More than three weeks after the catastrophe, aid has reached only 25 per cent of the affected people, many of whom have been stranded without access to supplies in remote regions of the Irrawaddy delta.

Burma's ruling junta has come under growing international criticism for failing to facilitate a multi-million dollar disaster relief effort for their own people by slowing logistics and preventing foreign workers from entering the country or the delta.

"The purpose of the conference is to identify obstacles to getting the aid to the people that need it, and identify ways to overcome those obstacles to be able to move forwards as quickly as possible," said Richard Horsey, spokesman for the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The conference will be a diplomatic test for ASEAN, which has set up a task force to ease the implementation of the aid flow with Burma's paranoid generals. Burma joined ASEAN in 1997.

"ASEAN is providing the diplomatic architecture," said Surin at a recent press conference. "What we bring to the table is a degree of confidence, a degree of comfort."

What ASEAN will need to do is persuade Burma's junta to guarantee free assess for foreign experts to the cyclone-hit areas and assurances that pledges reach the people in need, otherwise the aid is unlikely to be forthcoming.

"This is make or break for ASEAN," said Sarah Ireland, regional director for Oxfam.

Ban received an assurance from Burmese junta head Senior General Than Shwe on Friday that visas and access would be allowed for all foreign experts, but donors will want guarantees and further details on Sunday.

"I'm sure that they will keep their commitment," Ban said on Saturday in Bangkok. He flew in to Rangoon Sunday morning to open the conference.