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Joint Communique For The Third Meeting Of The ASEAN Agriculture And Forestry Ministers Meeting
Jakarta, 12 - 14 August 1981 |
- The Third Meeting of the ASEAN Economic Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry was held at the ASEAN Secretariat Building, Jakarta, Indonesia, on 12-14 August 1981.
- The Meeting was officially opened by His Excellency the Vice-President of the Republic of Indonesia, Mr. Adam Malik.
- The Meeting was attended by H.E. Datuk Abdul Manan Othman, Minister of agriculture of Malaysia; H.E. MR. Teodoro Q. Pena, Minister of Natural Resources, and H.E. Mr. Arturo M. Tanco Jr., Minister of Agriculture and Mr. Orlando V. Sacay, Deputy Minister, Ministry of agriculture of the Republic of the Philippines; H.E. Mr. Teh Cheang Wan, Minister for National Development of the Republic of Singapore, H.E. Dr. Anat Arbhabhirama, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives of the Kingdom of Thailand and H.E. Mr. Soedarsono Hadisapoetro, Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia and their respective delegations.
- H.E. Mr. Narciso G. Reyes, Secretary-General of the ASEAN Secretariat and staff were also in attendance.
- The Meeting unanimously elected H.E. Mr. Soedarsono Hadisapoetro and H.E. Datuk Abdul Manan Othman Chairman and Vice-Chairman, respectively.
- The Meeting reviewed the implementation of the Manila Consensus of August 1979 made during the First Meeting of the ASEAN Economic Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry.
- The Meeting noted with satisfaction the implementation of the Manila Consensus which cover the following: ASEAN Food Security Reserve (AFSR), Production and Supply of Pesticides and Other Agricultural inputs and the ASEAN Common Agriculture Policy (ACAP).
- As regards AFSR, the Meeting directed the implementing body to take necessary steps in view of increasing its. effectiveness since it was operational in July 1980.
- With regard to ACAP, the Meeting particularly noted the initial phases undertaken to establish a Common Regional Animal Quarantine Center, and the progress made by the ASEAN Plant Quarantine and Training Institute (PLANTI).
- On ASEAN Common Stand on International Matters ASEAN member countries would continue to support each other in their membership various international organizations such as FAO Council, the Committee on Food Aid Policies and Programmes and the World Food Council.
- The Meeting also agreed to formulate a common stand on production and trade of certain food, agricultural and forestry products wherever common problems relating to those commodities occur.
- The Meeting also discussed cooperation in the field of forestry and agreed to adopt the Common ASEAN Forest Policy development of forestry and on fostering closer cooperation as an initial step pertaining to ASEAN Common Forest Policy, Technical Cooperation Institutions, Cooperation in Intra-ASEAN Timber Trade and ASEAN Common Stand on International issues. For that purpose the Ministers responsible for Forestry signed the Jakarta Consensus on Tropical Forestry. A technical staff meeting will be convened to work out the specific activities related thereto.
- On the cooperation in livestock, it was agreed to establish a specific ASEAN Disease Free Zone from Major Specific Animal Diseases. The Minister of Agriculture signed two documents. First Declaration of Free Zone from Major Specific Animal Diseases, and second Declaration to Eradicate Foot and Mouth Disease. The first Declaration states that the ASEAN member countries are free from Rinderpest, Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia, African Swine Fever and African Horse Sickness. The Meeting also agreed to finalize and complete standardized quarantine regulations and procedures for importation and movement of livestock and livestock products.
- With regard to cooperation in Agriculture, the Meeting particularly considered the proposal on study and training programmes m water management at the farm level. The study would include and consolidation in irrigated areas which constitutes a new area of cooperation among member countries.
- The Meeting also considered cooperation in fisheries, such as in the area of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the fish quarantine ring.
- The Meeting took up also other matters of importance for the furtherance of cooperation in food, agriculture and forestry, such as on malnutrition problems in ASEAN and intra-ASEAN Tariff in Agricultural products.
It was also noted that ASEAN members of FAO will observe at national level the UN World Food Day on 16 October 1981. The ASEAN Committee on Food, Agriculture and Forestry will prepare the organization of distinctively ASEAN programmes to commemorate UN World Food Day for 1982.
- Upon the invitation of the ASEAN Economic Ministers o. Agriculture and Forestry, representatives of the Working Group on Food, Agriculture and Forestry of the ASEAN Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASEAN-CCI) met the Ministers and addressed the Meeting. in view of the important role of the private sector in the ASEAN cooperation as a hole, the Ministers agreed in principle to the establishment of a joint working group to work out areas of cooperation in the fields of food, agriculture and forestry between the public and private sectors.
- The Fourth Meeting of the ASEAN Economic Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry will be held in Malaysia in 1982.
- The delegations from Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand expressed their sincere appreciation to the Government and people of Indonesia for the warm hospitality accorded them and for the excellent arrangements made for the Meeting.
- The Meeting was held. in the traditional spirit of ASEAN solidarity and cordiality.
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