[Title] Implementation Plan of the Joint Vision Statement on ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation Trusted Partners
We, the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Japan, gathered in Tokyo on 17 December 2023 to commemorate the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation and adopted the Joint Vision Statement on ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation and its Implementation Plan.
This Implementation Plan serves to realise the abovementioned Joint Vision Statement to mainstream and further strengthen cooperation in the four priority areas of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), namely, maritime cooperation, connectivity, the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and economic and other possible areas of cooperation.
In conformity with our respective obligations under international law and in accordance with our domestic laws, regulations and policies, as well as on the basis of equal benefit and opportunity for all parties, ASEAN and Japan will implement the following measures:
1. Heart-to-Heart Partners across generations
To further strengthen mutual trust and understanding, and nurture multilayered interaction and networks, we will further promote in-depth people-to-people exchanges, cultural exchanges and intellectual exchanges. In particular, ASEAN and Japan will:
1.1 Support ASEAN's socio-cultural integration towards the realisation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 as well as ASEAN's aspirations for the ASEAN Community Vision 2045;
1.2 Further promote people-to-people exchanges in various fields, including student exchange programs through ASJA International and the ASEAN Council of Japan Alumni (ASCOJA), sports related support through Sport for Tomorrow (SFT), youth exchange programs such as Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS), the Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program (SSEAYP), Asia Kakehashi Project+(Plus), cultural and intellectual exchange programs and Japanese language education through the Japan Foundation, which also contribute to the promotion of co-existence with other cultures anywhere in both ASEAN and Japan;
1.3 Strengthen youth exchange in areas related to politics, economy, society, and diverse cultures through JENESYS, to deepen trust between the youth of ASEAN and Japan, and to build a foundation for future friendship and cooperation;
1.4 Further cooperate to promote people-to-people exchanges through Partnership to Co-create a Future with the Next Generation: WA Project 2.0 of the Japan Foundation, succeeding the WA project, in the area of cultural exchanges, intellectual exchanges and support for Japanese language education;
1.5 Continue to implement the ASEAN-Japan Work Plan on Cooperation in Culture and Arts 2022- 2025 as well as promote cooperation and exchanges in the field of culture and arts, through the framework of the Meeting of ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Culture and Arts (AMCA), various centres such as the ASEAN-Japan Centre and ASEAN Cultural Centre, as well as Japan Foundation's programs which includes Partnership to Co-create a Future with the Next Generation: WA Project 2.0, and, in particular in the areas of media arts, visual arts and performing arts, film production and film festivals, digital technology for culture, copyright protection and utilisation, protection and management of cultural heritage, creative cultural industries and human resource development;
1.6 Enhance friendly relations and promote deeper cooperation between ASEAN and Japan in the field of sports including within the framework of the ASEAN Plus Japan Ministerial Meeting on Sports (AMMS+Japan) and the Chiang Mai Declaration on Strengthening ASEAN-Japan Cooperation on Sports Towards 2030 which mainly focuses on the following areas:
- Development of physical education teachers and coaches (PETE);
- Increasing participation of women in sports;
- Advancing sports for persons with disabilities (SPD);
- Anti-doping activities; and
- Sport management.
The above cooperation will be implemented through various platforms and projects on sports initiated by Japan, such as Sport for Tomorrow (SFT), Japan Sports Business Initiative (JSPIN), and ASEAN-Japan Actions on Sports;
1.7 Continue to support the implementation of the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan 2016-2025, the Framework on Sustainable Tourism Development in ASEAN in the post COVID-19 Era, as well as to enhance tourism cooperation in areas such as sustainable tourism and to increase exchanges between ASEAN Member States and Japan, in line with the Joint Media Statement of the ASEAN JAPAN Tourism Ministers' Special Dialogue in October 2023, including through: • the development of an environment favourable to tourism in local areas;
- the sharing of best practices and information on tourism statistics;
- the implementation of programs in capacity building, exchanges of personnel in the tourism sector;
- the development of quality tourism and joint tourism marketing and promotional campaigns; and
- the promotion of new markets for tourism, in areas such as nature, culture, wellness, adventure, and heritage, and community-based tourism;
1.8 Expand support for Japanese language education and understanding of Japan in ASEAN countries through the Japan Foundation's programs including the NIHONGO Partners program under Partnership to Co-create a Future with the Next Generation: WA Project 2.0;
1.9 Foster long-term and mutually beneficial educational cooperation and promote people-to people exchange under the framework of the ASEAN Plus Three Plan of Action on Education 2018-2025;
1.10 Enhance mutual long-term and medium-term youth exchange at the high school level by encouraging ASEAN students to study in Japan including through the Asia Kakehashi Project+(Plus) and encouraging Japanese Students to study in ASEAN Member States such as through the Tobitate! (Leap for Tomorrow) Study Abroad Initiative;
1.11 Enhance cooperation in higher education through support for student mobility programs and exchanges among universities, such as scholarships for international students, inter university exchange programs including the CAMPUS Asia Plus Program and the Working Group on Student Mobility and Quality Assurance of Higher Education among ASEAN Plus Three Countries, and cooperation in training and research, including through assisting language learning, promoting vocational training institutes, and exchanging of traditional knowledge;
1.12 Further strengthen cooperation in mutual sharing of best practices in areas such as educational curriculum and teacher training through EDU-Port Japan;
1.13 Promote collaboration with international organisations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) through the Japanese Funds-in-Trust to UNESCO, and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO);
1.14 Further ease barriers to entry for foreign workers in professional or technical fields to work in Japan, through: i) various initiatives to encourage acquisition of communication skills needed for daily life and working in Japan, including the training of local Japanese language teachers specializing in education for foreign specified skilled worker candidates, the provision of Japanese language tests ii) education and skill development programs for prospective workers in the target fields as decided by the Government of Japan and iii) exploring mutual recognition of workers' skills between ASEAN and Japan;
1.15 Further promote cooperation on science and technology based on experiences such as the Strategic International Collaborative Research Program and the Sakura Science Exchange Program through the ASEAN-Japan Cooperation Committee on Science and Technology (AJCCST) in order to intensify R&D collaboration and innovation, and to develop human resources between ASEAN and Japan;
1.16 Promote cooperation, exchange of knowledge and technology and people-to-people connectivity between ASEAN Member States and Japan including through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) – ASEAN Knowledge Co-Creation and Connectivity Initiative (JAKCCI), the Project for Human Resources Development Scholarship (JDS), the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers Program, JICA alumni activities and the ASEAN University Network/Southeast Asia Engineering Education Development Network (AUN/SEED-Net) and other programs among institutions of higher education;
1.17 Encourage networking among the business sectors and expand career development exchanges, based on the outcomes of the ASEAN-Japan Young Business Leaders' Summit and ASEAN-Japan Generation Z Business Leaders' Summit for the youth with a view to proposing solutions to societal challenges in both regions;
1.18 Expand local administration and community exchanges between ASEAN Member States and Japan, including by revitalising sister-city relations and providing relevant capacity building assistance to local communities in ASEAN Member States;
1.19 Promote mutual understanding of diverse cultures and traditions of ASEAN and Japan, and its continuity for future generation;
1.20 Strengthen support for the functions of the ASEAN Secretariat, including providing technical assistance to enhance its capacity based on the needs of ASEAN, supporting the capacity building for Timor-Leste's accession to ASEAN, and launching new scholarship programs for the ASEAN Secretariat's officials and staff and those of other ASEAN related organisations;
1.21 Enhance human resource development for young government officials in ASEAN with a focus on the AOIP; and
1.22 Enhance ASEAN-Japan cooperation for Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai including by promoting personnel open communication and exchanges.
2. Partners for Co-creation of Economy and Society of the Future
To further promote comprehensive economic partnership and cooperation for a prosperous, diverse, inclusive, resilient, sustainable and fair region and to address common economic and social challenges together through the co-creation of innovation as well as strategic development cooperation, such as "Co-Creation for Common Agenda Initiative" ASEAN and Japan will:
2.1 Economy
2.1.1 Support ASEAN's economic integration towards the realisation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 as well as ASEAN's aspirations for the ASEAN Community Vision 2045;
2.1.2 Accelerate the implementation of the Future Design and Action Plan of Innovative and Sustainable ASEAN-Japan Economic Partnership 2023-2033, taking into account the ASEAN-Japan Economic Co-Creation Vision by the private sector, to address various challenges through digital technologies, initiatives such as ASEAN-Japan Circular Economy Initiative (AJCEI) and other measures, in collaboration with AEM-METI Economic and Industrial Cooperation Committee (AMEICC), Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), and other related organisations;
2.1.3 Promote industrial advancement especially through strengthened partnership and cooperation with Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) including through upgrading MSMEs by improving their capacity and enhancing their market and financial access, enhancing supply chain resilience and addressing vulnerabilities to supply chain disruption, and improving MSMEs operations (e.g. uptake of climate/green solutions) and participation in co-creation business that promotes circular economy and sustainable economic development, with the aim of, among others, strengthening MSMEs and linkages between industries in the global supply chain, and developing guidelines to support MSMEs digitalization;
2.1.4 Strengthen economic security and economic resilience including strengthening resilient and reliable supply chains and economic systems, including through the improvement of supply chain infrastructure utilising digital and green technology and through collaboration with Japan Bank for International Cooperation;
2.1.5 Promote trade facilitation through capacity building activities and discussions among relevant authorities on various areas of customs administration such as customs valuation, customs classification, rules of origin, post clearance audit, risk management and Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) Programme as well as the introduction of an electronic CO data exchange scheme for the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP) Agreement and the bilateral Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with ASEAN Member States, and expedite customs clearance and lower trading costs through digitalisation of trade documents according to internationally recognized standards, to the extent possible;
2.1.6 Accelerate two-way flows of trade and investment between ASEAN and Japan, while underscoring the importance of working towards WTO reform through, inter alia, promoting and continuing to enhance the utilisation of the AJCEP Agreement, existing bilateral EPAs and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement;
2.1.7 Improve business environment in ASEAN and Japan, taking into consideration business customs and trends, to accelerate two-way flows of direct investment by utilising the ASEAN Japan Centre and Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), among others;
2.1.8 Fully utilise ERIA as a think tank for economic policy to support activities of ASEAN and the East Asia Summit (EAS), and encourage ERIA to enhance its function as a platform for contributing to advancing economic cooperation including but not limited to carbon neutrality/net-zero emissions, creating human resource networks among industrial, academic and public sectors, and solving socioeconomic challenges in the region;
2.1.9 Promote public private partnership (PPP) and other private investments in ASEAN, using "Co-Creation for Common Agenda Initiative" as well as ODA loans, grants, technical cooperation and private sector partnership programs as catalysts for increasing private investments;
2.1.10 Strengthen support for ASEAN through relevant international organisations, including the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and its Southeast Asia Regional Programme (SEARP) in order to facilitate regional integration, economic growth, domestic priorities and policy reforms of ASEAN Member States, and implement projects, in collaboration with JICA and the OECD, to improve the investment environment in the ASEAN region with special emphasis on the areas of private investment, connectivity, sustainability and digital;
2.1.11 Facilitate the OECD's support for ASEAN countries in attracting more, better, and safe foreign direct investment (FDI);
2.1.12 Strengthen cooperation in institutional development including by i) enhancing regulatory coherence ii) developing and improving rules and regulations in economic and business areas such as improving the quality of intellectual property (IP) service; and iii) fighting against corruption, through human resource development and other projects;
2.1.13 Strengthen cooperation and collaboration in the issues related to standards and conformance including by promoting the development of domestic regulations, where applicable, related to international standards as developed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), and other relevant organisations, enhancing transparency and predictability in regulation and their applications to trade and goods, including food safety, and facilitating trade between ASEAN and Japan while protecting human, animal and plant health; and
2.1.14 Explore cooperation under the ASEAN-Japan Co-Creation Initiative for the Next-Generation Automotive Industry possibly including i) developing a master plan by ERIA for the next generation automotive industry strategy while taking into account the global situation of automobile market and ASEAN's strengths, ii) in collaboration with AZEC platform, coordinating policies among member countries to decarbonise the entire value chain, to build resilient and reliable supply chains that promote reliable and trustworthy sources for strategic goods, and to realise diversified portfolio production and exports including EV/HEV, and iii) promoting the formation of specific "co-created" projects.
2.2 Finance
2.2.1 Further strengthen financial cooperation between ASEAN Member States and Japan, such as by i) deepening regional financial cooperation including through the establishment of the Rapid Financing Facility under the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization (CMIM), and the advancement of initiatives, such as ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO), the Asian Bond Markets Initiative (ABMI), and Disaster Risk Financing (DRF), ii) promoting and managing financial digitalisation, iii) promoting sustainable finance and disclosures, including transition finance and the application of the ISSB Standards, as well as infrastructure finance, iv) enhancing supply chain resilience, and v) advancing payment connectivity and promoting local currency transaction to enhance cross-border payments;
2.2.2 Promote transparent and fair development finance adhering to international rules and standards, including through capacity building, sharing of best practices and technical assistance; and
2.2.3 Support stable development of the ASEAN region by expanding and leveraging JICA's Overseas loans and Investments for ASEAN in coordination with other development banks and private financial institutions including through "Leading Asia's Private Infrastructure Fund 2 (LEAP2)", which is a co-financing scheme with ADB to promote quality infrastructure projects.
2.3 Connectivity
2.3.1 Support ASEAN's efforts to strengthen connectivity by promoting quality infrastructure investment in line with international standards, including openness, transparency, and economic efficiency in view of lifecycle cost and debt sustainability, and carrying out technical cooperation projects in various areas related to connectivity in line with the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025 and its successor document, and JAPAN-ASEAN Comprehensive Connectivity Initiative;
2.3.2 Further enhance transport connectivity and promote quality transport, taking into account, among others, connectivity, decarbonisation and inclusivity, by implementing initiatives under the framework of the ASEAN-Japan Transport Partnership (AJTP) through the new action plan for the next decade adopted in November 2023 on the occasion of the 20th year of the AJTP, as well as the Kuala Lumpur Transport Strategic Plan (ASEAN Transport Strategic Plan) 2016-2025 and its successor Plan;
2.3.3 Continue to work toward the successful conclusion of a more liberal and mutually beneficial ASEAN-Japan Air Services Agreement with a view to enhancing air connectivity between ASEAN Member States and Japan;
2.3.4 Accelerate efforts to realise a vibrant and effective connectivity for achieving economic growth of the whole Mekong region through the Mekong-Japan Cooperation including the Japan Mekong Connectivity Initiative and Work Programme for Mekong Industrial Development Vision (MIDV), which cover comprehensive economic and industrial measures to improve hardware and software infrastructure; and
2.3.5 Realise business connectivity by promoting enhanced physical, institutional and people to-people connectivity, innovation and voluntary transfer of technology on mutually consented terms forthe business sector, towards the upgrading of industries and development of supporting industries, as well as a broader, resilient and reliable supply-chain network among MSMEs in ASEAN and Japan, and Multinational Corporations across the region and beyond.
2.4 Climate Change
2.4.1 Enhance capacity for the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement towards high integrity carbon markets by sharing good practices for institutional arrangements and conducting mutual learning and training on a voluntary basis;
2.4.2 Strengthen regional cooperation on climate change in the areas of i) transparency (e.g. Partnership to Strengthen Transparency for Co-Innovation (PaSTI)), ii) mitigation (e.g. ASEAN Climate Change Strategic Action Plan 2025-2030 (ACCSAP), Article 6 Implementation Partnership, CCS technical guideline), and iii) adaptation and loss&damage (e.g. Early Warning Systems through public private partnership, Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Platform (AP-PLAT)), including through supporting adaptation planning, adaptation financing, and project formulation by providing the latest scientific knowledge, access to the latest technological advances at affordable cost, support tools and capacity development;
2.4.3 Enhance cooperation and dialogue to address the environmental and social challenges brought about by climate change, and support for the development of the ASEAN Climate Change Strategic Action Plan 2023-2030 (ACCSAP), and collaboration with ASEAN Centre for Climate Change, building upon prioritized actions for mitigation and adaptation in the ASEAN State of Climate Change Report (ASCCR); and
2.4.4 Facilitate access to adaptation finance and affordable funding as well as access to technological advancements to support ASEAN in its collective aspiration to achieve carbon neutrality or net-zero emission.
2.5 Energy and Critical Minerals
2.5.1 Promote technological development and cooperation on renewable energy, energy-mix, energy efficiency and conservation as well as enhance awareness and share experiences and knowledge on energy security, resilience and sustainability including on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), geothermal, hydrogen and ammonia technologies, nuclear safety and security, sustainable use of energy;
2.5.2 Enhance energy cooperation to promote energy transition through various and practical pathways towards net-zero emission/carbon neutrality, depending on the circumstances of each country, including through initiatives and activities under the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) platform, while ensuring energy security and achieving economic growth simultaneously;
2.5.3 Share information, facilitate discussions and take actions including for the implementation of energy transition initiatives as well as development and deployment of low carbon new and emerging clean energy technologies in areas such as i) energy efficiency, ii) energy conversion, iii) electrification, iv) reduction of carbon emission in the power sector, the transportation sector, including by developing Electric Vehicles ecosystem, and other sectors, v) renewable energy, vi) energy management, vii) bioenergy, viii) natural gas, ix) Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), x) Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS)/Carbon Recycling, xi) hydrogen, xii) ammonia, xiii) critical minerals, and xiv) transition finance including through high integrity carbon markets and crediting schemes, which will be pursued in collaboration with the ERIA, the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), and other international organisations and institutions such as the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and others as required;
2.5.4 Support practical energy transitions in the region through Asia Energy Transition Initiative (AETI) by leveraging the experiences of Japan in areas such as formulation of roadmaps, finance, and human resource development;
2.5.5 Contribute to the energy transition and decarbonisation in ASEAN through various platforms including, the Cleaner Energy Future Initiative for ASEAN (CEFIA) which promotes the dissemination of clean and low carbon technologies and the establishment of related policies and systems as well as enhance clean energy technology ecosystem and its connectivity through an accelerator program with UNIDO;
2.5.6 Advance further the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2016-2025 Phase II: 2021-2025, and its future phases, including through the implementation of SOME – METI Work Plan and SOME+3 EPGG Work Plan;
2.5.7 Cooperate on diversifying supply chains for critical minerals which are essential for clean energy transitions and achieving net-zero; and
2.5.8 Advance further the ASEAN Minerals Cooperation Action Plan (AMCAP) through the implementation of ASOMM+3 Work Plan including on the development of Web-GIS for the new ASEAN Minerals Information System.
2.6 Environment
2.6.1 Enhance cooperation under the Strategic Program for ASEAN Climate and Environment (SPACE) including i) new cooperation on climate change with which on-going climate change initiatives, namely the ASEAN-Japan Environmental Cooperation Initiative and ASEAN-Japan Climate Change Action Agenda 2.0, concurrently exist, ii) ASEAN-Japan Cooperation Action Agenda on Plastic Pollution, iii) ASEAN-Japan Resource Circulation Partnerships on E-Waste and Critical Minerals, and iv) Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) Implementation Support to address the unprecedented triple global crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss in the region;
2.6.2 Enhance cooperation in combatting marine debris and formulating National Action Plans including under the Regional Knowledge Centre on Marine Plastic Debris, the ASEAN-Japan Cooperation Action Agenda on Plastic Pollution and the ASEAN+3 Marine Plastics Debris Cooperation Action Initiative;
2.6.3 Promote environmentally sound and integrated waste management, including the recycling of e-waste in ASEAN countries in order to increase resource circulation at national and international levels, including through the ASEAN-Japan Resource Circulation Partnerships on E-Waste and Critical Minerals, collaborate with relevant initiatives such as the Framework for Circular Economy for the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEAN Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Framework, and strengthen partnership with the private sector towards more circular economies, to minimize pollution and its negative impacts on health and to support a net-zero transition;
2.6.4 Provide comprehensive and synergetic support for environmentally sustainable cities under the Clean City Partnership Program (C2P2) and JICA Clean City Initiative (JCCI);
2.6.5 Support technical and policy exchanges on air pollution control, such as haze pollution, promote cooperation through the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET), and explore ways to support the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control and implementation of the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution;
2.6.6 Promote cooperation, including with the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, to address biodiversity loss in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, including capacity building activities, and nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches, invasive alien species, the implementation towards 30x30 conservation target; and
2.6.7 Further strengthen partnership in water resource management and wastewater management.
2.7 Disaster Management
2.7.1 Strengthen cooperation on disaster risk reduction and disaster management in the areas of prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery based on the ASEAN-Japan Work Plan on Disaster Management (AJWPDM) 2021-2025, the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) Work Programme 2021-2025, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 through the ACDM Plus Japan and AMMDM Plus Japan mechanisms with related ministries and agencies;
2.7.2 Enhance capacity of the region in the areas of emergency preparedness, emergency response and relief, and emergency humanitarian assistance through the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) and its projects such as the Disaster Emergency Logistics System for ASEAN (DELSA), the ASEAN-Emergency Response and Assessment Team (ASEAN-ERAT), and the AHA Centre Executive: Leadership in Emergency and Disaster Management Programme (ACE-LEDMP) as well as explore possible cooperation with other countries and agencies including the Asian Disaster Reduction Centre (ADRC) and JICA;
2.7.3 Support the development of early warning systems, climate science, and climate information services by ASEAN Member States' and Japanese private companies in the Asia Pacific region through public private partnerships;
2.7.4 Increase community resilience in the region, including through Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) by empowering local communities' capacity to prevent, mitigate, respond to and recover from disasters. This involves developing more effective community-based tools on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA); and
2.7.5 Strengthen water-related Disaster Risk Reduction efforts in response to climate change, which will contribute to solving social problems regarding water and promoting sustainable economic growth of ASEAN Member States based on the Kumamoto Initiative for Water.
2.8 Health
2.8.1 Continue cooperation to promote healthy lifestyles, strengthen health care and welfare system, including through health promotion, health risk communication, sharing of public health best practices and procedure, health impact assessment of development project, and climate resilience and sustainable healthcare facilities in ASEAN Member States, in line with Japan's Global Health Strategy and Asia Health and Wellbeing Initiative (AHWIN);
2.8.2 Contribute to achieving more resilient, equitable, and sustainable universal health coverage (UHC) including by sharing Japan's experiences towards the post COVID-19 era;
2.8.3 Further cooperate to enhance health security, and fight against major infectious diseases, such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases to strengthen prevention of, preparedness for and response (PPR) to future pandemics as well as enhance cooperation on other communicable and non-communicable diseases, Neglected Tropical Diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), as a means to achieve more resilient, equitable and sustainable UHC;
2.8.4 Further strengthen ASEAN's regional capabilities to prepare for, prevent, detect and respond to public health emergencies and emerging diseases through the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED) including by building the capacity of public health experts and dispatching of technical experts;
2.8.5 Support the ASEAN Strategic Framework for Public Health Emergencies, the ASEAN SHIELD initiative, and the ASEAN Regional Reserves of Medical Supplies for Public Health Emergencies (RRMS);
2.8.6 Promote cooperation on expansion of access to quality health services, pharmaceuticals and medical devices for non-communicable diseases including training in regulating pharmaceuticals and medical devices through platforms such as the Asia Training Center for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Regulatory Affairs (PMDA-ATC);
2.8.7 Support the enhancement of the work of ASEAN Vaccine Security and Self-Reliance (AVSSR) and ASEAN Drug Security and Self-Reliance (ADSSR) for ASEAN collaboration on vaccines therapeutic and diagnostic manufacturing and Research and Development (R&D), including investment in R&D for medical technology and cooperation to expand access to Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) in the ASEAN region;
2.8.8 Enhance cooperation on Disaster Health Management including with the ASEAN Institute of Disaster Health Management (AIDHM) and steadily implement the Phase 2 Project for Strengthening the ASEAN Regional Capacity on Disaster Health Management (ARCH2) to help realise rapid and effective emergency medical services;
2.8.9 Support and collaborate to promote digital health transformation in the ASEAN region;
2.8.10 Strengthen collaboration in propelling an inclusive and resilient recovery, strengthening regional health capacity, including pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR), in particular human resource development for healthcare workers and professional through support for technical assistance and international training courses in the field of Universal Health Coverage and pandemic PPR; and
2.8.11 Support the ASEAN One Health Network and the implementation of the ASEAN One Health Joint Plan of Action.
2.9 Digital
2.9.1 Enhance cooperation with the ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN) towards the realisation of smart cities in ASEAN through the organisation of high-level meetings, the collaboration with Japan Association for Smart Cities in ASEAN (JASCA), the implementation of the ASEAN Smart City supported by Japan ASEAN Mutual Partnership (Smart JAMP) project, and the application of the ASEAN Smart City Planning Guidebook;
2.9.2 Encourage creating use cases and best practices of supply chain data sharing and utilisation and establishing reliable digital infrastructure, platform, rules and standards that empower such use cases;
2.9.3 Empower cooperation and collaborations on the establishment of Interoperable Data Infrastructures (IDIs) and the localization and implementation of Digital Lifeline Development Plan (DLDP) in the ASEAN region by reinforcing Ouranos Ecosystem;
2.9.4 Promote free, open and trusted data flows, including possible exploratory discussions on the Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT) concept under Japan's G7 Presidency as well as explore the development of data transfer instruments to facilitate data flows between ASEAN and Japan, including the adoption of ASEAN Model Contractual Clauses (MCCs) where applicable;
2.9.5 Strengthen supply chain resilience and improve the region's digital connectivity through access to critical and emerging technologies and advanced telecommunications technology, including 5G/Beyond 5G networks, as well as support access to innovations, such as Open RAN (Radio Access Networks) in ASEAN Member States;
2.9.6 Support initiatives to strengthen broadband penetration, affordability and universal access in ASEAN;
2.9.7 Promote greater cooperation in the field of ICT including through the framework of ASEAN Digital Ministers' Meeting with Japan (ADGMIN+J) and the ASEAN-Japan Digital Work Plan as well as support the implementation of the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025 (ADM2025) and explore the establishment of Memoranda of Cooperation (MOC) between ASEAN Member States and Japan in areas including Digital Economy, AI Governance, Cybersecurity, and ICT to accelerate the region's digital transformation and transform ASEAN into a leading digital community and economic bloc, powered by secure and transformative digital services, technologies and ecosystems;
2.9.8 Promote trade digitalisation through expanding the utilisation of digital trade platforms, and promoting data linkage based on international standards;
2.9.9 Support ASEAN's efforts on AI Governance and Ethics that will serve as a practical and implementable step to support the trusted deployment of responsible and innovative AI technologies in ASEAN;
2.9.10 Promote membership of ASEAN Member States in the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), in line with a common aspiration for GPAI's membership to be more inclusive;
2.9.11 Support digital transformation and capacity building for ASEAN MSMEs, in particular to enable MSMEs participation in the digital economy through the adoption of digital technologies and tools and the reskilling and upskilling of MSMEs workforce;
2.9.12 Support digital startups such as in the fields of AI, Robotics, Internet of Things (IoT) and Logistics Technology as well as promote Japanese investment and business matching for digital startups in the region; and
2.9.13 Support ASEAN's efforts in the Regulatory Pilot Space to Facilitate Digital Cross-Border Data Flows to Enable Self-driving Cars in ASEAN.
2.10 Outer Space
2.10.1 Enhance cooperation on the peaceful uses of outer space with the aim of contributing to solving a broad range of social and economic issues on the ground and achieving sustainable development goals, based on the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) Nagoya Vision of 2019 and the discussion at the AEM-Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (AEM METI) Consultation, by using satellite data such as remote sensing data and positioning data of the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) through human resources development and promotion of space related industries; and
2.10.2 Strengthen space policy and space law capability through the APRSAF and other related capacity building programs in order to enhance safety, stability and sustainability of space related activities.
2.11 Agriculture and Food Systems
2.11.1 Strengthen cooperation in the fields of food security including agriculture, forestry, and fishery through the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR), the ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS), the ASEAN Integrated Food Security Framework, and the Strategic Plan of Action on Food Security and Southeast Asia Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC);
2.11.2 Cooperate under the ASEAN-Japan MIDORI Cooperation Plan including in the areas of i) Development, demonstration and dissemination of technologies for building resilient and sustainable agriculture and food systems through innovation, such as technologies enhancing smart/digital agriculture, circular economy, biomass energy, reducing Green House Gas (GHG) emission and Integrated Pest Management (IPM), ii) Human resource development for building resilient and sustainable agriculture, forestry and food systems, and iii) Other supports for the implementation of the ASEAN Regional Guidelines for Sustainable Agriculture in ASEAN, the ASEAN Leader's Declaration on Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Response to Crises, as well as for the promotion of nature-based solutions in the agriculture and forestry sector;
2.11.3 Promote cooperation on food value chain from farmers to consumers by collaboration between the public and the private sectors, including through the ASEAN-JICA Food Value Chain Development Project;
2.11.4 Explore cooperation on the promotion of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in ASEAN; and 2.11.5 Strengthen cooperation to promote sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.
2.12 Social Issues
2.12.1 Strengthen cooperation in areas such as social protection and social insurance including through the ASEAN and Japan High Level Officials Meeting on Caring Societies, regional initiative under Senior Officials Meeting on Social Welfare and Development (SOMSWD), and the multisectoral activities for individuals with developmental disorders based on the ERIA research;
2.12.2 Enhance cooperation to improve health and welfare services for the elderly and to realise a society of health and longevity with sustainable economic growth in ASEAN Member States and Japan through measures such as promoting policy dialogue, model projects, knowledge sharing of elderly related systems such as Japan's community-based integrated care system as well as the Healthy Aging Prize for Asian Innovation (HAPI), strengthening human resources development and promotion of the relevant business sectors, while seeking potential cooperation with the ASEAN Centre for Active Aging and Innovation (ACAI);
2.12.3 Strengthen cooperation in addressing issues related to urbanization such as poverty, unemployment, social protection, and aging population as well as enhance cooperation in the management of urban areas through the promotion of environmentally friendly energy, energy conservation, urban public transportation, waste management, and urban biodiversity and greenery;
2.12.4 Continue cooperation to narrow development gap (NDG) in the region through the implementation of the IAI Work Plan IV, economic corridors, special economic zones, and sub regional cooperation, including the Tokyo Strategy 2018 for Mekong-Japan Cooperation, the Mekong-Japan Initiative for SDGs toward 2030, the Mekong-Japan Action Plan and the Mekong Industrial Development Vision (MIDV), as well as strengthened cooperation between Japan and BIMP-EAGA;
2.12.5 Strengthen cooperation in women's empowerment and gender equality across sectors, to promote women's economic, and socio-cultural development including through the exploring utilisation of JAPAN-ASEAN Women Empowerment Fund;
2.12.6 Enhance dialogue and cooperation in the areas of occupational safety and health, social security, employment, and human resource development, including through convening conferences and organising training courses and seminars on related issues;
2.12.7 Strengthen cooperation to attain Sustainable Development Goals to further enhance human security of the peoples of ASEAN and Japan;
2.12.8 Promote cooperation to strengthen the capabilities of the ASEAN Civil Services in the areas of human resource management, capacity building and good governance;
2.12.9 Strengthen cooperation to promote and protect the rights of foreign workers, including foreign fishers; and
2.12.10 Strengthen cooperation on rural development in the region, including through supporting the sustainability of ASEAN Villages Network, among others in the forms of capacity building programs, technical exchange activities, and development of infrastructure and human resources, as guided by the Framework Action Plan on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication 2016 – 2025 and the ASEAN Masterplan on Rural Development 2022-2026.
3. Partners for Peace and Stability
To reaffirm our enhanced commitment, and to realise our partnership for peace and stability, ASEAN and Japan will:
3.1 Support ASEAN Political and Security Community towards the realisation of ASEAN Community Vision 2025 as well as ASEAN's aspirations for the ASEAN Community Vision 2045;
3.2 Uphold international law, including the UN Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS);
3.3 Continue to strengthen cooperation in the field of law and justice, including through the Justice Affairs Diplomacy initiative, to uphold and promote shared values and principles such as the rule of law through the implementation of the Joint Statement of the ASEAN-Japan Special Meeting of Justice Ministers and the ASEAN Japan Work Plan on Law and Justice, as well as promote youth empowerment including by organising youth forums;
3.4 Strengthen dialogue and cooperation for the maintenance of maritime security and safety, maritime order based on the rule of law, including freedom and safety of navigation and overflight and unimpeded commerce, enhance maritime domain awareness as well as cooperation among coastguards and relevant law enforcement agencies, strengthen cooperation on maritime capacity building, and ensure the resolution of disputes by peaceful means, without resorting to threat or use of force, in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS);
3.5 Further enhance the cooperation between ASEAN Member States and Japan in the field of law and justice through legal technical assistance, capacity building and networking initiatives including by JICA, International Cooperation Department of the Research and Training Institute of the Ministry of Justice of Japan (ICD) and the United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (UNAFEI);
3.6 Enhance defense cooperation and exchanges through the ADMM-Plus, other ASEAN-led frameworks, and ASEAN-Japan initiatives, as well as explore further ASEAN-wide cooperation, such as capacity building cooperation, defense equipment and technology cooperation, joint training and exercises, and human resource development and academic exchanges under the Vientiane Vision 2.0: Japan's Defense Cooperation Initiative with ASEAN;
3.7 Strengthen cooperation in implementing the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda as stated in ASEAN Member States' and Japan's action plans on WPS as well as ASEAN's Regional Plan of Action on WPS (RPA-WPS) including collaboration on enhancing women's leadership role in peace and security as well as disaster risk reduction;
3.8 Implement relevant measures to facilitate nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation as well as the safe and peaceful uses of nuclear energy in accordance with and through further promoting regional and international instruments such as the Treaty of Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ Treaty), the IAEA Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements and their Additional Protocols, and other relevant legal instruments, while welcoming the Hiroshima Action Plan to achieve a world without nuclear weapons;
3.9 Collaborate to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms including the support for ASEAN's efforts to further implement and disseminate the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD), the Phnom Penh Statement on the Adoption of the AHRD, ASEAN Leaders' Declaration on the ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue and relevant ASEAN declarations and international human rights instruments to which all ASEAN Member States are parties;
3.10 Further support the work of the ASEAN Inter-Governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), and where appropriate, other ASEAN sectoral bodies dealing with human rights through dialogue, including the ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue, training, capacity-building and technical cooperation aimed at enhancing the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms;
3.11 Further strengthen cooperation on combatting terrorism and transnational crimes such as terrorism financing, cybercrime, money laundering, illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, piracy and armed robbery against ships, trafficking in persons and online and phone scams, in accordance with the ASEAN-Japan Joint Declaration for Cooperation to Combat Terrorism and Transnational Crime and the SOMTC-Japan Work Plan on Cooperation to Combat Transnational Crime (2023-2027);
3.12 Strengthen the mechanisms for effective international cooperation in crime prevention and criminal justice including mutual legal assistance, law enforcement, and treatment of offenders, which includes support such as rehabilitation and social reintegration;
3.13 Explore ways to enhance cooperation in the area of cybersecurity to advance cyber readiness, strengthen regional cyber policy coordination, enhance trust in cyberspace and regional capacity building, particularly through the ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Capacity Building Centre (AJCCBC), the ASEAN-Singapore Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (ASCCE), the ADMM Cybersecurity and Information Centre of Excellence (ACICE), Japan's Basic Policy on Cybersecurity Capacity Building Support for Developing Countries, and the ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Policy Meeting including follow-up of the International Conference on ASEAN-Japan Cyber Security Community held in October 2023 in Tokyo, while seeking potential cooperation to promote Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) coordination, and develop cybersecurity standards in ASEAN in line with the ASEAN Cybersecurity Cooperation Strategy 2021-2025;
3.14 Promote cooperation to counter the proliferation of disinformation, which is a common challenge in all countries including Japan and ASEAN;
3.15 Support ASEAN's efforts in the implementation of the ASEAN Competition Action Plan (ACAP) 2025;
3.16 Strengthen cooperation on immigration issues such as border control and admission of foreign workers;
3.17 Enhance cooperation to support ASEAN's efforts in peace building, conflict management and conflict resolution, and address the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) and WPS Agendas in the region through relevant ASEAN mechanisms including the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (ASEAN-IPR);
3.18 Support efforts to address the humanitarian aspects of landmines and explosive remnants of war in the region through Japan's financial and technical assistance, and capacity building, as well as support the work of the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Centre (ARMAC) in addressing this issue;
3.19 Strengthen the existing mechanisms for consultation and cooperation between ASEAN and Japan including by convening the ASEAN-Japan Summits, the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference with Japan (PMC+1), the ASEAN-Japan Forum, and the ASEAN-Japan Joint Cooperation Committee (AJJCC) Meeting;
3.20 Deepen dialogue and cooperation through ASEAN-led mechanisms including the East Asia Summit (EAS), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), the ASEAN Plus Japan Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC + Japan), and the ASEAN Plus Three Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC + 3) Consultation; and
3.21 Work closely to strengthen the EAS, with ASEAN as its driving force, as a leaders-led forum for dialogue and cooperation on broad strategic, political and economic issues of common interest and concern with the aim of promoting peace, stability and economic prosperity in the region, including through the Group of the EAS Ambassadors in Jakarta.
4. Implementation Mechanism
ASEAN and Japan will:
4.1 Regularly review the progress of this Implementation Plan through the existing mechanisms between ASEAN and Japan, including the AJJCC and the ASEAN-Japan Forum; and
4.2 Jointly develop and submit an executive report on the progress of this Implementation Plan to the annual ASEAN-Japan Summit.