The ASEAN Secretariat has contracted Sustineo to write, edit and publish a book on Narrowing the Development Gap in ASEAN. The book will be edited by Professor Mark McGillivray and Dr David Carpenter. This book will be published by Routledge and launched at the ASEAN Summit in 2013. The objective of this publication is to provide ASEAN policy makers and implementers with a source of timely, in-depth and clear analysis of key strategic NDG issues coupled with practical policy recommendations. This analysis will be communicated in a practical, policy relevant way, in a format that can influence decision-makers within ASEAN Member States (AMSs) and elsewhere.
The book will quantitatively assess the extent of development gaps within and between AMSs, with a focus on Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam and the poorer ASEAN 6 countries. A multidimensional conception of poverty will be used. The book will also provide ASEAN with a way to monitor this gap over time. As well as assessing the extent of gaps in 2012, the book will adopt a future orientation and by assessing where AMSs will be in 5, 10 and 15 years following current development trajectories. Importantly, the book will assess the extent to which the ASEAN connectivity agenda can assist in narrowing the gap, as well as determining the optimal form regional cooperation.