ABSTRACT
As Chapter Two highlighted, there is a substantive gap in average development achievement between the ASEAN-6 and CLMV countries and it will be many years until there is any significant convergence in the main development outcomes of income, education and health. While the human development gap has decreased by 13 per cent over the last 11 years, the gap in income has increased by 10 per cent over the same time. As discussed in Chapters Two and Four, there are a large number of drivers that influence these gaps, including physical infrastructure investment, openness to trade, human capital development and governance and institutional quality. Bilateral, regional and multilateral development cooperation is also an important driver of development achievements as it provides funds for activities that can stimulate the aforementioned drivers, among others. As highlighted in Chapter Two, development cooperation has greater potential to contribute to improved living standards in recipient countries when it is delivered in accordance with the Paris principles.
