Regional Partnerships Scheme Program Stream Regional Economic Policy Support Facility
The proposed ASEAN Charter was a majorfocusofdiscussionwhenForeign MinistersofASEANMemberCountries met in Manila, the Philippines, for the 40thASEANMinisterialMeeting(AMM) on30July2007.
The meeting was chaired by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines,HEAlbertoG.Romulo,with an opening address by HE President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. President Arroyo highlighted this year’s ASEAN theme of ‘One Caring and Sharing Community’andtheimportanceofthe ASEANCharterinthisregard.
The ASEAN Charter will give ASEAN legalstandingandaresponsive,rules-based structure to support regional integration and ASEAN’s expanding global role. The meeting commended thedraftCharterpreparedbytheHigh LevelTask Force and offered guidance on a final format for presentation to the 13th ASEAN Summit in November 2007.
Significantly, Foreign Ministers agreed that the Charter should mandate the establishment of an ASEAN commission to promote and protect humanrights.Althoughtheoperational
details are yet to be agreed, this was hailed as a valuable breakthrough for ASEAN’s ‘people-centered’ vision and strongly-held principles of justice and democracy.
Atthe12thASEANSummitheldJanuary 2007,leadersagreedtobringforwardthe deadlineforestablishmentoftheASEAN Communityfrom2020to2015.TheAMM advocated measures to coordinate the three pillars of community-building - economic, security and socio-cultural -withacceleratedeffortstoreducethe development gap and promote human wellbeing.
The meeting also endorsed ASEAN initiatives to promote and protect the rights of migrant workers and to strengthen regional cooperation in natural disaster management and emergency response. It was agreed to share resources to safeguard citizens of ASEAN nations caught in crisis situationsinthirdcountries.
The AMM thanked ASEAN’s outgoing SecretaryGeneral,HEOngKengYong, for his outstanding contribution to ASEAN in the past four years, and endorsed Thailand’s nomination of Dr. Surin Pitsuwan for appointment as the
new Secretary General, for the period 2008to2012.
Meetings following the AMM included ‘ASEAN PlusThree’ with China, Japan andSouthKorea,ASEANPostMinisterial ConferencePlusOne(PMC+1)meetings withDialoguePartners,andtheASEAN RegionalForum.
At the PMC+1 with Australia, ASEAN Foreign Ministers and the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Alexander Downer MP, signed the historic Joint Declaration on the
ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive
Partnership.Further information about theDeclarationisincludedonPage5.
aadcp
news
No. 14, September 2007
ASEAN Foreign Ministers Endorse Landmark Initiatives
In this Edition
Joint Declaration on the ASEAN-
•
Australia Comprehensive Partnership ASEAN’s Aquatic Animal Health Improved
•
Southeast Asian Foot and Mouth Disease
•
Control Program Supported
Enabling ASEAN Project: Strengthening the
•
ASEAN Secretariat
Barriers to Integration of ASEAN’s Priority
•
Sectors Researched
AADCP Events: October 07 – January 08
•
Regional Partnerships Scheme News
ASEAN’s Aquatic Animal Health Improved
The recently completed RPS project,
Strengthening Aquatic Animal Health Capacity and Biosecurity inASEAN, has improved ASEAN Member Countries’ capacitytomanageaquaticanimalhealth, bothonanationalandregionalbasis.
Thegoalofthe18-monthprojectwasto enhancethecapacityofASEANMember Countriestomanageriskstobiosecurity of fisheries industries by developing harmonisedapproachestoaquaticanimal health management and biosecurity and improvingregionalcapacitytoimplement theseharmonisedapproaches.
AusVetAnimalHealthServicespartnered withtheNetworkofAquacultureCentres for Asia-Pacific (NACA), theThai Aquatic AnimalHealthResearchInstituteandthe Australian Department of Agriculture, FisheriesandForestry(DAFF)toconduct a series of complementary policy workshops,trainingcoursesandtechnical missionsforpolicymakersandtechnical staff. Over 130 representatives from the 10ASEANMemberCountriestookpartin thevariousactivities.
Two representatives from each ASEAN Member Country participated in week-long training courses in Singapore
and Viet Nam to increase their skills in key aspects of modern aquatic animal diseasecontrol.Thecoursesfocusedon: disease surveillance; disease reporting; riskanalysistoreducetheriskofdisease spreadingthroughtrade;andcontingency planningtorespondquicklyandeffectively tomajordiseaseoutbreaks.
Thepolicydevelopmentcomponentofthe project included two policy workshops, held 12 months apart, in Thailand and Indonesia, and in-country development of national strategies.Technical missions visitedCambodia,LaoPDR,Myanmar,and
Viet Nam to assist in identifying national needs and developing approaches to addressthecountries'specificneeds.
InMay2007,policyworkshopparticipants
finalised the Draft Recommended
Minimum Operational Requirements for Implementing National Aquatic Animal Health Strategies within ASEAN and
the accompanying Compiled ASEAN
Progress in the Implementation of NationalAquaticAnimalHealthStrategies. These documents will become the basis for ongoing guidance and monitoring by the ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Fisheries(ASWGFi)ofMemberCountries’ progress in implementing their national strategies.
In August 2007, project partners NACA and DAFF published theAquaticAnimal Diseases Significant to Asia-Pacific: Identification Field Guide. This Guide drawsextensivelyonhealthmanagement researchandexperienceinAustraliaand other countries in Asia. It references all World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)-listeddiseasesaswellasadditional diseases relevant to the ASEAN region. TheGuidecanbedownloadedat:http:// www.enaca.org/modules/news/article. php?storyid=1003
Southeast Asian Foot and Mouth Disease Control Program Supported
Strengthening the capacity of the SoutheastAsianFootandMouthDisease RegionalReferenceLaboratory(SEAFMD RRL) was the focus of the two-year AADCP-RPS project,Establishment of a Reference Laboratory for the Southeast Asian Foot and Mouth Disease Control Program,whichconcludedinApril2007.
Laboratory diagnosis is essential to correctlyidentifyfootandmouthdisease (FMD) in livestock, trace the possible originoftheoutbreakandassistselection ofaneffectivevaccine.Effectiveoperation of SEAFMD RRL as an ASEAN regional resource of FMD expertise is important for the success of control strategies withinaffectedASEANMemberCountries andforalleviationofFMDriskacrossthe region.
The RPS Project assisted SEAFMD RRL to meet the scientific, biocontainment and quality standards necessary for a regionalreferencelaboratory.Coreproject partners, the CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) and SEAFMD RRL, delivered outputs in laboratory management, technical operation and training,asfollows:
development of a strategic plan for •
operationoftheSEAFMDRRL;
conduct of a regional training •
workshop/training course for
representatives from ASEAN FMD testinglaboratories;
formation of LabNet, an ASEAN •
regional network of laboratory expertise;
reviewandharmonisationofregional •
laboratorytestingmethodsforFMD;
provision of assistance for
•
accreditation to quality standard, engineering maintenance and the safe operation of SEAFMD RRL as a secure laboratory for work with FMD;and
delivery of training modules to •
laboratorystaffatSEAFMDRRL.
Allprojectactivitieswerecomplementary to the goals of the SEAFMD Campaign
for Regional FMD Control, an initiative of the World Organisation for Animal Health(theOIEorOfficeInternationaldes Epizooties).
The final output of the project was an application to the OIE for additional support for an ongoing collaborative ‘twinning’ process between AAHL and SEAFMDRRL.
Thiswouldstrengthenthecaseforformal international recognition through the OIE ofSEAFMDRRLasareferencecentreof FMDexpertise.
The‘twinning’processwouldbuildonthe existinglong-termpartnershipandwould continue to strengthen ASEAN-Australia cooperation in the successful control of FMDwithinASEAN.
TrainingWorkshop conducted November 22 – December 1, 2005 at the Southeast Asian Foot and Mouth Disease RegionalReferenceLaboratory(SEAFMDRRL),Pakchong,Thailand.TheworkshopwasfacilitatedbyCSIROAustralian AnimalHealthLaboratoryspecialistsandattendedbyfootandmouthdisease(FMD)laboratoryrepresentativesfrom Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines,Thailand andViet Nam. TrainingfocusedonFMDdiagnostictechniquesandanalysis,toimprovesamplesubmissiontotheSEAFMDRRL. Keen ASEAN participants with trainers Ms. Jenny
Program Stream News
The Program Stream, now in its final year, is functioning at peak activity level. At the 6th Program Coordinating Committee (PCC) Meeting in Jakarta on 12 April 2007, PCC members approved extension proposals for seven current Program Stream projects. Extensions have been granted for projects covering skills, e-commerce, standards, customs, animal health, plant health and food safety, with most of these projects now concludinglate2007orearly2008.These extensionstotalmorethan$A1.1million.
It is expected that extension activities willleadtogreatercapacitybuildingand sustainability of project outcomes. In addition,thetwoRound4projectsinthe SMEAutomotivesectorandtheEnabling ASEAN Project continue (refer to article below).
Mr.MikeCrooke,MonitoringandEvaluation Specialist,andMs.SusanMajid,Program Director,conductedaconsultativemission meeting with all Australian Implementing Partners(AIPs)inJulyandAugust2007,in
preparation for a collective performance assessment of Program Stream projects during the 7th PCC Meeting scheduled 26-27September2007.
This final PCC Meeting involving all stakeholders - Coordination Unit staff and Desk Officers from the ASEAN Secretariat,ASEANRegionalFocalPoints, representatives from AusAID Canberra, AIPsandtheCardnoAcilteam-willoffer theopportunitytodiscussprojectresults andtheimplicationsforASEAN.
The Enabling ASEAN Project (EAP) commenced under the AADCP Program Stream in March 2007. It is the first AADCP PS project with a specific focus on institutional strengthening of the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC). With the expected establishment of the ASEAN Charter in November 2007, the project’s timing is significant. Member Countries’expectationsoftheSecretariat will continue to grow, and ASEC must ensureithasthecapacitytomeetthese expectations.
The project has two areas of focus: strengtheningoperations,andenhancing internalmanagementsystems.
OperationsreferstoASEC’scorefunctions including servicing meetings, providing technical and policy advice to ASEAN Member Countries, and supporting ASEANcooperationactivities.Operations AdviserMr.GaryEllemwillworkwithinthe Secretariatfortheproject’sduration.Heis usingtwoapproachesinhiswork:general coaching;andissue-specificsupport.
General coaching primarily involves mentoring a group of 12 Technical Officers selected by the Secretary General of ASEAN.The group members are participating in a series of skills development workshops and have accesstoone-on-onecoachingfromthe Operations Adviser.The group members willassistintheenhancementofvarious Secretariatproceduresand,overtime,will play a role in institutionalising improved practicesacrosstheorganisation.
Issue-specific support involves working with staff at various levels on individual operationalmatters.Thissupportwillhelp to produce good operational outcomes fortheSecretariatintheshort-term,and, just as importantly, do so in a way that models good management practices for the future. To date, the Operations Adviser has focused on two main issues: strengthening the coordination mechanisms within ASEAN’s
Socio-Cultural Community; and assisting in the development of a new strategy for ‘narrowingthedevelopmentgap’between ASEAN’soriginalandnewermembers,in particularinthelead-uptoandduringthe Second Initiative for ASEAN Integration Development Cooperation Forum (2nd IDCF) held in Hanoi,Viet Nam, on 12-13 June2007.
As the project proceeds, the Operations Adviser will increasingly be involved in institutionalising new practices and encouraging discussion within the Secretariatabout‘waysofdoingbusiness’. Theprincipalfocusinthisareahasbeen on human resource management. The abilitytoattractandretainqualitystaffis essentialfortheSecretariat.Theproject’s Human Resources Management Adviser hasbeenworkingwithASEC’sPersonnel andTraining Unit to develop several new policies and procedures.The project will continue to work with ASEC to roll out and institutionalise the new procedures overthecomingmonths.Theprojecthas also helped ASEC to develop an Interim WorkforceCapabilityPlanwhichwillhelp the Secretariat to ensure it is recruiting therighttypesofstaffattherightlevels.
The ‘hands-on’ nature of the assistance providedbyEAPisdifferentfrommuchof thesupportASEChaspreviouslyreceived, whichhastendedtofocusontraining.The value of a broader approach to capacity building is being recognised by ASEC staff and as a result the project is now startingtogainvaluablemomentum.
Program Stream Update
The Enabling ASEAN Project: Strengthening the ASEAN Secretariat
The launch of the Enabling ASEAN Project’s Core Coaching Group. (L-R): Mr. Gary Ellem (Operations Adviser); Ms. Jean Gordon (Human Resources Management Adviser); Dr. Soeung Rathchavy (ASEAN DeputySecretaryGeneral);Dr.AnishKumarRoy(Director, Office of Coordination, Bureau for External Relations and Coordination, ASEC); and Mr. Barry Greville-Eyres (ProjectDirector).
REPSF investigates Barriers to Integration of ASEAN’s Priority Sectors
Regional Economic Policy Support Facility News
To support the creation of the ASEAN Economic Community, which shall establish the region as a single market and production base, REPSF undertook Research Study 06/001‘An Investigation intotheMeasuresAffectingtheIntegration of ASEAN’s Priority Sectors’. This involved a review of trade, tariff and non-tariff measures; in-depth studies of the electronics, textiles and apparel, and logistics sectors; and a region-wide businesssurvey.
ACNielsen, an independent research company, interviewed 931 companies across12prioritysectorsbasedinthe10 ASEANMemberCountries.Surveyresults suggestthattariffandnon-tariffmeasures are perceived to be an important factor affectingafirm’soperation,aswellastheir abilitytoimport/exportandtoexpandinto newmarkets.Businessmanagersinboth goodsandservicesbusinessesidentified bureaucratic business laws, regulations, andadministrativeproceduresasthekey priority for reform. While issues affect member countries and industries to varying degrees, in general, barriers to trade in customs clearance affect the greatest number of goods businesses (45 per cent), while other trade control measures (such as quotas and technical productspecifications)affect36percent of goods businesses. Barriers to trade in services, such as business licensing, affect36percentofservicesbusinesses. While barriers to trade in services affect a smaller number of businesses across the region, where they do exist, private sectorentitiesidentifyservicesbarriersas havingamoreseriouseffectontradethan barrierstotradeingoods.
The Logistics Institute-Asia Pacific also interviewed various stakeholders in the logisticssupplychainincludingshippers,
carriers, freight forwarding associations, and logistics service providers. Survey resultssuggestthatcustomsprocedures and inspections are the greatest impediments to free trade followed by landtransportationregulations.Thesame study identified the degree of ‘logistics friendliness’ in ASEAN, defined as ‘possessing the least barriers to free trade and for the conduct of business’. Based on the Institute’s measurement scale, the majority of member countries areclassifiedasbeing,atbest,averagein ‘logisticsfriendliness’.
In the case of the textiles and apparel sector,Dr.WilliamE.James,Mr.PeterJ. Minor, and Mr. Kakada Dourng surveyed industry associations and firms along the value chain and found that non-tariff measuresinhibitefficientdevelopmentof productionnetworksbyraisingthecostsof outwardprocessingarrangements(OPA), insomecasesprohibitively.Customsand tax administration; investment approvals andrestrictions;andincreasinglycomplex trade rules were found to restrict intra-ASEAN trade. Inconsistent tax/subsidy policies and lingering protectionism aimedatpreservingdomesticmarketsfor inefficient producers were also identified as‘culprits’inraisingtradecosts.
Despitetheseproblems,theoutlookforthe industry is bright, provided governments and the private sector act in concert to maximisethecompetitivestrengthsofthe region.Textilecapacitieshaveundergone expansion and modernisation though more remains to be done. ASEAN lacks somerawmaterials,buthascapacitiesin productionofyarnandfabricinthelarger supplier countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Viet Nam. The smaller countries too are proving adept at ‘moving up’ the apparel value chain,
avoiding direct competition at the low endofthemarketwithsuppliersinChina. Key policy recommendations include the establishmentofagreenlaneincustoms andapplicationofazeroCommonEffective Preferential Tariff (CEPT) on all inputs related to textiles and apparel. Creation of a region-wide textile community extending to neighbouring countries will also enable ASEAN suppliers to remain globally competitive in the face of the proliferation of potentially discriminatory bilateraltradedeals.
ThisInvestigationisanimportantstepin identifying and developing a baseline for barriers to free trade within ASEAN.The techniques and results of these studies can be used as inputs into programs to rationalise the complex tapestry of domestic and regional regulations and standards, a move that will be both beneficial to and appreciated by the businesscommunity.
As the Report notes, ASEAN is in a ‘two-steprace’.Onestepistakingaway the barriers between countries that governments have themselves imposed. The other step is building the business and policy environment within ASEAN MemberCountriestopromoteinvestment and production growth and intra-ASEAN flows.
The key findings and recommendations based on the various components of 06/001 were presented at the Third Meeting of the ASEAN Senior Economic Officials of the Thirty-Eight ASEAN EconomicMinistersMeeting(SEOM3/38) inChiangMai,Thailand,on22May2007 by the overall team leader, Professor Christopher Findlay, from the Centre for InternationalEconomicStudies,University ofAdelaide.
Over 33 years ago, Australia became ASEAN’sfirstDialoguePartner.Sincethen, ASEAN-Australia relations have grown andflourished,withactivecooperationin manyfieldswherethepartnersrecognise sharedinterests.
To mark the breadth and maturity of therelationshipandprovideaframework for Australia’s future engagement with ASEAN,theAustralianMinisterforForeign Affairs, the Hon. Alexander Downer MP, andASEANForeignMinisterssignedthe JointDeclarationontheASEAN-Australia ComprehensivePartnershipinthemargins of the ASEAN-Australia Post Ministerial ConferenceinManila,thePhilippines,on 1August2007.
The ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Partnership has been described as ‘action-oriented, forward-looking and encompassing political and security cooperation, economic cooperation,
socio-cultural cooperation and
developmentcooperationatregionaland internationallevels’.
It signals Australia’s and ASEAN’s intention to enhance cooperation in support of deeper economic integration, environmental conservation, communicable and emerging infectious diseases and disaster preparedness and emergency response. The agreement also promotes enhanced cooperation in combatting transnational crimes, including terrorism and drug trafficking. Australian and ASEAN officials will soon concludediscussionsonaPlanofAction toimplementthePartnership.
In announcing signature of the Joint Declaration, Mr. Downer said that the Comprehensive Partnership - and the
very wide range of cooperation that is taking place and will continue to grow under the Partnership - demonstrates Australia’slong-termcommitmenttoties with ASEAN. Mr. Downer said he was confident that continued cooperation wouldleadtoincreasedregionalstability andprosperity.
The Declaration notes some major cooperativeachievements.Theseinclude the Joint Declaration of the Leaders at the ASEAN-Australia and New Zealand Commemorative Summit in November 2004, the ASEAN-Australia Joint Declaration for Cooperation to Combat
International Terrorism, Australia’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, and the ASEAN-Australia-NewZealandFreeTrade Agreement.
The Declaration also notes that ASEAN and Australia share common values of justice, democracy, social equality, good governanceandhumanrights,considered an essential basis for lasting stability and progress. It expresses Australia’s strongsupportfortheestablishmentofa broad-basedASEANCommunityandfor reducing the development gap between ASEANMemberCountries.
aadcp
profile
Australian Foreign Minister, the Hon. Alexander Downer MP (left) and Philippines Foreign Affairs Secretary Dr. Alberto Romulo (far right) give a copy of the Joint Declaration on ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Partnership to ASEAN SecretaryGeneralHEOngKengYongaftertheASEAN-AustraliaPostMinisterialConferencePlusOneMeetingheld1 August2007.Photo:Officialwebsiteofthe40thASEANMinisterialMeeting.
Australia and ASEAN Announce Comprehensive Partnership
RegionalPartnerships
Scheme(RPS)
MariaEloidaCruzBalamiento
ProjectCoordinator
TheASEANSecretariat,SecondFloor 70AJl.Sisingamangaraja
Jakarta12110INDONESIA
Tel.+6221724-3372,726-2991(ext.150) Fax+62217278-7252
Email:m.balamiento@aseansec.org
MelissaWells/CharlotteBisley
ProjectManager CardnoAcilPtyLtd 854GlenferrieRoad
HawthornVic3122AUSTRALIA Tel.+61398192877
Fax+61398194216
Email:melissa.wells@cardno.com
ProgramStream(PS)
DrIwanGunawan
ProgramCoordinator
TheASEANSecretariat,SecondFloor 70AJl.Sisingamangaraja
Jakarta12110INDONESIA
Tel.+62217243372,7262991(ext.152) Fax+622172787252
Email:iwan@aseansec.org
HeatherGraham
ProgramManager CardnoAcilPtyLtd 854GlenferrieRoad
HawthornVic3122AUSTRALIA Tel+61398192877
Fax+61398194216
Email:heather.graham@cardno.com
RegionalEconomicPolicySupport
Facility(REPSF)
DrRamonetteSerafica
TeamLeader/ResearchManager TheASEANSecretariat,GroundFloor 70AJl.Sisingamangaraja
Jakarta12110INDONESIA
Tel.+6221722-0643,726-2991(ext.463) Fax+6221722-9028
Email:monette@aseansec.org
SarahBlack
ProjectManager MDIInternational
Level27,150LonsdaleStreet MelbourneVic3000AUSTRALIA Tel+61386766800
Fax+61386766888
Email:sarahb@mdi-international.com.au
