Australia shares a vision for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Southeast Asia. Australia’s development assistance advances our collective interests and tackles shared challenges – including climate change, advancing gender equality, inclusive, sustainable growth and fostering resilient communities. We are committed to upholding ASEAN centrality, including through our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, supporting the Mekong subregion and over $500 million in new ODA and non-ODA initiatives announced at the 2024 ASEAN-Australia Special Summit.

Australia’s development cooperation in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Timor-Leste and Vietnam tackles some of our region’s most pressing priorities – inclusive economic growth, climate change and the clean energy transition, gender equality, and knowledge and skills development.

Further details are contained in the Southeast Asia Regional Development Cooperation Factsheet.

Regional program highlights

Through Australia's Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with ASEAN, we provided 100 Aus4ASEAN scholarships to support emerging leaders to study in Australia in fields that advance the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, including international law, trade, science and public health.

The Partnerships for Infrastructure (P4I) program has assisted partners to accelerate transport connectivity, the transition to clean energy and telecommunications reforms, working with more than 75 Australian organisations to build relationships with 31 Southeast Asian government agencies.

The Mekong-Australia Partnership (MAP) supported environmental resilience in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam through technical assistance and training on climate adaptation and disaster resilience. A partnership with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) supports fish migration, river health and food security in the Mekong River Basin.

The Investing in Women program improves women's economic participation. Since 2016, investment into 82 women-led SMEs in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam has helped catalyse over A$525 million of additional capital and follow-on investment funding.

Our approach to regional development cooperation is outlined in the Southeast Asia Regional Development Partnership Plan.