This project sends young Myanmar diplomats to ASEAN meetings to raise their ability to organize and host high-level ministerial conferences and summit meetings as required by the host county of ASEAN summits. During the three years of the project, 46 diplomats were sent to ASEAN meetings.
In fiscal 2008, six young Myanmar diplomats were sent to the 38th ASEAN Standing Committee, the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting, the 38th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and the Post Ministerial Conference (held in Singapore in July 2008). One was sent to the Informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and the Special ASEAN Director-General Meeting (held in New York in September 2008). Finally, six were sent to the ASEAN Coordinating Council Meeting, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting with High Level Panel on an ASEAN Human Rights Body, the ASEAN Foreign Minister Meeting with High Level Legal Experts Group on the ASEAN Charter, and the 14th ASEAN Summit (held in Hua Hin, Thailand, in February 2009).
There had been plans to send diplomats to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat scheduled for February 2009, but political uncertainty in Thailand forced the Retreat to be postponed until the following year, making it impossible to send them during the project term. In addition, a seminar had been planned at the Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs to allow the diplomats sent to share experiences and achievements with one another, but it was not held due to circumstances in Myanmar, most notably the movement of the capital and political unrest. It is anticipated that Myanmar diplomats who did not have an opportunity to participate in the project will still be able to learn from the experience and achievements of those who, through participation in ASEAN meetings, gained know-how in organizing and hosting such meetings and acquired skills in preparing relevant documents. This is expected to contribute to raising their ability to perform such tasks.