Joint Statement on Deferment of Regional Capacity Building and Community Project Implementation of eMpowering Youths Across ASEAN Cohort Two

1. eMpowering Youths Across ASEAN is a flagship programme by Maybank Foundation in collaboration with ASEAN Foundation. This programme aims to alleviate poverty and improve the social and economic well-being of ASEAN communities through youth volunteerism and social innovation.
2. In light of the current COVID-19 global outbreak, we regret to announce the deferment of the regional workshop, ‘eMpowering Youths Across ASEAN: Cohort Two’ scheduled for 1 to 8 March 2020 and the ten community projects in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines planned for 23 March to 8 April 2020 until further notice.
3. The ASEAN Foundation and Maybank Foundation had arrived to this decision owing to several considerations, this includes the health risk posed by the COVID-19 outbreak in Thailand, in which the Regional Capacity Building and Orientation Workshop will take place, as well as the health risks faced in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines in which the community projects will be conducted.
4. We would like to reaffirm our commitment to execute the eMpowering Youths Across ASEAN programme and hereby commit to:

• Implement the Regional Capacity Building and Orientation Workshop of ‘eMpowering Youths Across ASEAN: Cohort Two’;
• Implement the agreed ten community projects in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

1. We recognise the inconvenience that this postponement may have caused. However, the well-being and safety of all our stakeholders remain our priority.
2. Finally, Maybank Foundation and ASEAN Foundation will continue to give regular updates on the current progress to all stakeholders, partners, selected youth volunteers and Civil Society Organisations.

Developed in Jakarta on 18 February 2020

Maybank Foundation and ASEAN Foundation