ASEAN and the world

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) have renewed an agreement allowing ADB to continue accessing GCF funds for its climate finance ambition in Asia and the Pacific.

(CPV) - The super sea-crossing project from Shenzhen to Zhongshan not only connects traffic directly between these two cities, but also creates momentum to promote economic, financial and social development, and connection in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Recently, more than 40 reporters and journalists from Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, countries participating in the Mekong-Lancang cooperation mechanism, have had a field trip to Beijing, Guangdong and Yunnan of China.

The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has warned that Thailand could experience dry conditions due to the El Nino phenomenon until early next year.

With the vote for House Speaker and deputies completed, the parliament of Thailand is heading to the next crucial meeting to vote for Prime Minister. Eight parties holding the majority seats in the lower house said they were united in their decision to vote for Move Forward party leader Pita Limjaroenrat.

The ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia will hold the ASEAN Energy Business Forum 2023 (AEBF) themed "Accelerating Energy Connectivity to Achieve ASEAN's Sustainable Growth" on August 24-26 in Bali, Indonesia.

Student enrolment in every school grade in Laos has fallen, while the dropout rate has increased in both primary and secondary schools.

Indonesia is working to develop medical tourism in rural areas as part of the country’s effort to strengthen public health care services, a senior official has said.

The ASEAN-G7 Justice Ministers' Interface convened in Tokyo, Japan on July 7, aiming to foster cooperation among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Group of Seven (G7) countries in the field of law and justice.

Thailand's Ministry of Public Health has launched the first mobile renal dialysis unit in the country in a bid to help bedridden patients in remote areas.

The Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has sent another batch of relief items from the people of ASEAN to the people of Myanmar affected by Tropical Cyclone Mocha, said ASEAN Chair Indonesia.

(CPV) - The Global Environment Facility’s governing board has approved plans to establish a “game-changing” new fund to finance the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to put nature on a recovery path by the end of this decade.

(CPV) - The Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) will deploy $63 million in urgent funding for countries on the frontlines of climate change following a meeting of the Global Environment Facility-managed funds in Brazil.

(CPV) - Meeting in Brazil, the Global Environment Facility’s governing body approved the disbursement of $1.4 billion to accelerate efforts to tackle the climate, biodiversity, and pollution crises.

(CPV) - Bond yields in emerging East Asia declined from March to May amid easing inflationary pressure in the region and slower monetary tightening in the United States, according to the latest issue of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Asia Bond Monitor.

Malaysian government said on June 23 it will take legal action against Facebook parent company Meta Platforms (META) for failing to remove "undesirable" posts, the strongest measure the country has taken to date over such content.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Trade is striving to optimise the country's role as chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2023 to increase the volume of national exports, especially of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) products, to the region, a senior official has said.

Indonesia plans to launch its carbon exchange in September, with power generation companies the first to trade on it.

Malaysia’s net inflows of foreign investment surged to 74.6 billion RM (16.17 billion USD) in 2022 from 50.4 billion RM in 2021, while investment abroad tripled to 58.6 billion RM from 19.4 billion RM, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM) in a statement on June 16.

Ạuthorities of Indonesia’s Bali have recently issued new regulations for foreign tourists to address the increasing number of law violations on this resort island.

Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Park Jin on June 16 proposed establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year during his talks with ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn in Seoul.

Philippine authorities on June 11 gave “health concern” warnings due to ash cloud and toxic gases spewing from Mayon volcano.

Election recounts ordered at 47 polling stations across Thailand progressed without a hitch on June 11, with early results suggesting no change to the outcome of the May 15 poll.

Localities in Laos have been turning Boun Bang Fai (Rocket Festival) – a long-lasting major festival in the Southeast Asia country – into a tourism event to attract visitors.

Chair of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Arsjad Rasjid has said that the close partnership between ASEAN and Japan over the past 50 years will accelerate the strengthening of economic integration and the establishment of a free trade area, and enhance competitiveness in the global market.

Senior officials of ASEAN and the UK reaffirmed commitment to further strengthen ASEAN-UK Dialogue Partnership and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation at the second ASEAN-UK Senior Officials’ Meeting (AUKSOM) in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei on June 8.

(CPV) - Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must shift from meeting basic development targets to ramping up efforts to improve quality of life across the region to build a resilient ASEAN and yield a faster recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, says a new report from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen had a meeting with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin at the Shangri-La Singapore hotel on June 2, during which the two sides affirmed their commitment to continue seeking opportunities to promote bilateral defence cooperation.

(CPV) - More than any other region, children in the East Asia and Pacific region are having to survive multiple, often overlapping climate and environmental hazards and shocks, according to the latest UNICEF regional report ‘Over the Tipping Point’. The report highlights the urgent need to invest in climate-smart social services and policies to protect children.

Indonesia pursued an initiative to improve counterterrorism strategies with partners and ASEAN countries through the 19th Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) Working Group on Counter Terrorism which took place on May 18 in Bali, Indonesia.