economic growth. They are more important economic partners than ever to Japan in terms of trade and investment.

Nevertheless, development issues for the region are becoming increasingly sophisticated and complex, pointing to enormous development needs in both socioeconomic infrastructure and human resources development.

Seven operational focus areas

To support development, peace, and stability in Southeast Asia and to help reduce intraregional disparities, JICA focuses on seven operational areas:

• 1. Strengthening connectivity within the ASEAN region
• 2. Promoting quality growth
• 3. Creating a society with dignity based on human security in such sectors as health, education, and disaster risk reduction
• 4. Promoting climate actions, including decarbonization
• 5. Developing human resources: leaders and administrative officers who will steer each ASEAN country in the future
• 6. Addressing vulnerabilities in the region
• 7. Establishing and implementing operations that meet the needs of the times

JICA’s partners in Southeast Asia are not limited to governments. JICA also works with businesses, universities and research institutions, the ASEAN Secretariat, and other development organizations to develop infrastructure and human resources.

Expanding cooperation beyond pre-pandemic levels; a new initiative

In fiscal 2022, JICA provided cooperation aimed at supporting the recovery of economic and social activities from the fallout from the pandemic. Such cooperation included emergency budget support for the Philippines and Thailand to help them cope with the COVID-19 crisis. In addition, JICA increased both the dispatch of experts to the region and the acceptance of training participants and students from the region to pre-pandemic levels. JICA also increased Finance and Investment Cooperation and Grants for the region. As a result, the total amount of newly committed ODA Loans for the Philippines and for Indonesia for the fiscal year were both the largest ever. These loans covered an urban railway and other projects.

For about 20 years, JICA has been providing cooperation for peace and development in the Mindanao region of the Philippines. In January 2023, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament adopted a resolution expressing appreciation for JICA’s continued cooperation in this endeavor. In Cambodia, in cooperation with the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC), with which JICA has been cooperating for 25 years, JICA and CMAC provided training in clearing landmines and unexploded ordnance to officials from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

A new form of bilateral cooperation took place in relation to Thailand when JICA supported the acceptance of a Thai volunteer that the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) sent to Japan for a stint as an international tourism promoter in a Japanese local government. This was the first time TICA dispatched such a volunteer to Japan.

Viet Nam: A ceremony for the launch of a test run in the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Construction Project (Ben Thanh–Suoi Tien Section (Line 1)) in December 2022. With Japan’s development cooperation, Viet Nam is constructing an urban railway that includes the country’s first underground section. The railway is expected to take root as a popular means of transportation.

Note: For the total value of JICA programs, see the note on “Programs by Region” on page 37. Totals may not add up due to rounding.