COOPERATION IN CIVIL SERVICE MATTERS

The Second Seminar/Workshop on the Analysis of Foreign Policy for Mid-Career Diplomats was held from 30 November to 9 December 1992 in Manila. The holding of the workshop was supported with funding from the Japan-ASEAN Exchange Programme (JAEP). The objective of the seminar was to upgrade the skills and knowledge of selected ASEAN participants in the analysis of international events using appropriate methodologies and technologies to meet the immediate need of their own respective countries.

The ASEAN Conference on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM) convenes once every two years. The last meeting was held in Bandar Seri Begawan in September 1991 with the theme "The Role of the Civil Service in Meeting the Challenges of the Year 2000 and Beyond" and the next ACCSM is scheduled on 7 October, 1993.

The Fourth ASEAN Summit held in January 1992 in Singapore agreed that, as part of an increasingly interdependent world, ASEAN should intensify cooperative relationships with its Dialogue Partners and engage in consultative relationships with interested non- dialogue countries and international organizations.

The agenda of most Dialogue Meetings included political and regional matters for the first time. Capping this development was the holding of the first SOM-PMC in Singapore on 20-21 May 1993. The SOM-PMC agreed to hold consultations at least once a year and adopted a work programme to guide its future activities.

ASEAN continued to expand its cooperative ties with other countries and regional organizations. The meeting between ASEAN and Indian Senior Officials on the establishment of the ASEAN-India Sectoral Dialogue was held in New Delhi on 16-17 March 1993. Discussions on the ASEAN-People's Republic of China (PRC) consultative relationship have been initiated.

Several regional organisations have expressed interest to establish relations with ASEAN. These include the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the Rio Group, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO). ASEAN is currently studying the various proposals from these regional organisations.

Rapid global changes and the growing interdependence of the world economy has made responsive action toward the resolution of international economic issues more compelling. During the Dialogue Meetings, ASEAN continued to press for an early conclusion of the Uruguay Round and put forward the expectation that its outcome would be balanced and beneficial to all participants. ASEAN also continued to engage its Dialogue Partners in an exchange of views on AFTA and other regional trading arrangements such as NAFTA and the Single European Market. ASEAN requested the support of its Dialogue Partners for the CEPT Scheme in GATT.

Development cooperation between ASEAN and its Dialogue Partners continued to be developed on the basis of mutuality of interest - shifting away from the traditional donor-recipient relationship. ASEAN became increasingly involved in the participation, design, implementation and review of development cooperation projects. The period under review saw a number of Dialogue Partners redefining or shifting their priorities towards cross-s6ctoral areas, technology transfer mechanisms and the environment. In a number of programmes, development cooperation has become inextricably linked with commercial and industrial cooperation which are being shaped increasingly in partnership with the private sector.