The Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) initiative was launched in 1994 as a cooperation initiative by the four national governments to close the development gap across and within the EAGA member countries as well as across the ASEAN-6 member states.

BIMP-EAGA cooperation aims to increase trade, tourism and investments with and outside the subregion by:

• Facilitating the free movement of people, goods, and services
• Making the best use of common infrastructure and natural resources
• Taking the fullest advantage of economic complementation

The BIMP-EAGA initiative is market-driven, and operates through a decentralized organization structure involving the four governments and the private sector.

Its goal is to accelerate economic development in focus areas which, although geographically distant from their national capitals, are in strategic proximity to each other, in one of the world's most resource-rich regions Heart of Borneo (HoB) and Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion (SSME).