Transport

ASEAN transport cooperation has focused on policy studies and capacity-building to support the implementation of the transport action agenda of the Hanoi Plan of Action and the Successor Plan of Action in Transport 1999-2004.  

At the Seventh ASEAN Summit in November 2001, the leaders discussed flagship projects - pan-ASEAN open skies, the regional highway networks, the ASEAN Power Grid, and the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline Network.  The leaders reaffirmed the Singapore-Kunming rail link as a priority project, and endorsed the routes agreed to by the transport ministers.

Consultations continued to finalize ASEAN agreements on multimodal transport and the facilitation of inter-state transport and the protocols under the ASEAN Agreement on the Facilitation of Goods in Transit.  The Ministers agreed to launch a regional initiative for the progressive and phased liberalization of air services in ASEAN.

The transport ministers adopted the final offers in the liberalization of air and maritime transport sectors for incorporation into the annex of the Protocol to Implement the Third Package of Commitments under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS), which was signed by the ASEAN Economic Ministers on 31 December 2001.

An ASEAN Memorandum of Understanding on Air Freight Services is expected to be signed in the latter half of 2002.  This MoU is the first step towards the full liberalization of air freight services in the ASEAN region. It will allow the designated airlines of each member country to operate all-cargo services up to 100 tons weekly in 20 designated ASEAN airports.

Cooperation in road safety administration and planning in ASEAN continued.  Road traffic accidents resulted in 38,000 deaths and 146,000 injuries in 1999 in the ASEAN region, with an economic loss estimated at two percent of GNP in some ASEAN countries.

Over the past year, the ASEAN Cruise Development Study and the first phase of Training Project for Vessel Masters, Chief Engineers and Safety Administrative Personnel on the Lancang-Mekong River have been completed.  The following projects are currently on-going: ASEAN Maritime Transport Sector Development Study; ASEAN Intelligent Transport System Policy Development Study; and Project Preparation Studies for the ASEAN Highway Network and Inland Freight Terminal Development.

With technical assistance from Belgium, the ASEAN Inland Waterways and Ferries Training Center in Palembang, Indonesia completed four pilot courses, which included port management, traffic engineering, infrastructure management, and plan evaluation.  The Center will include an intermodal transport specialist course in the future.

Four capacity-building programs have been implemented. These are the ROK-assisted Seminar on Land Transport Infrastructure and Logistics System in Seoul in January 2001; Australia and New Zealand-assisted Freight Logistics Workshop in Bangkok in March 2001; and two Japan-assisted Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) Seminars in Tokyo in March 2001 and in Ha Noi in March 2002, respectively.

The pan-ASEAN transport network plan has been completed.  It encompasses 28 major highways totaling 37,000 kilometers, 46 designated seaports, 51 designated airports and six identified railways lines. Preparations for the ASEAN highway network�s route numbering system and the road inventory of the 28 designated regional routes are nearing completion. ASEAN member countries have adopted a harmonized highway route numbering scheme consisting of three numeric designations.

Since the ASEAN Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Goods in Transit entered into force in October 2000, four of the nine implementing protocols have been signed.  The final text of the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Multimodal Transport has been adopted for signing at the next meeting of the transport ministers in September 2002. 

The ASEAN leaders have endorsed the broad thrust of the feasibility study on the Singapore-Kunming Rail Link (SKRL) project.  The SKRL project could link Asia with Europe, through the Trans-Siberian railways network.  The SKRL involves the construction of the 1,265 km. of spur and missing railway lines in the riparian countries. 

          The expansion of road and railways transport linkages and services and

the facilitation of goods movement form part of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Infrastructure Work Plan adopted in the IAI Workshop on Narrowing the Development Gap Within ASEAN held in Phnom Penh in November 2001.

In the liberalization of transport services under the 1995 ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS), the third package of commitments for the air and maritime transport sectors has been concluded.  For air transport, all 10 member countries have commitments in Selling and Marketing of Air Transport Services, with eight making commitments in both Computer Reservation System Services and Aircraft Repair and Maintenance Services. For maritime transport, seven countries have commitments in International Passenger Transport less Cabotage, while six have committed to International Freight Transport less Cabotage.

For the Air Transport�s third package, nine countries have submitted final or improved offers in the three common sectors of Selling and Marketing of Air Transport Services, Computer Reservation System, and Aircraft Repair and Maintenance Services.  Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Viet Nam have completed final or improved offers in all the three identified common sub-sectors. Myanmar and Singapore have completed final offers in both Selling and Marketing of Air Transport Services and Aircraft Repair and Maintenance Services, while the Philippines has completed final offers in the Selling and Marketing of Air Transport and Computer Reservation System. Viet Nam has submitted a final offer in a new sub-sector, i.e., Rental/Leasing of Aircraft without Operator.

For the Maritime Transport�s third package, Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam have submitted or improved offers in the two identified common sub-sectors of International Passenger Transport (Less Cabotage) and International Freight Transport (Less Cabotage). Indonesia has made offers in the new sub-sector of Rental of Vessels without Crew, while Viet Nam has given offers in Rental of Vessels with Crew.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

          The first meeting of ASEAN Telecommunication Ministers was held in Kuala Lumpur on 13-14 July 2001, when the Ministers signed the Ministerial Understanding on ASEAN Cooperation in Telecommunications and Information Technology.  This Ministerial Understanding  formalized ASEAN cooperation in the telecommunications and information technology (IT) sector covering the following: (a) establishment of the ASEAN Information Infrastructure (AII) and the further advancement of the e-ASEAN initiative; (b) facilitation of intra-ASEAN trade and investment; (c) coordination and harmonization of policies and programs; (d) promotion and development of indigenous content; (e) promotion of private sector participation and enhancing public-private sector collaboration in regional programs and activities; and (f) bridging the digital divide within ASEAN by encouraging capacity building and human resource development and enhancing access to and use of telecommunications and IT.

The ministers established several working groups under the ASEAN Telecommunications Senior Officials Meeting (TELSOM) in the areas of information infrastructure ; capacity building; universal access and digital divide; trade and investment facilitation; and positive use of the Internet.

The telecommunications ministers agreed to address the issues involved in narrowing the digital divide, enhancing human capacity through the establishment of regional centres of excellence in ICT, and promoting network security through a proposed ASEAN network security coordinating centre.

The Ministers have adopted measures to implement the telecommunications agenda of the Hanoi Plan of Action for the period 2002-2004.  In this regard, TELSOM was mandated to take the lead in and be responsible for delivering specific e-ASEAN elements under the e-ASEAN Framework Agreement, including:  technical and policy framework for the ASEAN Information Infrastructure (AII) and regional interconnectivity and interoperability; development of high-speed direct connection and broadband services for an AII backbone; improving universal access and narrowing the digital divide for the �least connected� ASEAN members; and capacity building.

          Furthermore, the e-ASEAN shepherds and the TELSOM working group coordinators and chairmen were realigned to ensure efficient implementation.  The ASEAN Telecommunications Regulators� Council (ATRC) was requested to provide technical and regulatory advice for the above activities.  New programs and activities were to be undertaken to facilitate intra-ASEAN trade and investment in the telecommunications and IT sectors, with the enhanced participation of the private sector and ASEAN dialogue partners, and to bridge the capacity gap between the older and newer ASEAN countries.         

The telecommunications ministers strongly supported the implementation of the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement for Telecommunications Equipment adopted by ASEAN Telecommunication Regulators Council (ATRC).  The ATRC agreed to recommend digital trunk radio 380-400 MHz as one of possible ASEAN common bands for the purpose of security and safety and disaster recovery.  The Council also agreed to use the findings of the study of IDD Rates in ASEAN Countries as a working reference for possible action and cooperation in the future.