Almost 80 representatives from nine ASEAN countries—including SME policymakers, members of the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (ACCMSME), National Tourism Organizations, and medical and spa industry leaders—convened in Bangkok for the “Regional Policy Consultation on Health and Wellness Tourism in ASEAN” from 27 to 28 May 2025. The consultation was supported by the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) and was co-organized by the Office of SMEs Promotion (OSMEP), ACCMSME, and Kenan Foundation Asia.

The regional consultation is part of the project “Resilience, Adaptability and Competitiveness: A Roadmap for the Health and Wellness Tourism Sector ASEAN SMEs in a Post-Crisis Age.” The initiative aims to strengthen ASEAN’s position as a collaborative, high-potential region for health and wellness tourism while advancing inclusive and sustainable regional growth through enhanced cooperation among public, private, and development partners.

This initiative demonstrates JAIF’s ongoing commitment to advancing ASEAN’s inclusive development agenda. Support from the JAIF Management Team (JMT) was instrumental in enabling the consultation, reinforcing the value of regional dialogue and collaboration. The JMT also emphasises the need for clearly defined policy objectives to guide coordinated action and ensure alignment with ASEAN’s long-term strategic vision.

From 14 to 16 May 2025, SEAFDEC and the Department of Fisheries (DOF) Malaysia successfully conducted a baseline survey on anguillid eels in Penang, as part of the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF)-supported project on the sustainable utilisation of anguillid eel resources in Southeast Asia. The survey was led by Mr. Toru Shimoda, Deputy Chief of SEAFDEC/IFRDMD.

The survey team—comprising representatives from SEAFDEC/Secretariat, Inland Fishery Resources Development & Management Department SEAFDEC/IFRDMD, and Malaysia’s DOF—was warmly welcomed by the Pusat Pengembangan Teknologi Perikanan Gelugor, Jabatan Perikanan Negeri Pulau Pinang. Local officers shared valuable insights into the presence, fishing practices, and traditional uses of anguillid eels in the area.

Read more at: https://www.seafdec.id/ifrdmd-conducts-an-eel-fishery-survey-in-malaysia/

On 21-22 May in Siem Reap, Cambodia, a workshop was held in Siem Reap, Cambodia supported by the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF), focusing on digital agriculture, ICT tools, digital literacy, and improving access to market data for small-scale farmers in CLMV countries. While digital access gaps remain, each country is making progress with national agri-digital policies as well as development of public/private digital tools. Through this assessment and workshop, JAIF is supporting efforts to boost farmers’ incomes and enhance food security across the region.

The Strengthening Digital Platforms that Provide Information on Agricultural Practices, Markets, and Pricing to Smallholder Farmers project is supported by the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF).

Indonesian Health Ministry, Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) has officially launched a two-year project titled “ASEAN-Japan Medical Devices Regulatory Training 2025.” The first-year activities were held in Jakarta from 14 to16 May, including one-day symposium attended by hundreds of participants, followed by a two-day seminar involving 40 medical device regulators from the ASEAN Member States (AMS).

Indonesian health officials has emphasised the importance of synergy between ASEAN and Japan in strengthening medical device regulatory systems and accelerating public access to innovative and safe medical technologies.

The project aims to strengthen the capacity of ASEAN medical device regulators and harmonize regulations that are adaptive to technological advancements in the medical sector. This project is fully supported by the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF), with additional assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

On 13 May 2025, the 4th AICHR-Japan Interface Meeting was held in Jakarta, Indonesia, on the sideline of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) Special Meeting as it did in May last year. The agenda includes possible cooperation between Japan and AICHR in realizing the AICHR Five-Year Work Plan, as well as in Human Rights Thematic Areas of Work.

Ambassador KIYA Masahiko attended this meeting and exchanged views with AICHR representatives on the current situation and future direction. AICHR and Japan agreed to deepen the AICHR-Japan cooperation by formulating new projects in the area of “Business and Human Rights”, with great social/economic impact, in line with the AICHR Five-Year Work Plan and the Thematic Areas of Work. Japan also agreed that such projects are possibly multi-year projects to enhance effectiveness, and to be formulated in collaborating with relevant organizations to make use of their knowledge and network, accordingly with AICHR-Japan cooperation cycle.

Ambassador KIYA shared the progress of AICHR-Japan cooperation, Importance of Business and Human Rights, and Next Steps of AICHR-Japan cooperation. He also mentioned 10 projects that were implemented with JAIF-funding.

Ambassador KIYA’s presentation material and the list of projects can be accessed here: https://www.asean.emb-japan.go.jp/files/100845699.pdf.