TERMS OF REFERENCE
OF THE PRODUCT WORKING GROUP ON WOOD-BASED PRODUCTS
Background
The ASEAN Consultative Committee on Standards and Quality (ACCSQ) was formed by the ASEAN Economic Minister in October 1992 with the aim of removing technical barriers to trades in order to facilitate the implementation of the Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT) Agreement and to realize the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA)
At the 4th Senior Economic Officials Meeting (SEOM) held in Medan, Indonesia on 8-10 September 1997, the SEOM approved the revised TOR of the ACCSQ, which among others, authorized the ACCSQ to involve regulatory bodies in the ACCSQ in order to achieve its mandate of eliminating technical barriers to trade.
During the 9th summit held in October 2003 the Leaders of ASEAN adopted the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) as the end-goal of ASEAN Economic Integration as outlined in ASEAN Vision 2020 – “to create a stable, prosperous and highly competitive ASEAN economic region in which there is a free flow of goods, services, investment and freer flow of capital, equitable economic development and reduced poverty and socio economic disparities in 2020”. The AEC is based on a convergent of interests among ASEAN members to deepen and broaden economic integration efforts through exiting and new initiatives with clear timelines, aiming at establishing ASEAN as a single market and production base to turn the diversity that characterizes the region into opportunity for business complementation making ASEAN a more dynamic and stronger segment of the global supply chain.
At the 24th ACCSQ meeting held in Kuala Lumpur on 3 – 4 August 2004, the ACCSQ Leaders agreed to established New Products Working Group on Wood based Products, Automotives, Traditional Medicine and Health Supplement, Rubber based Products and Medical Device in order to eliminating technical barriers to trade to achieve ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) at the end goal of ASEAN Economic Integration.
Article 1: The Scope and Objective of the PWG on Wood-Based Products
The scope of PWG on Wood based Products is to assist the ACCSQ in addressing the elimination of technical barriers to trade for Wood-Based Products.
The objectives are:
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2. To identify areas for harmonization of technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures.
3. To harmonize technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures in identified areas under the objective 2.
Article 2: Structure
The PWG will comprise:
a) The PWG Chair, Co-Chair and Secretary;
b) Representatives from relevant Government Agencies, Regulatory bodies, and Associations of Wood based Products, nominated by Member Countries to the PWG;
c) Representative(s) from Regional Wood Association; d) Any ACCSQ Members wishing to participate; and e) Representative(s) from the ASEAN Secretariat.
The PWG may form expert committee(s) or task force(s) to assist the PWG to carry out certain specific activities.
Representative(s) from other relevant organizations such as UNEP that are interested in, and/or contribute to the development of the PWG, could be invited to take part in the PWG Meeting on case-by-case basis.
Article 3: The Duties and Responsibilities of Chair, Co-Chair.
a) The Chair of the PWG shall be responsible and report to the ACCSQ. The Chair shall preside at every meeting of the PWG and ensure that all interests are heard, keep discussion to the point and summarise consensus of opinion in order that the minutes are correct and precise. b) The Chair, prior to a meeting, shall consult members of the PWG on
the subjects to be covered during a meeting.
c) The Chair shall consult the ACCSQ on any policy issues that may arise at PWG’s meeting, for further direction.
d) The Co-Chair shall assist the Chair in executing the above duties and responsibilities and shall assume the same in the absence of the Chair.
Article 4: The Duties and Responsibilities of the Secretary
The Secretary of the Product Working Group shall be appointed by the Chair Country to assist the Chair to perform the following functions:
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b) monitor and coordinate the activities of the PWG;
c) compile and disseminate, periodically, among Member Countries relevant data and information pertaining to Wood-Based Products in coordination with the related ACCSQ’s Working Group/Product Working Group.
Article 5: Frequency of Meetings and Reports
a) The PWG will meet at least once a year. Notice of a meeting shall be given at least 1 month prior to the meeting;
b) At the conclusion of each meeting, the PWG will determine the time, date and venue of its next meeting. The PWG may hold a seminar or forum back-to-back with the Meeting if necessary.
c) The Chair of the PWG may call for special meetings if and when the need arises or upon request of any members of the PWG. Members shall be given at least 2 weeks notice for special meetings.
d) The PWG shall report its recommendations and proceedings to the ACCSQ, with copies to SOM-AMAF.
Article 6: The Term of Office
The tenure of PWG shall be for a period of 3 years commencing February 2005 and may be extended for a duration approved by ACCSQ.
Chair of Co- Chair of
PWG on Wood based Products PWG on Wood based Products
Dr. Hadi Daryanto Dato’ Mohd. Nazuri Hashim Shah
(Indonesia) (Malaysia)
Endorsed by ACCSQ:
