The 18th Meeting of the ASEAN Sub-Committee on Women (ASW) was held from 10 to 12 September 1999 in Jakarta. Indonesia is of the ASW Chair for the period 1999-2001. The 18th ASW Meetingis also the first ever meeting of the ASW where all ten ASEAN Member Countries are gathering together to discuss matters of common interest and concern for the advancement of women in the region.

The Meeting opened by H.E. Hajjah Tutty Alawiyah AS, State Minister for the Role of Women of the Republic of Indonesia. In her Keynote Address to the Meeting, the State Minister expressed pleasure and honour on behalf of Indonesia for the opportunity to assume the responsibilities of the ASW chair on the threshold of the new millennium. H.E. Hajjah Tutty Alawiyah AS noted that the impact of the financial and economic crisis in ASEAN had affected the work of ASEAN Governments in pursuing social stability and development progress.

H.E. Hajjah Tutty Alawiyah AS noted with satisfaction that the Ha Noi Plan of Action adopted by ASEAN Leaders at the Sixth ASEAN Summit in December 1998 included priority actions addressing women's issues and concerns in the area of social development and human resources development. In the light of this development, she encouraged the Meeting to continue pursuing greater efforts in the implementation of regional programmes for the advancement of women in the region.

Dr. Abdullah Cholil, MPH, of Indonesia, and Ms. Bandith Prathoumvanh of the Lao PDR served as Chairperson and Vice-chairperson of the 18th ASW Meeting, respectively. High on the agenda of the 18th ASW Meeting was an exchange of experiences by each Member Country in addressing the critical areas of concern under the Beijing Platform of Action, with special attention paid to measures taken to address the impact of the financial and economic crisis on women in ASEAN Member Countries. An exchange of information on national-level activities undertaken to commemorate July 5, which had been designated ASEAN Women's Day, as well as respective national Women's Days, provided an interesting perspective for future collaboration in commemorating national and ASEAN Women's Days.

The ASW also reviewed and discussed the progress of work achieved in addressing women's issues and concerns in ASEAN, as well as in moving forward the advancement of women in the region. In the light of the priorities related to women under the Ha Noi Plan of Action, the Meeting took the opportunity to discuss the development of regional cooperation activities addressing the following priorities:

• trafficking in, and crimes of violence against, women;

• working towards the full implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and other international instruments related to women;

• intensifying the efforts of the ASEAN Network for Women in Skills Training; and
  
• gender mainstreaming in the development programmes of ASEAN Member Countries.

A field trip provided the ASEAN delegates to the ASW with an opportunity to observe at first-hand the activities carried out by various women's organisations in Indonesia, including the area of child care.

The 19th ASW Meeting is tentatively scheduled to be held in September 2000, in Bali, Indonesia.