319. Under the UNDP Fifth Programming Cycle 1992-1996, ASEAN has been receiving technical assistance through the development cooperation programmes and projects listed in Table 23.

320. The ASEAN Secretariat has also published several documents with the support of the various UNDP sub-programmes. The details of these are listed in Table 24. These documents were launched at the Fifth Meeting of the ASEAN Heads of State and Government in Bangkok in December 1995. In addition to these publications, the ASEAN Secretariat is also currently working on other drafts in various stages for publication once they are finalised.

321. A draft report on social indicators called ASEAN Social Trends and the regional draft report on the status of implementation on the Declaration on the Advancement of Women in the ASEAN Region are currently being finalised for publication in 1996.

322. The Sub-programme on Capacity Building prepared a report entitled Review of ASEAN Structure and Mechanisms which aims to improve the ASEAN organisational machinery. It also examines the coordination and information exchange mechanisms within the ASEAN organization. The report was presented to the Fourth JCM held in Jakarta in November 1995.

323. Following the results of the Third Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI) in Manila in December 1993,the ASEAN Secretariat prepared a Feasibility Study on Establishing a Regional Information Centre and Databank (RIDAS), which includes the utilization of the Internet, to be based at the ASEAN Secretariat. The feasibility study was presented to and considered by SOM-AMRI at its meeting in Singapore from 4-8 March 1996.

324. To improve management operations, the ASEAN Secretariat established a new financial system which facilitates the efficient preparation of financial reports and a management information system for the AFTA Unit as well as for the other bureaus of the ASEAN Secretariat.

325. The ASEAN Secretariat has completed and applied the Revised Personnel Procedures and Career Development Plan as well as the Performance Appraisal Review System. To strengthen the capacity of the support staff of the ASEAN Secretariat, a series of training programmes such as refresher courses on General English for the drivers and clerks, Business English for the Junior and Senior Secretaries and Executive English for the Assistant Programme Officers have been conducted.

326. One of the highlights under the Sub-programme for Trade and Investment is the establishment of the ASEANWEB on the Internet. The ASEANWEB offers information on the general structure of ASEAN; calendar of ASEAN meetings; AFTA; list of CEPT products; recent ASEAN joint communiques and press releases, and ASEAN sectoral plans of actions which can be accessed through the Internet. The ASEANWEB was launched at the ASEAN Joint Ministerial Meeting (JMM) held in Bangkok, prior to the 1995 Bangkok Summit.

327. Under this Sub-Programme, the ASEAN Secretariat has also initiated and designed a Monitoring Information System (MIS) for eliminating quantitative restrictions (QRs) and other non-tariff barriers (NTBs).

328. Six industry studies on the automotive, machinery, food-processing, petrochemicals, textiles and electronics industries are being carried out by the ASEAN Secretariat. The studies are expected to yield strategies and actions which will enhance competitiveness for the above industries in anticipation of AFTA. Two workshops were convened in 1995 to discuss the methodology for the industry studies. Sectoral workshops on machinery, petrochemical and automotive industries were convened in April 1996.

329. Activities which facilitate the development of trade-related policy measures, listed in Table 25, have also been carried out by the ASEAN Secretariat under this Sub-programme.

330. The discussion focused on the recent developments under the purview of the World Trade Organization which will have an impact on ASEAN such as intellectual property rights, labour standards, services and external capital flows.

331. The ASEAN Secretariat, under the Sub-Programme on Trade and Environment, successfully conducted a series of familiarization workshops on the linkages between trade and environment in four ASEAN capitals in May 1995. The results of the workshops were published and disseminated at the 5th Meeting of the Heads of State and Government in Bangkok in December 1995.

332. The ASEAN Secretariat prepared national level studies on trade and environment for Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand with assistance from research institutions of the respective Member Countries. Another series of ASEAN workshops were convened in April 1996 in four ASEAN capitals namely, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Bangkok, to review and confirm the results of the national level studies on trade and environment.

333. Another important document which has been prepared by the ASEAN Secretariat, with the assistance of UNCTAD, is the "Comprehensive Database on the Use of Trade and Environmental Measures in International Agreements". A related computerised database was also developed containing trade-related information designed for use by the AFTA Unit of the ASEAN Secretariat.

334. Under the Sub-Programme on Science and Technology the ASEAN Secretariat has prepared the Medium-term Programme on Science and Technology Development (1995-2000) The document contains the detailed programmes and activities to operationalize the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science and Technology.

335. The second element of the Sub-programme focuses on the development of a common methodology for Science and Technology indicators. The ASEAN Secretariat, in cooperation with the Sub-committee on Infrastructure and Resource Development (SCIRD) and the UNESCO Regional Office for the Asia and Pacific organized an Experts Group workshop in July 1995 to develop the ASEAN Science and Technology indicators. The document was presented and reviewed at the second workshop on Science and Technology indicators in December 1995. After the comments of Member Countries are incorporated into the document, the ASEAN Science and Technology indicators will be finalized and published in 1996.

336. Under the Capacity Building for Sub-Regional Collaboration between ASEAN and CLV Countries (Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam) - RAS/95/290, a seven-member delegation from Vietnam paid a three-day visit to the ASEAN Secretariat before proceeding to other ASEAN countries. A briefing mission to Vietnam was also conducted by the Director- General of ASEAN-Malaysia. Seven Laotian and seven Cambodian Officials from various Ministries participated in an attachment programme at the ASEAN Secretariat during the reporting year. Besides being briefed on general ASEAN matters, ASEAN dialogue cooperation and ASEAN institutional arrangements, the officials were also attached to specific Bureaus according to their area of work and requirements.

ASEAN Network for Women in Skills Training - RAS/95/200.

337. The project, funded by UNDP and CIDA on a cost-sharing basis, was signed by ASEAN, ILO and UNDP on 1 May 1995. The project's Chief Technical Advisor arrived in March 1996 to commence project activities.