ASEAN事務局へのアタッチメント・プログラムを通じたASEAN統合の推進

29 September 2019

JAIF マネージメントチーム

Capacity building initiatives are crucial in ASEAN integration and community building. The Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) Staff Attachment Programme to the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC) (hereinafter referred to as the “Attachment Programme”) is one such initiative. The programme, which has been running since 1999, aims to support the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) vision of “assisting Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV countries) in achieving ASEAN-wide goals and commitments towards the realisation of the ASEAN Community goals and contributing to narrowing the development gap”. The project also adheres to the principle of “proceeding in a unified manner”.　

The Attachment Programme, a flagship project of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI), contributes to closing the capacity gap between Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV countries) and other ASEAN member states, especially in the administrative capacity gap of ministries related to the pillars of the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC). As the following four government officials from CLMV countries who graduated from the programme ^can attest, the programme is a means to an end, not an end in itself:

Mr. Ekkaphab Phanthavong, who was appointed Laos’ Permanent Representative to ASEAN in April 2018.

Ambassador Ekkaphab Phanthavong of Laos (Attachment Program 8th batch Ministry of Foreign Affairs officer, 2006-2007)

“Some Lao officials do not have the opportunity to participate in this program even though they perform very well in the workplace,” said Ambassador Ekkaphab. He believes that investing in human resource development in CLMV countries, such as through this program, will provide greater benefits to Japan and ASEAN in the long run. “Using the knowledge and experience we have gained through this program, we can encourage each other to further strengthen cooperation between Japan and ASEAN,” added the former attachment officer.

More than 10 years after participating in the attachment program, Ambassador Ekkaphab proudly recalls that “this experience was a turning point that changed my life.” Since joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1996, he has been engaged in diplomatic activities focusing on ASEAN-related issues. Ambassador Ekkaphab gained many useful skills for his career at an early stage, and he cited three important things he gained from his experience as an attachment officer that are common to other Lao government officials who participated in the program: 1) Improved English language skills, especially during his time when Lao officials had very limited opportunities to learn and practice English; 2) Building personal connections between the attachment officer and the ASEAN Secretariat, and between the attachment officer and external partners, which is the most important intangible asset, especially for government officials; and 3) Being able to bring the work process and knowledge gained back to each ministry.

“For CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam), especially Laos, we feel this program is exactly what we need and it will be very beneficial for the new generation of officials,” said the ambassador. Ambassador Ekkaphab Phanthavong is currently Laos’ Permanent Representative to ASEAN.

Mr. Hoang Quoc Trung (far left) visited the ASEAN-Japan Centre as part of his field visit in Japan.

Mr. Hoang Quoc Trung from Vietnam (13th batch Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff member of the Attachment Program, 2014-2015)

The Vietnamese attachment officer said that he learned the importance of having a “balanced perspective” when working in a regional context. “Among the various practical training sessions, I really appreciated the direct guidance from my mentor during overseas business trips, in addition to meetings with ASEAN member states’ representative offices and dialogue partners,” Trungs recalled. He also said that during his participation in the attachment program, he gained a deeper understanding of Japan’s diplomacy, especially its cooperative relationship with ASEAN, and that this deepened his affection for Japan.

Trungs also fondly recalls his training in Japan, one of the main activities of the attachment program. “The important thing is that when I visited Japan for the first time at the end of the program, I was deeply moved beyond my imagination. This was a big motivation for me to apply for a posting to Japan for the 2019-2021 academic year,” Trungs added. In fact, he took up his post as a consul at the Consulate General of Vietnam in Osaka in June 2019. “I believe that with my understanding of Japan-ASEAN cooperation and the knowledge I gained through this program, I will be able to contribute to the lasting cooperation between Japan and Vietnam, and between Japan and ASEAN, during my term at the consulate.” Prior to this posting, Hoang Quoc Trung was an ASEAN officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam.

Chhy Ratha, who is currently based at the ASEAN Secretariat as an Attachment Officer.

Chhy Ratha from Cambodia (Attachment Programme 2nd batch, Economic/Social and Cultural Ministry Officer, 2015-2016)

During the majority of the attachment program, participants are “attached” to the ASEAN Secretariat for a certain period of time. While early participants were assigned for six months, recent participants have been completing the program in a year. The tasks vary, but the basic goal is to learn about ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat. To do so, participants are required to carry out a variety of activities, from attending conferences to writing reports. For Ratha, this was the best experience. “The Social Welfare, Women, Labour and Migrant Labour Division gave me the opportunity to attend conferences and encouraged me to participate in the division’s work as a member of the ASEAN Secretariat. I will never forget the fact that they allowed me to participate in the work alone,” Ratha said. Looking back on the experience, she said it was her first time traveling alone, and it was full of surprises.

Before joining the attachment program, Chhy Ratha had the impression that ASEAN and work within the ministry were “a bit far away.” However, a year after completing the attachment program, she not only understood that national and regional efforts are aligned, but also passed on what she learned to her subordinates. “If you waste time or don’t put in the effort during the attachment program, you won’t be able to bring back any benefits or experience from the ASEAN Secretariat. That’s why I value the capacity development and opportunities that the ASEAN Secretariat offers. It’s better to approach your superiors and colleagues in the department yourself and get a job,” she advises her subordinates. After returning to her home country in 2016, Chhy Ratha was promoted from a staff member to Director of the International Cooperation Department, Women and ASEAN Affairs Division, and also served as an assistant to the minister. Most recently, in mid-2019, she was promoted again to Director of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Women in Cambodia.

Htet Htet Htoo from Myanmar (Attachment Programme 3rd batch, Economic/Social and Cultural Ministry staff, 2016-2017)

Htets, who had been mentored by a former attachment officer and had seen the results of the attachment program first-hand, had experienced the program’s success before she even joined, which she recalls was probably her motivation for applying.

Htets candidly stated that she lacked social skills early in her career. When she finally joined the Attachment Program, she felt that she wanted to overcome her weaknesses and is grateful for the many opportunities she was given during her training at the ASEAN Secretariat. Now, she is grateful that she has not only gained a lot of confidence, but also that she can think about how she can utilize the connections she made in the program in her work within the ministry.

Htet Htet Htoo (centre) actively participates in diplomatic training in Malaysia.

Htet Htet Htoo said that the diplomatic training he received in Malaysia during the attachment program played a major role in leading him to this type of work . Regarding his participation in international trade negotiations and international relations, he said, “It is now part of my job, and what I learned in the training is very applicable and useful.” Htet Htet Htoo is currently serving as an assistant secretary at the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations of Myanmar.

Japan has been a consistent supporter of the ASEAN Integration Initiative (IAI) since the adoption of the first IAI Work Programme in 2002 and the current IAI Work Programme III . Japan has also been a consistent supporter of the Attachment Programme through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF). To date, a total of 88 graduates have been produced, including 15 batches of Ministry of Foreign Affairs (APSC-related) officials since 2001 and 4 batches of economic/social/cultural related government officials since 2013. The Attachment Programme continues to develop the capacity of CLMV officials to participate in regional initiatives and fulfill ASEAN regional missions. The 16th batch of Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials and the 5th batch of economic/social/cultural related government officials are scheduled to commence in the last quarter of 2019.

¹ The stories are listed in chronological order based on the period in which each attachment officer participated.

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