SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT


204. The Fifth ASEAN Summit underscored the intensification of efforts in the area of social development with a view to ultimately raising the quality of life for the ASEAN peoples. The Summit Declaration directed that human resources be upgraded and called for the development of a better informed and educated region through cooperation in education on an inter-disciplinary basis and the provision of basic education for all.

205. ASEAN Leaders also looked forward to the participation of public, private, non-governmental, national and international organisations in community building. They also sought to ensure social justice, improve the quality of and access to social services, and alleviate poverty.

206. The fifth Summit Declaration recognised the family as the foundation for a strong, caring and cohesive society. The equitable and effective participation of women in all fields and levels of society and the enhancement of regional cooperation for the survival, protection and development of children and for youth development were other important areas of concern.

207. Finally, the Declaration also called for the strengthening of the collective response, including the mobilisation of resources to support the implementation of priority activities, to make ASEAN equal to the challenges posed by HIV/AIDS.

208. The directives of the Fifth Summit reinforce the goals of the Action Plans of the ASEAN Committee on Social Development. Since then, cooperative activities have intensified, with several projects having been successfully implemented and completed, as new initiatives for cooperation were undertaken.

Women

209. The empowerment of ASEAN women continued to be the focus of the 14th AWP Meeting. The meeting also discussed ways and means of realizing this.

210. A Training Workshop on Development of a Monitoring and Reporting System on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Advancement of Women in the ASEAN Region was conducted at the ASEAN Secretariat from 24 to 25 July 1995 with funding from the UNDP ASP-5 Sub-Programme on Human Development. The draft Regional Report arising from the Workshop was circulated to the AWP focal points for comments prior to its publication, scheduled in late 1996.

211. Two new project proposals were endorsed by the 14th AWP Meeting. These and the details of their respective sub-components are described in Table 15.

212. Held in Bangkok in May 1995, the Meeting also exchanged information on the various activities being undertaken in preparation for the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in September 1995. Observers from Vietnam and Laos were also in attendance.

213. Early this year, the implementation of Project RAS/95/200 ASEAN Network for Women in Skills Training, funded by UNDP and CIDA began. The Chief Technical Adviser recruited by ILO assumed office in March 1996. This project seeks to empower women by equipping them with the skills to advance in the workplace.

Children

214. Among the projects dedicated to strengthening the family was a feasibility study on the establishment of an ASEAN Regional Centre/Network for Family and Child Development. The project resulted from the decision of the Third Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Social Welfare held in 1993.

215. The ASEAN Secretariat secured funding support from the UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office based in Bangkok for the study. A draft report of the study was prepared and a workshop organised in Kuala Lumpur from 16 to 18 October 1995 with this funding. Twenty-six delegates, consisting of the ASEAN Desk Officers for Children and other technical experts from the ASEAN Member Countries, officials and experts from UNICEF and the ASEAN Secretariat attended. The workshop reviewed the draft report and discussed project concepts/proposals to pursue programme areas and activities in line with the objectives and thrusts of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Children.

216. The draft report has since been finalized by the ASEAN Secretariat and circulated to Member Countries for comments prior to publication.

Youth Development

217. In the Fifth Summit Declaration, the ASEAN Leaders singled out the importance of instilling in the younger generation, a consciousness of the ASEAN spirit and identity. Among the on-going activities that seek to bring young people in ASEAN together is the ASEAN Volunteer Corps Exchange Programme which started in 1991. The project served as a venue for exchange of youth in various areas of skills training.

218. The Fourth ASEAN Youth Day wove into its theme all the issues that ASEAN�s young people will have to contend with in the near future. Held in Manila from 4 - 9 August 1995, activities were centred on the theme, ASEAN Youth Gearing Towards Sustainable Development in the 21st Century. Funded by JAEP, it was attended by 31 youth leaders from Member Countries who exchanged information on the state of the environment in the different countries and how ASEAN youth could contribute in addressing problems in their respective environments.

219. The project Preparing Rural Youth for a Better Future in Agriculture (Phase I) which started in 1990 was completed in December 1995. Some 50 ASEAN youth benefitted from the JAEP-funded programme which consisted of management expertise training, exchange visits, seminars and workshops, among others. In December 1995, JAEP approved the allocation of US$43,985 in support of a new project, the ASEAN Youth Entrepreneurship Project (Phase II). Selected youth volunteers will undergo courses in conducting entrepreneurship training.

220. Other projects supported by JAEP during the period under review are found in Table 16.

221. The 12th Meeting of the ASEAN Sub-Committee on Youth (ASY) was held in Bandar Seri Begawan in July 1995.

222. During the 13th Meeting of the ASEAN Sub-committee on Youth in May 1996 in Chiangmai, Thailand, finalised matters for discussion at the 2nd Ministerial Meeting on Youth in Kuala Lumpur, tentatively scheduled to be held in September 1996.

Health and Nutrition

223. Several efforts to upgrade the quality of health, health care and nutrition in ASEAN were made in the year under review. The 13th Meeting of the ASEAN Sub-committee on Health and Nutrition discussed various efforts and issues and reaffirmed the list of priority areas of cooperation in Table 17.

224. The meeting, held in Bangkok in August 1995, also noted that the ASEAN Secretariat, as requested by ASCH & N, was engaged in consultations with the WHO Offices in Jakarta and Manila for such a collaborative programme on polio eradication.

225. In addition, ASCH&N endorsed the revised project proposal on ASEAN Collaborative Project on Nutrition Surveillance for JAEP funding.

226. The Technical Cooperation in Pharmaceuticals Among ASEAN Countries project continued to receive partial funding support from WHO and the Japan Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Association.

227. In line with the general trend towards self-sufficiency in project funding, ASCH&N agreed to consider other funding options such as cost-sharing arrangements among Member Countries. It would also look into securing financial support from other pharmaceutical companies.

ASEAN Task Force on AIDS

228. To ensure that ASEAN would be equal to the challenges posed by HIV/AIDS, the ASEAN Task Force on AIDS (ATFOA)adopted the ASEAN Regional Programme on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, initiated by the ASEAN Secretariat and funded by WHO at its 3rd Meeting

229. The Programme includes a set of integrated activities and project concepts. It is intended to complement national and other regional programmes on AIDS prevention and care carried out by ASEAN Member Countries. Among others, it lists activities such as: 230. As requested by the 3rd AFTOA Meeting, the ASEAN Secretariat is consulting with the UNAIDS Programme and the South-East Asia HIV/AIDS Project based in Bangkok for possible technical and financial collaboration.

Education

231. Efforts to intensify human resource development was boosted with the establishment of the ASEAN University Network. This was accomplished with the signing of the AUN Charter and Agreement by the relevant Ministers and chancellors/presidents/rectors of the 11 participating universities, respectively, in November 1995. This development followed on from the 3rd Meeting of the ASEAN Sub-committee on Education. The Meeting marked a milestone in ASEAN cooperation in education with the adoption of the Charter of the ASEAN University Network (AUN) and the Memorandum of Agreement on the Establishment of the ASEAN University Network. The ASCOE Meeting in Manila also adopted the following as its mission statement: "To promote social and economic progress through the implementation of regional programmes that will enhance regional cohesiveness and the competitiveness of ASEAN's human resources in the educational, scientific, technical and professional fields."

232. The AUN effort encapsulates all these aims. When operational, the network will promote collaborative studies and research programmes in the identified priority areas of science and technology, science education and ASEAN studies.

233. The Fourth ASCOE Meeting in May 1996 decided that in preparation for the First Meeting of the AUN Board of Trustees, a Special Technical Meeting to be attended by university officials to discuss the AUN concept and mechanism would be held in Bangkok in late July or early August 1996.

234. The Meeting, held in Singapore, also took steps to promote a regional identity among younger students. The following will be implemented on a cost-sharing basis: Labour Affairs

235. An issue of continuing concern for Labour Ministers and officials has been the attempts of developed countries to link international trade and international labour standards. In relation to this, the 11th ASEAN Labour Ministers� Meeting called for a review of international labour conventions, in particular those pertaining to the basic rights of workers, with a view to facilitating the ratification of relevant conventions. These conventions, having been formulated decades ago, and were now outdated. Hence, they did not accurately reflect the current state of socio-economic development in the member countries. Such linkage would seriously undermine the economic growth of developing countries.

236. At the ALMM held in Bangkok from 25-26 April 1996, Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to improving the economic and social well-being of workers. They enjoined the ILO to provide additional resources and technical assistance to promote employment, eradicate poverty, and eliminate child labour.

237. They reiterated their stand that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) is the most competent body to deal with labour issues, and that international trade or other non-labour related fora were not the appropriate arena for such discussions.

238. Prior to and in preparation of the 11th ALMM, the ASEAN Sub-Committee on Labour Affairs (ASCLA) met in Singapore in January 1996, to reaffirm the need for ASEAN to formulate and adopt a common position on labour issues of concern to ASEAN members

239. Two labour-related projects are being implemented by the ASEAN Secretariat under the UNDP ASP-IV Sub-programme on Human Development: For this project, the ASEAN Secretariat, with the assistance of a Senior Specialist for Enterprise and Management Development of ILO's Multidisciplinary Advisory Team, prepared the Terms of Reference for a study/seminar on the assessment of the needs and resources of the informal sector in ASEAN. The seminar would be followed by a training programme. Seven national experts and one ASEAN expert are now being identified by the ASEAN Secretariat in consultation with the ASCLA focal points in Member Countries. For this activity, the ASEAN Secretariat, with the assistance of a Senior Specialist on Working Conditions from ILO's South East Asian and the Pacific Multidisciplinary Advisory Team, prepared the Terms of Reference for the following activities: 240. Technical Cooperation Among Developing Countries(TCDC) activities among ASEAN members have been increasing. These activities include training in labour relations, labour administration, occupational safety and health, and activities on employment promotion, and rural and community development.

241. In addition, the First ASEAN Skills Competition was held in Kuala Lumpur in August 1995. The competition was attended by 40 participants from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand who competed in electric welding, house wiring, carpentry, ladies' dressmaking and automotive mechanics.

Disaster Management

242. The ASEAN Experts Group on Disaster Management (AEGDM) agreed to study suggestions to establish natural disaster research and development sub-centres in each ASEAN Member Country at its 9th Meeting in Manila. The Meeting held in February 1996, also agreed to look into the possibility of setting up a quick response team for ASEAN.

243. To operationalize the provisions of the ASEAN Declaration on Mutual Assistance on Natural Disasters of 1976 AEGDM called for the documentation of Member Countries' respective internal arrangements for rescue and relief operations

244. In relation to this, current Chairman of the Experts Group, the Philippines, would lead the development of a Regional Programme on Disaster Management.

245. Malaysia�s participation in training courses on search and rescue operations in Singapore, and the Philippines� plans to send a team to Singapore to be trained in collapsed-building rescue operations were noted here. The Meeting also endorsed the continuation of the publication of the ASEAN Newsletter on Disaster Management for JAEP funding and the plans to make the newsletter accessible to Internet users.

246. In recognition of Japan's expertise and capabilities in disaster management, Japan was granted Observer status for subsequent meetings. The Experts Group also decided that Laos and Cambodia will attend future AEGDM meetings as Observers in future.