2024-25 regional allocation [budget estimate]

$192.5 million

2024-25 total ODA to Southeast Asia regional [budget estimate]

$330.4 million

2023-24 regional allocation [budget estimate]

$210.9 million

2023-24 total ODA to Southeast Asia Regional [budget estimate]

$346.3 million

2022-23 total Australian ODA [actual]

$100.8 million

Deepening Australia’s engagement with Southeast Asia is a priority. Building on our longstanding development partnerships with the region advances our mutual interests. We are listening to the region’s perspectives and will continue to build and develop our support to meet their priorities and tackle shared challenges – including climate change, inclusive and sustainable growth, gender equality and fostering resilient communities.

Australia is committed to working together with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the countries of the Mekong subregion to pursue a region that is peaceful, stable and prosperous. Working with ASEAN Member States, and through regional initiatives, complements Australia’s substantial bilateral relationships with the countries of Southeast Asia.

Major regional programs include Australia's Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with ASEAN, Partnerships for Infrastructure (P4I), The Mekong-Australia Partnership (MAP), Investing in Women and the Southeast Asia and Australia Government-to-Government Partnerships program.

Joint Objectives of the Australian Southeast Asia Regional Development Partnership

The overarching goal of the Australia – Southeast Asia regional development partnership is a region that is peaceful, stable and prosperous. We want to support a region where ASEAN and ASEAN-led institutions hold the centre and play a leading role in implementing the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. We will support transboundary and subregional development partnerships that promote the resilience of the Mekong subregion.

The Australia Southeast Asia Regional Development Partnership Plan 2024-2028 (DPP) translates into action the development priorities Australia shares with Southeast Asia. The DPP sets out agreed objectives, how we will work together to deliver shared outcomes, and how progress will be monitored.

Objective 1 – Inclusive regional economic growth and integration 

Driving inclusive economic growth is a top priority for all Southeast Asian countries and ASEAN. In line with Invested: Australia's Southeast Economic Strategy to 2040, we will work with Southeast Asia to strengthen our strategic economic cooperation for mutual benefit, through ODA and non-ODA investments, across government, regional organisations and private sector. We will support stronger economic policy and business enabling environment, an uplift in the development of and investment in quality, sustainable and inclusive infrastructure and increase economic opportunity for women, people with disabilities and marginalised groups.

Objective 2 – Enhanced regional and community resilience

Australia will support stronger and more effective regional architecture by engaging closely with ASEAN and Mekong subregion institutions and initiatives. We will deepen our cooperation and partnerships on regional security and stability, including in the areas of transnational crime, safe migration, health security and maritime security. Our support to enhanced education and skills, and advancing gender equality and disability equity will contribute to strengthened human development and community resilience.

Objective 3 – Greater regional action on climate change and energy transition

Australia is well placed to work with the region on the clean energy transition and respond to demand for the required data, expertise and technologies. We will sharpen the focus on climate change and disaster risk reduction across our Southeast Asia regional programs. We will continue supporting implementation of the ASEAN Strategy for Carbon Neutrality and ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2016–2025. Regional priorities include the ASEAN Power Grid, renewable energy development, and regional energy policy and planning, as well as the work of the ASEAN Centre for Energy and establishment of the ASEAN Centre for Climate Change. Through the new Government-to-Government program (SEAG2G, 2024-28) Australian and Southeast Asian government agencies will build and sustain relationships and support policy and technical capability in climate and energy. Our long-standing investments in resilient infrastructure, water and food security, especially in the Mekong region, to will support adaption and reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and disasters.

Climate Change

Southeast Asia faces rising sea levels, heat waves, floods, droughts and increasingly intense and unpredictable weather events and natural hazards. Climate change and disasters are exacerbating pre-existing vulnerabilities have the potential to affect populations at scale, reversing development gains and requiring significant recovery efforts.

Addressing climate change and the clean energy transition is a key component of Australia’s diplomatic, economic and development relationships in Southeast Asia.

We will help accelerate the region’s clean energy transition, including through the equitable uptake of technologies that contribute to mitigation and advance progress toward net zero emissions.

As outlined above in Objective 3 we will continue to support ASEAN to implement action plans on energy transition, including through our support to the establishment of the ASEAN Centre for Climate Change.  We will also continue to support the reduction of the region’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and disaster through investing in adaptation in priority sectors such as resilient infrastructure, water, and food security.

Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI)

In Southeast Asia, women and girls, people with disabilities and marginalised populations often have reduced access to economic opportunities and are disproportionately in vulnerable employment. Although recognition of the importance of gender equality, disability equity and social inclusion to sustainable development in Southeast Asia is increasing.

We will increase economic opportunity for women, people with disability and marginalised groups. Investments centred on GEDSI will be key to sharing the benefits of prosperity. Programs such as Investing in Women place women at the forefront of economic development, supporting them to participate fully as employees and entrepreneurs by reducing or removing structural barriers, including prohibitive gender norms.
Continued engagement in Southeast Asia through Women’s World Banking will drive approaches to financial inclusion. We will support efforts to scale gender-lens investing and consider options to incorporate a stronger focus on disability and social inclusion.

Australia will engage Southeast Asia partners to better understand what works to prevent and end gender-based violence through a new regional platform. We will work with partners to make schools safer for girls and address harmful gender norms.