The ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC) convened its third meeting in Bali, Indonesia, on Nov. 10 to assess the implementation of activities and programmes relating to the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity and reviewed key recommendations.

Among the recommendations were to intensify collaboration with key stakeholders to enhance capacities in developing bankable proposals for physical infrastructure projects; to encourage awareness of inherent values among the peoples of ASEAN; to leverage and provide affordable access to ICT and its infrastructure, and to develop a pipeline of ready-to-commence projects to facilitate the mobilisation of resources, the ASEAN Secretariat said.

The recommendations were the result of a two-day ASEAN Connectivity Symposium on Nov. 8-9 where close to 200 participants representing various stakeholder constituencies came together to discuss key issues in the three dimensions of ASEAN Connectivity - physical, institutional and people-to-people - and in financing the implementation of the Master Plan.

Participants were also informed of the latest developments in the implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity.

The ASEAN Connectivity Symposium is one of the flagship outreach activities of the ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC) this year under the chairmanship of Indonesia.

Themed, "Enhancing ASEAN Connectivity to Support ASEAN Community 2015", the event was organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, the ASEAN Secretariat and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).

In her keynote address, Prof. Armida S. Alisjahbana, Minister of National Development Planning of Indonesia and Head of the National Development Planning Agency raised two main points: firstly to consider the different characteristics of ASEAN countries and their varying levels of development when implementing the Master Plan, and secondly on project financing.

She pointed out the importance of embracing all stakeholders to ensure a sense of ownership and of enlisting their participation so that they could benefit from the fruit of growth./.