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ASEAN - CANADA |
The 9th Meeting of the ASEAN- Canada Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) was held at Ottawa on 15-16 June 1994. The JCC agenda covered international economic issues, economic and commercial cooperation and development cooperation. The private sector, represented by the ASEAN-Canada Business Council participated actively in the discussions and put forward a number of useful suggestions for enhancing cooperation between the two sides.
ASEAN and Canada shared a number of common concerns with respect to the implementation of the Uruguay Round results by the World Trade Organization (WTO) - among them, the establishment of effective working groups, in particular the Agriculture Committee, and the completion of unfinished business particularly in the areas of financial services, telecommunications and government procurement. Both sides also exchanged views on the developments in NAFTA and AFTA, stressing that both regional trading arrangements are open and GATT-consistent arrangements.
A study on AFTA-NAFTA presented by the Canadian side indicated that the agreements will have minimal adverse impact on each other's trade opportunities.
In discussing market access and other trade- related issues, both ASEAN and Canada recognized the importance of addressing non-tariff measures (e.g., anti-dumping and countervailing actions, health requirements, rules of origin, etc.) as they affect trade between the two sides. Trade and investment opportunities were also identified among others, in the areas of environmental technology, infrastructure projects through build- operate and transfer schemes, and in the ASEAN growth areas. ASEAN and Canada discussed ways of promoting increased awareness of specific opportunities available in each others' markets through closer interaction among the private sector and ASEAN and Canadian institutions, as well as the Canada-ASEAN Center.
In the field of development cooperation, a significant decision made by the 9th JCC was the establishment of the Joint Planning and Monitoring Committee (JPMC) to jointly develop and monitor programmes and projects. This decision was made following the agreement made in the last JCC for ASEAN to be involved in all aspects of programme and project formulation. The JPMC will be convened to finalize its terms of reference and begin its work before the next JCC.
ASEAN presented the Plans of Action on the Environment and Science and Technology for consideration by Canada in planning its future programmes for ASEAN in these areas. Canada responded positively to two ASEAN project proposals on the environment, namely: Natural Resource and Environmental Accounting, and Applicability of Economic Instruments for Pollution Control Prevention. These projects will be funded from the Economy and Environment Programme for Southeast Asia under the International Development Research Centre of Canada.
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