Consultative Meeting for the Priority Integration Sectors (COPS)

SG Ong urges officials
to intensify integration efforts
 

ASEAN Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong urged officials of various ASEAN working bodies to intensify efforts to accelerate the integration of the eleven priority sectors.  Speaking before the Consultative Meeting for the Priority Sectors (COPS) held at the ASEAN Secretariat on 8-9 July 2005, Mr. Ong acknowledged that while progress has been made, achieving an integrated market for the eleven sectors by 2010 is still a challenge. One problem is how to achieve better coordination among ASEAN sectoral bodies, government agencies and private sector groups who are directly involved in the priority measures.  Another is timely implementation of various measures consistent with the agreed timelines and deliverables set in the roadmaps.

Recognizing these challenges, Mr. Ong argued that there is a need to improve communication and coordination.  “With better coordination we will definitely be able to achieve better results in our effort to integrate the 11 priority sectors.” He further added the importance of having the commitment and willingness to “look for creative ways to move forward.”...more

Update on 11 Priority Integration Sectors
Making progress – but still way to go
 

Since the 10^th ASEAN Summit in November last year, Country Coordinators of the 11 Priority Sectors and officials of ASEAN member countries representing different areas – trade, investment, services, immigration, customs and standards - met in various occasions to discuss how the priority integration measures  can be implemented.   New measures for each sector were also proposed in those meetings. 

To be sure progress has been made.  For example, guidelines on how to implement standards and conformance are now being explored in four sectors (namely, medical device and health supplement for health care services; automotive; rubber-based products; and wood-based products).   A model for an ASEAN single window for efficient customs processing in the region is now being developed, while discussions continue to address issues on non-tariff barriers and rule of origin

Despite this, however, more needs to be done to establish an integrated market for each sector.  Below is a quick look at the progress of each priority sector to date...more

In This Issue:

Tracking the priority sector integration in ASEAN

As in the case of other major regional initiatives, the tasks to be managed by the ASEAN Secretariat in support of eleven Priority Integration Sectors in ASEAN have two mutually reinforcing elements:  process monitoring and impact assessment.  Process monitoring is facilitated by the Framework Agreement on Integration of Priority Sectors of ASEAN, while impact evaluation is indispensable as a feedback in ensuring better design of existing and new integration measures.

China has become a global economic power largely within two decades.  This has led to many dire or exaggerated predictions regarding the competitive threat from China at the edge of the new millennium.  The fact, however, is the economic transformation in China has opened up many opportunities for exploitation and complementation by other suppliers regionally and across the globe.