Background
Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam (CLMV) were the last four countries to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) between 1995 and 1999. By this time, it had been around 30 years since the regional grouping was established. The entry of the four Member States into ASEAN raised concerns over the possible emergence of a “two-tier ASEAN” where a “development gap” is evident not only between the average per capita income of the six older ASEAN Member States and that of the newer four, but also in terms of human resources, institutional capacity, the state of infrastructure, level of competitiveness, and other development aspects. In an attempt to address the concern about the “two-tier ASEAN,” ASEAN leaders adopted the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) and the Ha Noi Declaration on Narrowing the Development Gap for Closer ASEAN Integration in 2000 and 2001, respectively.
Japan has been supporting the ASEAN integration efforts since the adoption of the IAI Work Plan I in 2002. With most of its assistance focusing on capacity building in the CLMV countries, Japan has contributed to the vision of the IAI, i.e. “to narrow the divide within ASEAN and enhance ASEAN's competitiveness as a region”. In November 2020, the IAI Work Plan IV (2021-2025) was adopted to promote effective cooperation and mutual assistance to narrow the development gap among the ASEAN Member States as well as between ASEAN and the rest of the world by devoting special efforts and resources to assist the CLMV countries to meet ASEAN-wide targets and commitments towards realising the goals of the ASEAN Community. The new Work Plan moves forward with the same five strategic areas of the IAI Work Plan III (which was adopted in 2016) but also with revised and new actions. It has taken into account new challenges and emerging issues, such as Industry 4.0, Gender and Social Inclusion, and Environmental Sustainability, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ASEAN. Japan has continued its support to the implementation of the IAI Work Plan IV (2021-2025) since it started in January 2021.
Following the amendments to the Annex C. Guidelines for IAI Projects of the IAI Work Plan IV (2021-2025), allowing Timor-Leste to become a full beneficiary of IAI projects in October 2024, Japan has started to support the participation of Timor-Leste in IAI cooperation activities. This marks an important milestone in ASEAN’s efforts to narrow the development gap and promote inclusive integration.
Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan IV (2021-2025)
Areas of Support and Key Contributions
Since its establishment in March 2006, the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) has been a key instrument for the Government of Japan to support the ASEAN integration efforts. Amongst many JAIF-funded projects contributing to the IAI Work Plans, the Attachment of Officers from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam (CLMV) to the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC) – or simply called as the “Attachment Programme” is a flagship project which has fostered a number of senior officials who hold critical and strategic positions in their respective governments, such as deputy ministers, ambassadors, and directors-general.
The following are the key achievements of the JAIF projects conducted under the IAI Work Plans.
JAIF Projects under the IAI Work Plan II (2009-2015)
JAIF Projects under the IAI Work Plan III (2016-2020)
JAIF Projects under the IAI Work Plan IV (2021-2025)
JAIF Flagship Project under IAI
Japan has been a long-term partner of the IAI since the adoption of the first IAI Work Plan in 2002. Through JAIF, it has continuously supported the Attachment Programme which continues to develop the capacities of CLMV officials to participate in regional initiatives and to fulfill their regional commitments.
H.E. Mr. Ekkaphab Phanthavong, the Deputy Secretary-General (DSG) of ASEAN for Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC)
More than a decade since joining the Attachment Programme, H.E. Mr. Ekkaphab Phanthavong proudly looked back saying that the experience helped him change his life. Since working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1996, his foreign service has been devoted to ASEAN-related matters. Further solidifying his skills early on in his career, he summed up three things he took from his experience as an Attachment Officer, the same things he now observes among Lao officials who also participated in the Programme: 1) English improvement, especially noting that during his time, there were very limited opportunities for Lao officials to learn and practice the language; 2) creating networks between Attachment Officials and the ASEAN Secretariat, and Attachment Officials and external partners, the most important intangible benefit especially for government officials; and 3) ways of working, the knowledge gained being transferred back to the respective ministries.
“For CLMV, especially for Laos, we feel that the Programme meets what we need and is very relevant until now with the new generation of officials,” said the Ambassador. Ambassador Ekkaphab Phanthavong was the Deputy Secretary-General (DSG) of ASEAN for Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) from 2021 to 2024. Read more on his story in Beneficiaries’ Voice.
JAIF continues to support a wide range of sectors under the IAI Work Plan IV (2021–2025), contributing to strategic areas such as Health and Well-being, Food and Agriculture, and Trade Facilitation. Ongoing projects under the IAI Work Plan IV include:
- IAI Attachment Programme for Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Viet Nam (CLMV), and Timor-Leste Officers at the ASEAN Secretariat (2024/2025)
- Master’s Degree Programme for the IAI Attachment Program Graduates at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS)
- Master’s Degree Programme for the IAI Attachment Programme Graduates at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) (2024–2025)
These projects are closely monitored by the ASEAN Secretariat and the JAIF Management Team (JMT) to ensure alignment with the priorities and objectives of the IAI Work Plan IV.
List of JAIF IAI-Accredited Projects under IAI Work Plans
As of 31 August 2025
Our Flagship Project
ASEAN Deepens Integration Through the Attachment Programme
Capacity building initiatives are key to ASEAN’s integration and community building journey. The Attachment of Officers from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam (CLMV) to the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC) or simply the “Attachment Programme” is one of these. An enduring initiative since 1999, the Attachment Programme aims to support the vision of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) “to assist the CLMV countries to meet ASEAN-wide targets and commitments towards realising the goals of the ASEAN Community and thereby contributing to narrowing development gap.” It abides by the principle of “moving forward in a unified manner.”
Dubbed as the flagship project of the IAI, the Attachment Programme contributes to addressing capacity gaps between the CLMV and the rest of ASEAN Member States (AMSs), particularly those of officials from the ministries related to the ASEAN Political Security Community (APSC), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) pillars. It is proving to be a means to an end, and not the end in itself as attested by the four CLMV officials1 who graduated from the Programme.