ASEAN-AUSTRALIA


267. ASEAN-Australia development cooperation covers the ASEAN-Australia Economic Cooperation Programme Phase III (AAECP) Projects and Linkages Streams programmes and collaborative activities in culture, information and education. Phase III of the AAECP is managed through AusAID with a budget of A$32 million for 1994 to 1998.

AAECP Projects Stream

268. There are currently eight AAECP Projects Stream projects. Of these, the Coastal Zone Environment and Resource Management Project (Coastal Zone) has made the most progress. The project seeks to establish National Information Centers (NERICS) for coastal management, develop national directories of coastal and marine data, create a regional oil spill risk information system and improve the utilization of information resources. During the past year, NERICS were established in six Member Countries. A World-Wide Web Home Page for the project on a digital atlas of living coastal resources in ASEAN has been established. Project Implementation Documents for the projects in Table 19 have been prepared and are currently being finalised in consultation with ASEAN.

269. There are also three other projects which are in the design stage. The first of these is: The draft Project Design Document for the project, completed in November 1995, was circulated to ASEAN for comments in early 1996. The second project is: This proposal is being developed by ASEAN as agreed upon at the Sixth Meeting of the AAECP Joint Planning Committee. The third project is, Terms of Reference for this project have been prepared by AusAID for ASEAN's consideration. The six-month study will be implemented in consultation with the Senior Officials Meeting on Energy Cooperation.

AAECP Linkages Stream Programme

270. This Programme seeks to promote cooperative activities involving private, research, academic and government sectors in ASEAN and Australia in the sectors of environmental management, transportation, biotechnology, telecommunications/information technology and agro-based industries.

271. As agreed at the Fifth Meeting of the AAECP Joint Planning Committee held in March 1994 in Bangkok, the programme will receive an indicative budget of A$3.5 million per year out of a total of A$14.0 million over four years.

272. Since the Linkages Stream Programme started in 1994, six rounds of applications had been completed by April 1996. Three rounds, Four, Five and Six, were implemented during the period under review. Of these, Round Four and Round Five attracted 62 applications, of which 35 came from Australia. The remaining 27 came from ASEAN. In reviewing the results from the first five rounds of applications, the 6th JPC Meeting in January 1996 expressed concern at the limited participation of ASEAN in the programme. This observation resulted in plans for a Mid-Term Review, to be carried out in 1996 to look into measures to improve ASEAN participation.

Other Areas of ASEAN-Australia Development Cooperation

273. Culture and information and education also come under ASEAN-Australia development cooperation. The COCI projects, ASEAN Training/Seminar on Film/Video Archive Management and the Training Seminar on Film/Video Archive Collection Development and Control, were implemented in Canberra, Australia, in collaboration with Australia's National Film and Sound Archive. This was done in May and June 1996, on a cost-sharing basis.

274. During the 17th ASEAN-Australia forum held in June 1996, ASEAN and Australia agreed to give priority to expanding exchanges on cultural heritage management and preservation to strengthen ties between leading cultural institutions in ASEAN and Australia. The Meeting also agreed that a study tour of Australia be undertaken by managers of ASEAN performing and visual arts cultural centres to coincide with a series of relevant conferences in Australia in October 1996.

275. ASEAN and Australia agreed to continue discussions to implement several projects. These included the ASEAN Performing troupe and Exhibition of ASEAN Works of Art, the establishment of an ASEAN-Australia regional museums information network and distance education through film and electronic media.

276. A draft Directory of Professional Recognition Processes in the ASEAN Countries and Australia was prepared by the Australian Department of Employment, Education and Training. The Directory describes the processes for admission into 38 major occupations in the ASEAN Member Countries and Australia. It includes contact details of bodies responsible for the recognition of qualifications and professional associations. The publication of the directory marks the completion of Phase 1 of the project. The 17th ASEAN-Australia Forum held from 24 - 25 June 1996 in Bandar Seri Begawan agreed that a further phase to develop an electronic directory should proceed.

ASEAN-Australia Cooperation in Economic Matters

277. AFTA-CER cooperation made further progress since an informal meeting between ASEAN and CER officials was convened in March 1995 to explore possible areas of cooperation. As a result, collaborative activities in the area of customs, standards and conformance, and trade and investment databases are being developed and implemented by the relevant SEOM working groups following informal consultations with the AEM and their CER counterparts in September 1995 in Bandar Seri Begawan. A progress report on AFTA-CER activities was submitted to the AEM retreat in April 1996.

278. Officials considered the possibility of developing linkages with Australia through growth area development, particularly in the context of the BIMP-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). This was raised at the Post-Ministerial Conferences (7+1) with Australia during the 28th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting held in Bandar Seri Begawan in July 1995. During the 17th ASEAN-Australia Forum of June 1996, Australia expressed the interest of its private sector representatives in participating, as appropriate, in the meetings of the various growth areas.