ASEAN-U.S. PARTNERSHIP FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE, EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND SECURITY (PROGRESS) QUARTERLY REPORT (JANUARY– MARCH 2017)

Partnership for Good Governance, Equitable and Sustainable Development and Security (PROGRESS) is a five-year program aimed at supporting ASEAN's vision of a Southeast Asia "living in peace, stability, and prosperity." PROGRESS builds upon activities implemented and relationships forged to support ASEAN's aspirations to achieve its vision for the formation of a rules-based, prosperous community. The program supports ASEAN across three broad components focusing on institutional strengthening activities designed to enhance ASEAN's ability to advance good governance and political-security cooperation, improve ASEAN's capacity to promote equitable and sustainable human development, and strengthen ASEAN institutional capacity. Within this framework, PROGRESS focuses activities across seven work streams: transnational crime and non-traditional security threats with a focus on Trafficking in Persons (TIP), human rights, executive, judicial, and legislative networks, science-based policy making, disaster risk reduction and management, women's and children's rights, and public outreach, youth engagement, and strengthening ASEAN institutions. The PROGRESS contract was awarded on September 3rd, 2013, and runs through September 2nd, 2018. This report covers the second quarter of the project's fourth year from January – March 2017. Major highlights from activities implemented this quarter include the endorsement from the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) for the proposal to develop regional guidance and procedures to address the needs of victims of TIP. PROGRESS also supported the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) through the Malaysia Representative to hold a three-day Judicial Colloquium on Sharing Good Practices regarding International Human Rights Law and Human Rights Cases in Domestic Courts from March 13th to 15th in Kuala Lumpur. Additionally, PROGRESS provided the translation into Lao and printing of 1,500 copies of the "ASEAN Vision 2025: Forging Ahead Together," which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) distributed to 26 government agencies, universities, and other state institutions this quarter. To further support ASEAN's aspiration to become a rules-based institution, PROGRESS submitted a concept note for the development of a reporting system on the implementation of ASEAN legal instruments to the ASEAN Secretariat's Legal Services Division (LSAD), which was endorsed for implementation beginning next quarter. In the area of science-based policymaking, nine finalists from the top three teams of the YSEALI World of Food Innovation Challenge travelled to Austin, Texas from March 13th to 18th where they met academics, representatives from the private sector, and the Mayor of Austin. In disaster risk reduction and management, PROGRESS hired a consultant to begin work on the development of a framework for ASEAN's Standardization and Certification of Expert in Disaster Management (ASCEND) program to guide Member States on the establishment of a certification program. PROGRESS also finalized and received endorsement for ASEAN's Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (RVA) Guidelines, which will be uploaded to AHA Centre's website early next quarter. Furthermore, PROGRESS convened over 40 technical experts from the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM), ASEAN Telecommunication Regulators Co, and other relevant stakeholders to discuss and finalize the guidelines.