Timor-Leste and ADB to Launch Second Capacity Building Program for ASEAN Accession
The Government of Timor-Leste, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and in partnership with the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), on March 10th, 2025, will organize Phase 2 of the Capacity Building Program (CBP) to support Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN.
Launched in response to recommendations from the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) to Timor-Leste in 2022, the CBP aims to address knowledge and process gaps within Timor-Leste's government to support the country’s accession to ASEAN.
ASEC delivered Phase 1 of the CBP (CBP 1.0) from February 2023 to January 2024, with support from ADB. It brought resource persons from ASEAN Member States (AMS) to provide Timorese officials with practical insights based on their experiences. Participants engaged in interactive sessions, learning from real-world experiences of AMS in implementing ASEAN agreements. The CBP received positive feedback, with calls for more interactive learning methods, in-depth, practical training and enhanced knowledge retention mechanisms.
Phase 2 of CBP (CBP 2.0) will be launched on 11 March 2025 with a three-day refresher and progress update. CBP 2.0 will reinforce key learnings from the first phase while introducing new priority areas identified in the Roadmap for Timor-Leste’s Full Membership in ASEAN. Topics include understanding ASEAN’s economic frameworks, institutional arrangements, and the Priority One Agreements under Annex 2 of the Roadmap. In addition, CBP 2.0 will deliver tailored training programs for officials from specific line ministries and agencies to address sector-specific needs and challenges related to implementing ASEAN Economic Agreements.
The CBP is part of Timor-Leste’s broader commitment to regional integration and is implemented under ADB’s Technical Assistance Project in Timor-Leste: Capacity for Multilateral and Regional Economic Integration.
Timor-Leste remains committed towards the accession process and will continue to cooperate with ASEAN, ADB and other development partners in its journey towards full membership.
