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Mid-term
Review of the Hanoi Plan of Action
At
the Second ASEAN Informal Summit in Kuala Lumpur in
December 1997, leaders adopted a broad vision for ASEAN in
the year 2020 “as a concert of Southeast Asian Nations,
outward looking, living in peace, stability and
prosperity, bonded together in partnership in dynamic
development and in a community of caring societies.”
To
implement “ASEAN Vision 2020”, the association drew up
an action plan at the Sixth ASEAN Summit in Hanoi in
December, 1998. The Hanoi Plan of Action (HPA) is the
first in a series of plans to realize the goals of the
vision.
The
plan has a six-year time frame from 1999 to 2004. The
first mid-term review is being carried out at the Seventh
ASEAN Summit in Brunei Darussalam.
The
status of various aspects of the Hanoi Plan of
Action is as follows:
Financial
cooperation
·
ASEAN has strengthened financial cooperation in
areas such as surveillance and swap arrangements.
Economic
Cooperation
·
Trade
and Industry:
The ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) is basically on track to
eliminate import duties by 2010 for the first six members
and 2015 for the newer members, with some flexibility up
to 2018. The ASEAN Industrial Cooperation (AICO) scheme is
being expedited along with cooperative measures to help
small and medium-sized enterprises.
·
Services:
ASEAN has endorsed a third package of commitments on seven
priority sectors -- air transport, business services,
construction, financial services, maritime transport,
telecommunication and tourism.
·
Food,
Agriculture, and Forestry:
The ASEAN Food Security Reserve Board has determined that
national plans for mobilising food reserves are adequate.
·
Tourism:
A Visit ASEAN Campaign was launched in January 2001.
·
Investment:
Under the ASEAN Investment Area (AIA) agreement of 1998,
seven members have agreed to remove their temporary
exclusion lists for ASEAN investors in manufacturing by
2003. Full realisation of the AIA with the removal of
temporary exclusion lists in manufacturing, agriculture,
fisheries, forestry and mining is scheduled by 2010 for
the first six members, instead of 2020, and by 2015 for
the newer members. ASEAN has also agreed to carry out a
comprehensive study on competitiveness.
·
Transport:
The outline plan for a pan-ASEAN transport network is in
place, with 28 major highway routes, 46 designated
seaports, 51 designated airports and six identified
railway lines
·
Telecommunications:
A feasibility study on ASEAN information infrastructure
has been completed.
·
Energy
and water:
The ASEAN Center for Energy, with international support,
has undertaken programmes for energy efficiency and
conservation, the development of renewable energy
resources and cooperation in the coal sector.
·
Growth
areas:
A seminar on sub-regional growth areas has been organised.
Functional
Cooperation
·
Science
and Technology:
A satellite image archive is being set up, a programme
framework for an ASEAN Science and Technology Community
for Innovation, Competitiveness and Knowledge and an
action plan for 2001-2004 have been drawn up, and an ASEAN
Science Fund has been established.
·
Social
development:
Progress on HIV/AIDS matters and the launch of a new
initiative called ASEAN and Crime Cooperative Operations
in Response to Dangerous Drugs (ACCORD). A work programme
on trans-national crime is being discussed.
·
Human
Resource Development:
ASEAN Occupational Safety and Health Network (ASEAN-OSHNET)
has been launched and the ASEAN committee of civil service
commissions is now included in the ASEAN institutional
framework.
·
Environment:
Operational plans have been drawn up to implement a
regional haze action plan, the ASEAN Regional Center for
Biodiversity Conservation is operating and the ASEAN
Environment Year 2000 campaign was launched
·
Culture and Information:
All Hanoi Plan of Action directives are being carried out
except satellite-channel and multi-media initiatives which
could not be set up for lack of funding. A Declaration on
Cultural Heritage was signed to provide a framework for
cooperation to preserve and promote ASEAN’s rich
cultural heritage.
Structures
and Mechanisms:
-
ASEAN summit meetings have been consolidated into one
format as an informal working gathering of leaders with
minimal protocol, ceremony and documentation.
·ASEAN
ministerial meetings have been streamlined.
·The
format of the Post-Ministerial Conference is being
reconsidered
·The
moratorium on additional dialogue partners has been
extended.
·The
Committee on Social Development has been abolished to
refocus activities on specific areas.
·The
ASEAN Secretariat has been reoriented.
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