Under the Lao PDR's ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024, the theme "ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience" underscores a key priority for the region's development: connectivity. Connectivity serves as a cornerstone of ASEAN's regional integration efforts, a social-cultural glue, and a precondition for future prosperity. This focus on connectivity has proven especially pertinent as the region emerges from recent global challenges, demonstrating that a well-connected ASEAN is better positioned to navigate uncertainties and seize emerging opportunities in an increasingly complex global landscape.
The importance of connectivity to ASEAN cannot be overstated. It serves as the foundation for building a region that is not only economically integrated but also socially cohesive and culturally connected. In an era where global challenges require coordinated responses, ASEAN’s emphasis on enhancing connectivity reflects its commitment to forging a more resilient and agile community.
Journey towards an integrated future: The MPAC 2025 progress and achievements
ASEAN’s approach to connectivity extends beyond physical infrastructure, encompassing a comprehensive framework that includes institutional mechanisms and people-to-people links. Through the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025, the region has identified five strategic areas crucial to enhancing regional connectivity: sustainable infrastructure, digital innovation, seamless logistics, regulatory excellence, and people mobility. Under these five strategic areas, fifteen initiatives and 143 key implementing measures have been further identified to fulfil the objectives outlined in the MPAC 2025.
As of 2024, more than 80 per cent of these measures have either been completed or are in various stages of implementation, marking significant progress in the region’s connectivity agenda. The impact of MPAC 2025 is evident through several landmark achievements. The Initial Pipeline of ASEAN Infrastructure Projects, launched in 2019, has catalysed 19 projects across transport, energy, and digital sectors, with investments worth 15 billion US dollars. This initiative is further complemented by the Framework for Improving ASEAN Infrastructure Productivity, helping to strengthen project preparation and implementation capacity across the region.
Infrastructure investments promote urbanisation, which in turn generates further demand for infrastructure. The ASEAN Sustainable Urbanisation Strategy has provided cities with practical tools and frameworks for addressing smart and sustainable urbanisation challenges. This strategy has benefited several cities across ASEAN through technical project proposals in areas such as solid waste management, digital solutions for safety and security, and urban mobility. The ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN) has grown from strength to strength with the expansion of membership from 26 pilot cities upon establishment in 2018 to 31 cities in 2024 and the implementation of 108 smart city projects. An ASEAN smart city investment toolkit has also been launched to provide ASCN and other ASEAN cities with knowledge of various innovative funding and financing options available for smart cities and help identify strategies that suit the needs of respective smart city projects.
The Framework on ASEAN Supply Chain Efficiency and Resilience represents another significant achievement, providing a comprehensive approach to strengthening regional supply chain networks and enhancing ASEAN’s competitiveness in global value chains. In the area of people mobility, initiatives such as the ASEAN-ROK TVET Mobility Programme contribute to enhancing skills development and labour mobility across the region.
Strengthening supply chain connectivity and resilience
The evolving geo-political and geo-economic landscape has highlighted the critical importance of sustainable, inclusive, and resilient regional supply chains. ASEAN’s commitment in this area is reflected in the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Enhancing Supply Chain Connectivity, which emphasises the need to build supply chains capable of preparing for, adapting to, and recovering from shocks.
The aforementioned Framework on ASEAN Supply Chain Efficiency and Resilience provides practical approaches to strengthening regional supply chain networks. This includes advancing disaster-preparedness strategies, promoting supply chain diversification, fostering vital industries capable of withstanding shocks, and optimising economic corridors between ASEAN Member States. The framework, among others, aims to promote the integration of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things to enhance supply chain visibility and resilience.
Regional efforts also focus on facilitating the movement of goods and services across borders, promoting investments in supply chain infrastructure, improving linkages from producers to consumers, and widening accessibility to regional and global supply chains. These initiatives are complemented by capacity-building programmes for logistics service providers and support for micro, small and medium enterprises to participate effectively in global value chains.
Partnerships and regional architecture
The ASEAN Connectivity agenda has benefited significantly from cooperation with Dialogue Partners through various frameworks and practical cooperation areas. These partnerships have contributed substantially to the five strategic areas of the MPAC 2025, including through technical assistance, and capacity building. The region has also strengthened engagement with ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partners and Development Partners, as well as other external partners such as multilateral development banks, opening up new avenues for collaboration in connectivity initiatives.
The ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) provides a crucial framework for enhancing regional connectivity. Through the AOIP, ASEAN emphasises the importance of connectivity in building an ASEAN-centred regional architecture that is open, transparent, inclusive, and rules-based. The implementation of the AOIP through concrete projects and activities demonstrates ASEAN’s commitment to promoting practical cooperation while maintaining ASEAN Centrality.
Subregional arrangements also continue to play a vital role in contributing to and advancing ASEAN’s connectivity objectives. Frameworks such as the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), the Brunei Darussalam- Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), and the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) serve as important platforms for implementing connectivity projects and narrowing development gaps within the region.
The ASEAN Connectivity Strategic Plan: Charting the course for the future
The ASEAN Connectivity Strategic Plan is expected to be one of the attendant documents of the upcoming ASEAN Community Vision 2045, together with and complementing the Strategic Plans of the three ASEAN Community Pillars.
The development of the ASEAN Connectivity Strategic Plan represents a significant evolution in ASEAN’s approach to connectivity beyond 2025. The development of this planned successor to MPAC 2025 builds upon achievements and lessons learned from the implementation of MPAC 2025 while incorporating new priorities in support of the draft ASEAN Community Vision 2045. The ASEAN Connectivity Strategic Plan development process has involved multiple stakeholder engagement activities, including online surveys, regional workshops, focus group discussions, and national consultations.
ASEAN’s upcoming connectivity roadmap will also take into account the various existing and emerging trends that may impact regional connectivity efforts.
Emerging trends and future directions
On the path towards 2045, several key trends will shape ASEAN’s connectivity landscape. Technological evolution continues to transform how people, businesses, and governments interact, with emerging technologies creating new opportunities and challenges for regional connectivity. The rise of quantum computing, advanced artificial intelligence, and human-centric autonomous systems will require adaptive and agile policy frameworks, enhanced digital infrastructure, and talented human resources in the region.
Climate change and sustainability imperatives will increasingly influence connectivity initiatives. The region’s focus on green infrastructure, sustainable urban development, and low-carbon transportation systems reflects this growing environmental consciousness. ASEAN will need to incorporate these considerations through an emphasis on sustainable practices and green technology adoption.
Demographic shifts and urbanisation patterns will continue to shape connectivity needs. By 2050, 68 per cent of the world’s population is expected to live in urban areas compared to 56 per cent in 2021, according to the UN Habitat 2022 World Cities report. The data further emphasises the increasing importance of smart and sustainable urban development and connectivity solutions to anticipate the continued growth of urban centres across the region. Changes in global economic patterns and value chains will further require adaptive connectivity strategies, influencing how ASEAN approaches regional connectivity.
Conclusion and way forward
As ASEAN moves towards 2045, advancing the connectivity agenda requires sustained commitment and concrete actions across multiple fronts. The region must strengthen institutional mechanisms for implementing connectivity initiatives, including enhancing coordination between regional, national and local stakeholders, enhancing cooperation and collaboration across sectors and the three Community Pillars, as well as strengthening partnerships within and beyond the region. This includes developing robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track progress and ensure accountability.
Resource mobilisation remains crucial for implementing connectivity projects and enhancing connectivity in ASEAN across all aspects. However, physical connectivity infrastructure will continue to be the area that requires the largest resource mobilisation to ensure that ASEAN’s growth momentum remains on track. Towards this end, ASEAN should continue to explore and implement innovative financing mechanisms, including green bonds and public-private partnerships.
Capacity building at both regional and national levels requires continued attention. This includes strengthening technical expertise in project development and management, strengthening digital skills, enhancing knowledge and adaptability to the changing landscape of connectivity-related issues, and building institutional capacity for implementing complex connectivity initiatives.
Stakeholder engagement must be further deepened to ensure connectivity initiatives remain relevant and responsive to community needs. This includes leveraging on the synergies with other connectivity-related initiatives at the sub- and extra-regional level and enhancing partnerships and cooperation with ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners and other external partners. ASEAN should also continue to partner and consult with the private sector, civil society organisations, and academic institutions to ensure an inclusive and whole-of-community approach to tackling the challenges and capitalising on opportunities to enhance regional connectivity.
The success of the ASEAN Connectivity agenda ultimately depends on its ability to deliver tangible benefits to its people. It requires ensuring that connectivity initiatives promote inclusive growth, create economic opportunities, and enhance people’s quality of life across the region. Through continued commitment to enhancing connectivity and resilience, ASEAN can build a more integrated, prosperous, and people-centred community for generations to come.
