1.     The Fifteenth Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers o Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) was held in Band Seri Begawan on 28-30 October 1993. The Meeting was preceded by a Preparatory Senior Official Meeting (SOM-AMAF) on 25-26 October 1993.

2.     The Meeting was attended by ASEAN Ministers Agriculture and Forestry, H. E. Pehin Dato Abd Rahman Taib, Minister of Industry and Prima Resources of Brunei Darussalam; H.E. Dr. Siarifud Baharsjah, Minister of Agriculture of Indonesia, H.E. Djamaloedin Soeryohadikoesoemo, Minister Forestry of Indonesia, and H.E. Dr. Ibrahim Hasan, Minister of Food Affairs/Chairman of the Nation Logistics Agency of Indonesia: H.E. Datuk Seri Sanu Junid, Minister of Agriculture of Malaysia and H.E. Dato Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik, Minister of Primary Industries Malaysia; H.E. Mr. Roberto S. Sebastian, Secretary Agriculture of the Philippines; H.E. Mr. Lee Yiok Seng, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Nation Development of Singapore; H.E. Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban, Deputy Minister of Agriculture a Cooperatives of Thailand; and their respective delegations. Dato' Ajit Singh, Secretary-General of ASEAN and members of his staff also present.

3.     H.E Pehin Dato Abdul Rahman Taib, Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, Leader of Brunei Darussalam; H.E. Datuk Seri Sanusi Junid, Minister of Agriculture, Malaysia was appointed as Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Fifteenth Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry.

4.     Pursuant to the Framework Agreement Enhancing ASEAN Economic Cooperation adopted the Singapore Summit 1992, the Ministers called for elevation of the ASEAN Cooperation in Food, Agriculture and Forestry by adopting a Ministerial Understanding (MU) on ASEAN Cooperation in Food, Agriculture and Forestry as the mechanism to enhance future ASEAN cooperation in this field. The Ministerial Understanding identified priority areas for cooperation, the mechanism to establish an action programme, its machinery and implementation strategy.

5.     In the Ministerial understanding, the AMAF shall focus on the following priority areas;

a. Strengthening food security in ASEAN,

b. Facilitation and promotion of intra and extra ASEAN trade in agriculture, fishery and forest products,

c. Technology generation and transfer to increase productivity and develop agribusiness and silvobusiness,

d. Agricultural rural community and human resources development,

e. Private sector involvement and investment,

f. Management and conservation of natural resources of sustainable development, and

g. Strengthening ASEAN cooperation and joint approaches in addressing international and regional issues.

6.     To operationalise the Ministerial Understanding, Ministers agreed to take immediate action on the following:

a. To review the size of the ASEAN Emergency Rice Reserve and the contribution of each member country to meet future requirements.

b. To establish an Agreement on ASEAN Agriculture and Forestry Products Promotion Scheme (AFPPS). This Scheme will cover the following:

i. Joint product promotion for intra and extra ASEAN trade,

ii. Harmonisation of quality and standards of food, agriculture and forest products,

iii. Trade and investment promotion,

iv. Technical cooperation in technology development and transfer and human resources development,

v. Enhancement of complementarity of ASEAN products, and

vi. Strengthening private sector participation.

The Scheme will complement the implementation of the Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT) Scheme for ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) where applicable.

c. To continue harmonise standards in food, agriculture and forest products and to study import regulations of consuming countries and harmonisation of phytosanitary and zoosanitary requirements to improve ASEAN trade.

d. To encourage greater involvement of the private sector in agribusiness and silvobusiness and invite private sector representation at future meetings.

7. Ministers agreed on an ASEAN Statement on Forestry.

8. Ministers further agreed to develop a medium term programme of action. The programme will be business and result-oriented and shall continue to address poverty alleviation, rural development and international issues.

9. The delegation from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand expressed their sincere appreciation and thanks to the Government and people of Brunei Darussalam for the warm hospitality accorded them and for the excellent arrangements made for the Meeting. The Meeting also expressed appreciation to the ASEAN Secretariat for its valuable assistance throughout the Meeting.

10. The Meeting was held in the traditional spirit of ASEAN solidarity and cordiality.