COOPERATION IN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ( COSD )



The Committee on Social Development, while making further strides in cooperative endeavours during 1985 - 1986, continued to assess and evaluate its performance and concluded that more areas for cooperation could be implemented during the following year. The following provides a picture of COSD activities, their progress and the Committee's plans.

ASEAN Population Programme

Phase III of the Australian - supported ASEAN Population Programme (APP), comprising projects on Integration of Population and Development; Population Mobility and Urbanisation, ASEAN Training on Population and Development; Towards a Computerized ASEAN Population Network,- Morbidity and Mortality Differentials; The Contribution of Women to Population and Development; Social-Economic Consequences of the Ageing of the Population; is expected to be completed in March 1988. The programme, whose implementation was satisfactorily carried out during the year, has developed a strong resource group in several areas of population and developmental concerns.

The free exchange of population information and data from the various research projects in population studies have proved useful for ASEAN planners in charting their development strategies and providing the necessary information and basis for formulating both population and development policies.

The ASEAN Heads of Population Programme (AHPP) has jointly collaborated with the East- West Population Institute (EVVPI), Hawaii, in organizing the Conference/Study Tour of ASEAN Parliamentarians on Population, Resources and Development since 1982 with the Japanese Government�s support.

ASEAN Development Education Project (ADEP)

ADEP's Thirteenth Meeting reviewed member countries' progress reports on the regional activities of the following five sub-projects:

This project focussed on the development of devices for teacher-education programmes, both pre-service and in-service for all types of disabilities. The establishment of an ASEAN Institute for Special Education was proposed in which faculty training, research and development could be undertaken to organize a Board of ASEAN Experts in Special Education.

This project specifically focussed on the following objectives:

The following strategies were recommended for adoption by the Regional Coordinating Cornmittee on ADEP: strengthening the existing EMIS in each member country; common indicators and definitions to be designed with the ultimate aim of finding commonalities in the EMIS across the member countries,- and the development of a regional network and directory of experts for the purpose of sharing and dissemination of data and information.

Eight regional activities have been conducted, namely: two regional conferences on Teacher Education; two research planning workshops; two meetings of researchers and two research evaluation meetings.

Two collaborative researches produced four reports: "Survey of the Perceptions of the Teacher in Practice and Expectations of the Ideal Teacher" "Classroom Observation of Teacher and Student Behaviour in the ASEAN", "The relevance of Foundation and Professional Courses in Teacher Education Programmes in the ASEAN", and "The Development of Exemplar Instructional Material for Pre-Service Teacher in the ASEAN". These reports also include the instruments used in the research.

The implementation of this sub- project had for its main thrust the development of a Model for Training Design and Evaluation through selected pilot projects undertaken by member countries, Four workshops and two meetings of the implementation team of each member country were held in Singapore between January 1981 and May 1985. Member countries conducted national workshops to disseminate the model and evaluate results.

Each member country was recommended to :

Four regional conferences, four national seminars, five training programmes in the form of internship, attachment to testing centres, intensive workshops, one research and development project on work attitude scales and a study tour in Australia were undertaken from January 1981 to June 1985.

ASEAN Youth Programme

A number of projects were organized as the main activities of the ASEAN Youth Forum in conjunction with the International Youth Year, 1985. An ASEAN Youth Productivity Festival was organized in Bangkok, Thailand, from 12 - 22 December 1985, including an exhibition of handicrafts by youth from the ASEAN countries.

Indonesia hosted a Youth and Scout Jamboree in Jakarta participated by ten youths (5 females and 5 males) representing youth organisations and Boys Scout Associations from participating countries.

Project proposals concerning Youth Exchange Programe among the ASEAN countries (Singapore), ASEAN Volunteer Programme among the ASEAN countries (Singapore), ASEAN Volunteer Crops Exchange Programme (Malaysia), Training Development for Youth (Malaysia), ASEAN NGO's Cooperation and ASEAN Youth cooperatives (Thailand), Youth External Relations Programme (Philippines), and ASEAN Youth Research. and Resource Development Centre (Indonesia), were discussed for possible implementation within the framework of the comprehensive ASEAN Youth Programme.

"Development of Training Programme for ASEAN Youth in Drug Abuse Prevention", a new project, was adopted with possible funding assistance from Australia. This project will involve youth organizators in a more positive role to combat the drug menace faced by ASEAN countries.

ASEAN Women Programme

The AWP had some notable achievements during 1 985/1 986 period in implementing projects under its purview. The Clearinghouse on Women in Development Project, coordinated by Indonesia, decided at its Second Experts Group Meeting on a compilation of a preliminary Thesaurus on Women in Development by Indonesia. The AWP felt the need for a well-presented publication on ASEAN Women in Development, which contains comprehensive and current information on the subject which would be useful reference material.

The Network of ASEAN Women Vocational Training Programme, coordinated by Thailand, which contained project components on: traditional industries, agro-industry, business management and marketing techniques was agreed by the AWP for presentation to prospective funding sources, which includes UNDP, EEC and Canada.

A project proposal on ASEAN Parents Movement in Drug Abuse Prevention was endorsed by the ASEAN Standing Committee for dialogue partner funding.

Canada also offered to sponsor a Seminar on Women in Development for Senior Economic Planners to be held in Bangkok in November 1986. The Seminar would benefit senior development planners both men and women, particularly from government agencies which are involved in the planning function in the respective ASEAN countries.

In conjunction with the International Year of Peace 1986, the AWP recognized the efforts of many world leaders in their attempts to decrease world tension and promote peace. Taking cognizance of the statement relating to peace at the Women's Decade Conference in Nairobi, the AWP urged ASEAN member countries to take appropriate measures to complement the efforts by the world leaders to work towards maintaining peace in the region.

Health and Nutrition

Five programme areas in Health and Nutrition are coordinated by the following members, namely:

The following five project proposals were agreed to for possible funding assistance by the EEC :

The following six projects were agreed to by the ASEAN Expert Group on Health and Nutrition, now renamed the Sub-Committee on Health and Nutrition;

It was agreed that efforts to develop Primary Health Care (PHC) should be concentrated on strengthening the present ASEAN Training Centre (ATC) in, and coordinated by Thailand. Further development of the ATC/PHC, established in Thailand since 1981 and funded by Japan, would be supported by member countries in specific areas, namely:

The project has received firm funding commitment from Australia. Its implementation 'is scheduled to start in 1986 after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Australia and Malaysia on behalf of ASEAN.

ASEAN Cooperation in Pharmaceuticals

Phase 11 activities were implemented during 1984 - 1986. The Meeting of ASEAN Technical Cooperation on Pharmaceuticals in cooperation with WHO and UNDP is responsible for the implementation of six activities or sub-projects undertaken in ASEAN member countries. Phase 11 with a budget of US$ 450,000 from the UNDP, covers a three-year period. Major activities conducted in member countries were as follows :

Phase III of the project "Technical Cooperation in Pharmaceuticals Among ASEAN Countries" was endorsed for UNDP funding in the 1987 - 1991 cycle.

ASEAN Scholarship Programme for Applied
Tropical Medicine and Public Health (ASP - ATMPH)

The five-year programme, with funding assistance by the U.S. Government offers 11 regional training courses on Applied Tropical Medicine and Public Health tenable at Mahidol University (Bangkok), Institute for Medical Research (Kuala Lumpur), University of the Philip- pines (Manila) and University of Indonesia (Jakarta). The existing training activities are intended to serve as nuclei in the field of Health and Nutrition development to supply the immediate needs of the ASEAN Countries in terms of manpower development in related areas.

The number of scholarships awarded by the Thai-administered ASP - ATMPH up to the end of 1985 were as follows :

Academic Year 1981/8288
Academic Year 1982/83100
Academic Year 1983/84118
Academic Year 1984/85104
In view of the usefulness and benefits derived from the programme, ASEAN has proposed to the U.S. Government the extension of the scholarship scheme for another five years commencing from July 1986, At the Seventh ASEAN - U.S. Dialogue held in Singapore, 8 - 9 May 1986, the U.S. agreed to allocate funds for the continuation of the Programme.

Programme for Preventation and Control of Acute
Respiratory Tract Infections in Children (ARIC)

This is a new project proposal which Australia has indicated that, subject to a positive appraisal including its budget, it would be willing to support.

Other Projects

The Committee endorsed. three Projects proposed for funding by UNDP :

The last three projects (b), (c), and (d) are proposed for funding in the next cycle (1987 - 1991 ).

Natural Disasters

Indonesia plans to establish a National Natural Disaster Centre and has offered the use of the facilities for training personnel in disaster management from other AS EAN member countries.