The Regional Initiatives recipient category captures both funding allocated to regional organisations, such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and projects implemented across multiple countries.
From 2015 to 2023, 2,477 projects were implemented in the Regional Initiatives category by 53 development partners, totalling $2.2 billion in official development finance (ODF). This represents less than 1% of all ODF recorded in the Southeast Asia Aid Map.
Key trends
ODF disbursements including grants, loans, and other forms of assistance to Regional Initiatives have increased over time — steadily from 2015 to 2022 and then growing sharply in 2023. ODF in this category is most often delivered as grants (89%), with occasional use of concessional and non-concessional loans.
Looking ahead, commitments accelerated steeply from 2020 to 2022 but fell dramatically in 2023.
- Spent
- Committed
Development partners
The top contributors to Regional Initiatives from 2015 to 2023 are China, the United States, and the EU Institutions.
Though China has not been a regular supporter in this category, with no transactions recorded until 2022, in 2023 the establishment of the China–ASEAN Investment Cooperation Fund saw $500 million disbursed. That transaction alone accounts for 64% of disbursements in 2023.
The United States has provided assistance more consistently but on a more modest scale, averaging $26 million annually from 2015 to 2023. The United States has focused on the general environment protection, energy, and government and civil society sectors.
The EU Institutions offer support at the same scale, also averaging $26 million annually, with an emphasis on the government and civil society sector.
Sectors
The Regional Initiatives category receives far below the regional average ODF for most infrastructure sectors, including transport and storage, communications, and energy. Above average spending (as a proportion of total ODF received) was recorded in the humanitarian aid, health, general environment protection, banking and financial services, agriculture, forestry, and fishing, and other sectors.
- Regional initiatives
- Regional average
Policy goals
The Southeast Asia Aid Map tracks ODF with integrated policy goals across three policy domains or cross-cutting themes (as distinct from sectors): climate action, gender equality, and disability inclusion.
ODF provided on a regional or multilateral basis to Southeast Asia scores higher for gender equality (34%) and climate action (62%) integration, but lower for disability inclusion (6%).