JAKARTA, 9 November 2021 - Infrastructure Asia, the Lead Implementing Body for Sustainable Infrastructure (LIB-SI), and the ASEAN Secretariat, co-organised a public discussion on the Future of Infrastructure: Shaping Asia's Sustainability Focus yesterday, online and in-person in Singapore.
As part of the Asia Sustainable Infrastructure Advisory (ASIA) Panel Inaugural Meeting and 3rd Forum of ASEAN Infrastructure Discussion Series, the public discussion focused on sharing and exchanging views on the initial findings from ASEAN's project on Assessment of Future Sustainable Infrastructure Trends and Priorities in a Post-Pandemic ASEAN. It also touched on infrastructure best practices and solutions to support future priorities of Southeast Asia and beyond.
Dignitaries who delivered opening and welcome remarks in the event include Indranee Rajah, Minister at the Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Finance and National Development, Singapore; Ir Awang Haji Amer Hishamuddin Zakaria, LIB-SI Chair and Permanent Secretary (Infrastructure, Housing and Professional), Ministry of Development of Brunei Darussalam; and Dato Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General of ASEAN.
In his remarks, Secretary-General Dato Lim emphasised the need for changing old assumptions and developing new frame of thinking in designing and managing infrastructure. "We need to approach infrastructure projects through the lens of connectivity, sustainability, resilience, and long-term community benefit -- that will only be possible if we invest in new skills and capabilities, such as greater creativity and innovation, better communication and collaboration, stronger contract management, and more multidisciplinary specialists," he added.
The COVID-19 outbreak has impacted infrastructure development as resources were diverted to address immediate needs. Responding to this challenge, the project on Assessment of Future Sustainable Infrastructure Trends and Priorities in a Post-Pandemic ASEAN, aims to identify future infrastructure priorities to support socio-economic recovery, strengthen resilience, and seize opportunities, as well as make recommendations to determine the suitability of infrastructure projects for inclusion into the Initial Rolling Priority Pipeline of ASEAN Infrastructure Projects.
The public discussion successfully generated interests and elicited further inputs from the audience on future priorities for sustainable infrastructure, which include digital, logistics and supply chain, and urban infrastructures.
Infrastructure Asia also held two other public discussions on 8-9 November as part of the ASIA Panel Inaugural Meeting on i) Technology in Infrastructure: Technology to Drive Sustainable Infrastructure co-organised with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and ii) Sustainable Investment Financing: Increasing Sustainable Finance for Infrastructure in Asia co-organised with Global Infrastructure Hub and ASEAN+3 Working Group 1.
The ASIA Panel Inaugural Meeting and related sessions were attended by more than 950 participants, including experts and representatives from ASEAN Member States, Dialogue Partners and Other External Partners, as well as research institutes, multilateral development banks, private investors, and infrastructure solution providers.
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Infrastructure Asia is Singapore's representative in LIB-SI. The recording of the session is available at Infrastructure Asia's YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/EB04pTlKZPM