BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN—The two-day summit of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) opened here Wednesday night with the
Philippines looking to Brunei to push for an early conclusion of talks
with China on a code of conduct in the South China Sea.
The summit chairman, Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah,
opened the summit by hosting a dinner for the nine other Asean leaders,
except for Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak who sent a
representative, at the spanking new Prime Minister’s Office.
Pushing for code of conduct
President Aquino, who arrived Wednesday night for the opening,
said he would push again for the code of conduct to minimize the risk of
conflict in the South China Sea, which the Philippines refers to as
West Philippine Sea.
In a departure statement in Manila, Aquino said that under the
sultan’s leadership, “we have full confidence we can move forward on
equal terms on this issue.”
“That is one of the aims of the President: to push for the code
of conduct in the South China Sea,” Philippine Ambassador to Brunei
Nestor Ochoa told reporters at the Philippine Embassy. “This time, we
are hopeful that Asean will finally agree to have a consensus in pushing
for the code of conduct at least within the year.”
Retreat Session
Today, the leaders will attend a Retreat Session, whose agenda is
expected to include overlapping territorial claims over the South China
Sea between Asean and China, and the tension in the Korean Peninsula.
The Philippines would push for the full implementation of the
Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and for
the early conclusion of a “substantive and legally binding” code of
conduct, foreign officials had said.
Ambassador Elizabeth Buensuceso, Philippine permanent
representative to Asean, indicated that Manila was looking to Bandar
Seri Begawan to take the lead in pressing for negotiations on a code of
conduct with Beijing.
“In this summit, this issue will be tackled. I think the
chairmanship of Brunei would like to be able to come up with a statement
that is constructive toward maintaining peace and stability in the
region,” Buensuceso told Radio TV Malacañang.
Since the format of the summit is informal, and the leaders could
raise any issue, she added: “We’re not going to rest on our laurels. In
this summit we will urge the Asean-member countries to be
forward-looking.”
Ochoa agreed that Brunei’s goal would be to push for the code of conduct during its chairmanship of Asean.
“They (Brunei) hope that something would happen to the code of
conduct before the end of the year,” he said. “So far there’s no formal
consensus yet. Hopefully, Asean will agree among themselves and China is
next.”
In the Retreat Session, the Asean leaders would exchange views on
regional and international issues, and discuss the Asean community in
2015, its central role and regional architecture, and its future
direction.
The Asean leaders would call for an “early adoption” of the code
of conduct with Beijing, according to a draft statement to be issued
after the summit obtained by The Associated Press.
A code of conduct has been on the agenda of Asean for the last 10
years. China has balked at this, claiming the time wasn’t ripe for it,
and preferring to deal with individual claimants.
Asean countries have already crafted the “elements” of the code
of conduct, but it was another matter to convince Beijing to sit down at
the negotiating table.
South China Sea is being claimed whole by China, and in parts by
the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam, as well as Taiwan.
The Philippines has challenged China’s claim over most of the
South China Sea by filing a notification and statement of claim with the
United Nations.
Meantime, the Philippines has to deal with the presence of three
Chinese surveillance ships in Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal) despite
an agreement by both countries to withdraw from there following a tense
standoff in April last year.
Filipino officials view the continuing incursion as a violation
of the code of conduct, a 2002 nonaggression pact that has failed to
stop clashes in the South China Sea.
P7-million trip
The government allotted P7 million for President Aquino’s
attendance at the summit in Brunei. He will spend less than 24 hours in
Bandar Seri Begawan, accompanied by a 51-member delegation, Executive
Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said.
The delegation includes Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario,
Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo,
Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda,
Mindanao Development Authority Secretary Luwalhati Antonino and
Presidential Protocol Chief Celia Anna Feria.
The cost covers the charter lease, accommodation, transportation,
food and equipment, among others, for Aquino and his delegation.
source: Philippine Daily Inquirer
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Asean on track for EU-style market by 2015
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN — Southeast Asia’s efforts to create a single market by 2015 are in their hardest phase owing to protectionist reflexes on sensitive sectors, according to President Aquino.
Despite the challenges, however, leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are working hard to meet the target, Aquino told reporters on Wednesday night in Brunei where he was attending Asean’s annual summit.
“They have finished with the easy parts but the accomplishments will not be as fast as in discussing the hard parts. When you reach that point, there can be some protectionist measures taken by each economy,” Aquino said.
“But since we are focused on reaching the target, everyone who believes that one community is beneficial to everybody concerned will really try hard (to reach the goal),” he said.
Although overshadowed by security issues, an ambitious plan by Asean to transform itself into an EU-like community by the end of 2015 has sparked more optimism, with diplomats saying the bloc was on track to meet the deadline.
About 77 percent of the work to turn the bustling region into a single market and production base, first laid out in a 2007 blueprint, have been done, according to a confidential draft statement to be issued after the summit.
Nine leaders in the 10-nation bloc huddled behind closed doors on Thursday at a cavernous, stone and marble building Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah had ordered built for the annual two-day summit. Absent from the session was Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who was campaigning for reelection back home.
Asean, a region of 600 million people in 10 countries, wants to establish a common market and manufacturing base so that it can better compete as a group with giant neighbors such as China and India in trade and investments.
Many challenges
The region attracted 7.6 percent of the world’s foreign direct investment in 2011, up from 4.3 percent in 2006, Jaspal Bindra, Standard Chartered’s chief executive for Asia, wrote in a column in the Borneo Bulletin on Thursday.
Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo said Asean had already achieved up about three quarters of its targets relating to its single-market goal since beginning the process in 2007.
But he also emphasized there were many challenges, including a framework to open up the services sector such as banking, insurance, telecommunications and retail within Asean.
Another challenge is harmonizing customs procedures and putting them online so that businesses can see them real-time, Domingo told a media briefing held with Aquino.
Tariff barriers
On trade in goods, agriculture is also among the most difficult sectors to fully liberalize, Domingo said.
“If their agriculture sector is large, they will protect it because there are a lot of farmers (affected),” he said.
Analysts have said that Asean has achieved much in cutting tariff barriers to trade in goods, but still has a lot to do before the end-of-2015 target in opening up the services sector by removing nontariff hurdles.
“Asean is fully aware of that and they’re now trying to do an inventory of those nontariff barriers so that we can eliminate them one by one,” Domingo said
source: Philippine Daily Inquirer from Agence France-Presse, Associated Press
Time to put ASEAN on the map
IF YOU are not too sure what ASEAN is, now
would be a good time to get up to speed, with the leaders of this Asian
trade bloc of 10 that met this week for their 22nd Summit in Brunei. As
demand slumps in debt-ridden Europe, the region looks increasingly
attractive for profit-hungry British corporates.
Recent data from the Office of National Statistics showed a 5.8% drop in UK exports to the EU, underscoring the need for British businesses to look elsewhere for growth. Many have already done so -- a good example being Diageo, the world’s biggest drinks company, which famously set its sights on generating half its turnover in faster-growing markets by 2015. At 42%, it has nearly reached this mark, two years ahead of time.
Often forgotten in the excitement about China and India, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is widely seen as the big growth story of 2013. Its prospects are the stuff of envy for struggling western economies: rising incomes and spending, an abundant workforce and GDP growth easily outstripping the global average.
On top of this, ASEAN boasts a wide array of strengths: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam are rich in natural resources. Countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam are strong contenders as alternative manufacturing bases to China, and Singapore is one of world’s most sophisticated hubs for business and financial services. When Rolls-Royce invested in its first big aerospace manufacturing facility outside the UK, it chose to do so in the city-state, making this ASEAN member its gateway to the fast-growing markets of Asia.
If it were a single economy, ASEAN (which also counts Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar) would be the world’s ninth largest by GDP -- bigger than India and Russia -- and its third most populous with 600 million people. A growing centre of trade, ASEAN is increasingly where the action is, with corporates busy setting up distribution, sourcing and manufacturing to capture opportunities within the ten markets and more widely across Asia. Strategically placed across important new trade corridors, ASEAN is part of the world’s biggest regional trade agreement (measured by population) with China, India, Korea, New Zealand, Australia and Japan. This ASEAN plus six grouping represents around a third of the world’s GDP and almost half of its population.
Between 2005 and 2010, intra-ASEAN trade surged 55%, and ASEAN trade with the rest of Asia has continued to grow strongly. In 2011, China overtook the EU as ASEAN’s largest trading partner, emphasizing the attractiveness of ASEAN as a hub from which to connect with customers across Asia. Another good reason to put ASEAN on the map: it is on a path to economic convergence, with plans for an ASEAN economic community by 2015. While the plans are ambitious and some concrete achievements are needed to solidify momentum for ASEAN integration, trade is already one successful aspect.
The 10 members have come a long way since the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s. Lower debt, stronger banking sectors and more robust balances of payments all help to cushion ASEAN against external shocks, as evident during the latest crisis. The Philippines was just upgraded to investment grade, following in the footsteps of Indonesia last year. And despite outperforming the rest of the world for years, ASEAN still has plenty of room for growth, with trade, a growing middle class, burgeoning consumerism and urbanization all acting as strong drivers.
Standard Chartered believes urbanization alone could yield a tripling of ASEAN’s GDP per capita, and help it outpace global growth for years to come, as the less urbanized parts of ASEAN catch up with the likes of Singapore and Malaysia. This year, ASEAN growth is expected to reach 5.3%, against IMF’s 3.3% forecast for the world. Not surprisingly, given the state of economies in the West, foreign investor confidence in the region has been growing steadily, with ASEAN attracting 7.6% of global foreign direct investment in 2011, up from 4.3% in 2006.
The recent efforts of Myanmar -- once the world’s biggest rice exporter -- to reconnect with the world economy further strengthens ASEAN as a trade bloc and attractive base for multinationals including UK corporates. This year Standard Chartered has re-entered Yangon after a decade’s absence. To us, as to many others, ASEAN and the wider Asia region is becoming increasingly important to our business.
As ever, nothing can be taken for granted. The 10 ASEAN member nations are very different, challenges remain on the path to economic integration and sustained growth is dependent on the right mix of fundamentals, policy and confidence. But, for now, all the excitement about ASEAN is well-founded and UK corporates would do well to put the region on the map.
Jaspal Bindra is CEO Asia, Standard Chartered.
source: Businessworld
Recent data from the Office of National Statistics showed a 5.8% drop in UK exports to the EU, underscoring the need for British businesses to look elsewhere for growth. Many have already done so -- a good example being Diageo, the world’s biggest drinks company, which famously set its sights on generating half its turnover in faster-growing markets by 2015. At 42%, it has nearly reached this mark, two years ahead of time.
Often forgotten in the excitement about China and India, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is widely seen as the big growth story of 2013. Its prospects are the stuff of envy for struggling western economies: rising incomes and spending, an abundant workforce and GDP growth easily outstripping the global average.
On top of this, ASEAN boasts a wide array of strengths: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam are rich in natural resources. Countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam are strong contenders as alternative manufacturing bases to China, and Singapore is one of world’s most sophisticated hubs for business and financial services. When Rolls-Royce invested in its first big aerospace manufacturing facility outside the UK, it chose to do so in the city-state, making this ASEAN member its gateway to the fast-growing markets of Asia.
If it were a single economy, ASEAN (which also counts Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar) would be the world’s ninth largest by GDP -- bigger than India and Russia -- and its third most populous with 600 million people. A growing centre of trade, ASEAN is increasingly where the action is, with corporates busy setting up distribution, sourcing and manufacturing to capture opportunities within the ten markets and more widely across Asia. Strategically placed across important new trade corridors, ASEAN is part of the world’s biggest regional trade agreement (measured by population) with China, India, Korea, New Zealand, Australia and Japan. This ASEAN plus six grouping represents around a third of the world’s GDP and almost half of its population.
Between 2005 and 2010, intra-ASEAN trade surged 55%, and ASEAN trade with the rest of Asia has continued to grow strongly. In 2011, China overtook the EU as ASEAN’s largest trading partner, emphasizing the attractiveness of ASEAN as a hub from which to connect with customers across Asia. Another good reason to put ASEAN on the map: it is on a path to economic convergence, with plans for an ASEAN economic community by 2015. While the plans are ambitious and some concrete achievements are needed to solidify momentum for ASEAN integration, trade is already one successful aspect.
The 10 members have come a long way since the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s. Lower debt, stronger banking sectors and more robust balances of payments all help to cushion ASEAN against external shocks, as evident during the latest crisis. The Philippines was just upgraded to investment grade, following in the footsteps of Indonesia last year. And despite outperforming the rest of the world for years, ASEAN still has plenty of room for growth, with trade, a growing middle class, burgeoning consumerism and urbanization all acting as strong drivers.
Standard Chartered believes urbanization alone could yield a tripling of ASEAN’s GDP per capita, and help it outpace global growth for years to come, as the less urbanized parts of ASEAN catch up with the likes of Singapore and Malaysia. This year, ASEAN growth is expected to reach 5.3%, against IMF’s 3.3% forecast for the world. Not surprisingly, given the state of economies in the West, foreign investor confidence in the region has been growing steadily, with ASEAN attracting 7.6% of global foreign direct investment in 2011, up from 4.3% in 2006.
The recent efforts of Myanmar -- once the world’s biggest rice exporter -- to reconnect with the world economy further strengthens ASEAN as a trade bloc and attractive base for multinationals including UK corporates. This year Standard Chartered has re-entered Yangon after a decade’s absence. To us, as to many others, ASEAN and the wider Asia region is becoming increasingly important to our business.
As ever, nothing can be taken for granted. The 10 ASEAN member nations are very different, challenges remain on the path to economic integration and sustained growth is dependent on the right mix of fundamentals, policy and confidence. But, for now, all the excitement about ASEAN is well-founded and UK corporates would do well to put the region on the map.
Jaspal Bindra is CEO Asia, Standard Chartered.
source: Businessworld
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
1,000 days to 2015 MDG deadline: Philippine options
THE COUNTDOWN to the last 1,000 days to the
2015 deadline of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has begun. On
April 5, the world marked the beginning of the critical last mile of the
MDGs.
Launched in 2000 with the signing of the Millennium Declaration by 189 UN member-countries, the MDGs became the global agenda for development at the start of the new century. Being time-bound and measurable, the MDGs have made a difference and changed the way of achieving development objectives.
The eight MDGs are: halve extreme poverty and hunger; universal primary education; 3-gender equality; 4-reduce child mortality; 5-improved women’s health; 6-stop and reverse the spread of TB, malaria and HIV/AIDS; 7-environmental sustainability; and 8-global partnerships for aid, trade and debt relief. The MDGs are measured against 18 targets and 60 indicators.
Twelve years hence, the MDGs have shown successes in mobilizing the global community into achieving its targets. As of the 2012 Global MDGs Progress Report, four targets have been achieved. First, the global target of halving extreme poverty from its 1990 level has been reached, equivalent to 600 million people.
The 2012 progress report notes that for the first time since poverty trends began to be monitored, both the number of people living in extreme poverty and poverty rates have fallen in every developing region, including sub-Saharan Africa, where rates are highest. The proportion of people living on less than $1.25 a day fell from over two billion to less than 1.4 billion.
Second, halving the proportion of people without access to improved sources of water or two billion people now have access to improved sources such as piped supplies or protected wells.
Third, the target of improving the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers has been achieved ahead of its later 2020 deadline. More than 200 million slum dwellers have gained access to improved water sources and sanitation facilities, or durable or less crowded housing.
Fourth, the world has achieved another milestone: parity in primary education between girls and boys. Many more of the world’s children are enrolled in school at the primary level and girls have benefited the most.
Maternal and child mortality have also been dropping. Targeted investments, especially increased access to medication in fighting malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis have saved millions of lives.
To what are these successes attributed to? Clear evidence shows that targeted interventions, sustained by adequate funding and political commitment, have resulted in rapid progress in some areas.
Many recent studies have been pointing to more specific success factors on why some countries do better than others like: proactive development states committed to long-term human development, actively promoting decent and productive work as part of inclusive growth, enhancing public investment in health and education and nurturing productive capacities; tapping global markets; and social policy innovations such as social protection, safety nets, education for all and universal system of health care.
On another hand, unfulfilled commitments, insufficient resources, lack of focus and accountability, and insufficient dedication to sustainable development have created shortfalls in many areas. Some of these were aggravated by the global food and economic and financial crises, climate change and natural disasters.
Thus globally, progress has been uneven. In the 1,000 days to the MDGs deadline, the rallying call is to accelerate the pace and step-up the effort for those MDGs that are lagging behind.
Cited as an early achiever in gender equality; on track in halving extreme or subsistence poverty, reducing child mortality and environment sustainability, the Philippines must now focus on accelerating and intensifying efforts to reduce maternal mortality -- the MDG that is least likely to be achieved in the Philippines, increase access to universal primary education, reduce income poverty and vulnerable employment by half, and reverse the rising trend of HIV/AIDS.
The strategy of localization, supported by government convergences in programmes that target multiple MDGs, will be crucial in this last mile. Conditions of inequality and disparities across regions and within provinces will also require targeted attention.
Local government units (LGUs) are the “vital cogs” in this intensification of the MDGs. With the support of the national government through stronger policy coherence and increased financial resources, the private sector through resources and investment decisions, and the civil society through advocacy and monitoring, the next 1,000 days offers the opportunity for the country to muster the political will and dedicate its best in harnessing its resources to achieve the MDGs nationwide.
As the world is now coming closer to 2015 and the post-2015 agenda is unraveling, the MDGs have indeed shown the way to development. The new post-2015 development agenda will benefit from the lessons learned from the MDGs.
In 2000, the MDGs were embraced as a unifying theme of global development. The momentum that the MDGs created when the Millennium Declaration was signed is going for a final push. It will always stand as a remarkable moment where all nations were able to reach consensus towards progress and development of humankind. That momentum has to be kept alive more than ever. It will spell the difference for the MDGs in the journey of the next 1,000 days to 2015.
Luiza Carvalho is the UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines.
source: Businessworld
Launched in 2000 with the signing of the Millennium Declaration by 189 UN member-countries, the MDGs became the global agenda for development at the start of the new century. Being time-bound and measurable, the MDGs have made a difference and changed the way of achieving development objectives.
The eight MDGs are: halve extreme poverty and hunger; universal primary education; 3-gender equality; 4-reduce child mortality; 5-improved women’s health; 6-stop and reverse the spread of TB, malaria and HIV/AIDS; 7-environmental sustainability; and 8-global partnerships for aid, trade and debt relief. The MDGs are measured against 18 targets and 60 indicators.
Twelve years hence, the MDGs have shown successes in mobilizing the global community into achieving its targets. As of the 2012 Global MDGs Progress Report, four targets have been achieved. First, the global target of halving extreme poverty from its 1990 level has been reached, equivalent to 600 million people.
The 2012 progress report notes that for the first time since poverty trends began to be monitored, both the number of people living in extreme poverty and poverty rates have fallen in every developing region, including sub-Saharan Africa, where rates are highest. The proportion of people living on less than $1.25 a day fell from over two billion to less than 1.4 billion.
Second, halving the proportion of people without access to improved sources of water or two billion people now have access to improved sources such as piped supplies or protected wells.
Third, the target of improving the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers has been achieved ahead of its later 2020 deadline. More than 200 million slum dwellers have gained access to improved water sources and sanitation facilities, or durable or less crowded housing.
Fourth, the world has achieved another milestone: parity in primary education between girls and boys. Many more of the world’s children are enrolled in school at the primary level and girls have benefited the most.
Maternal and child mortality have also been dropping. Targeted investments, especially increased access to medication in fighting malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis have saved millions of lives.
To what are these successes attributed to? Clear evidence shows that targeted interventions, sustained by adequate funding and political commitment, have resulted in rapid progress in some areas.
Many recent studies have been pointing to more specific success factors on why some countries do better than others like: proactive development states committed to long-term human development, actively promoting decent and productive work as part of inclusive growth, enhancing public investment in health and education and nurturing productive capacities; tapping global markets; and social policy innovations such as social protection, safety nets, education for all and universal system of health care.
On another hand, unfulfilled commitments, insufficient resources, lack of focus and accountability, and insufficient dedication to sustainable development have created shortfalls in many areas. Some of these were aggravated by the global food and economic and financial crises, climate change and natural disasters.
Thus globally, progress has been uneven. In the 1,000 days to the MDGs deadline, the rallying call is to accelerate the pace and step-up the effort for those MDGs that are lagging behind.
Cited as an early achiever in gender equality; on track in halving extreme or subsistence poverty, reducing child mortality and environment sustainability, the Philippines must now focus on accelerating and intensifying efforts to reduce maternal mortality -- the MDG that is least likely to be achieved in the Philippines, increase access to universal primary education, reduce income poverty and vulnerable employment by half, and reverse the rising trend of HIV/AIDS.
The strategy of localization, supported by government convergences in programmes that target multiple MDGs, will be crucial in this last mile. Conditions of inequality and disparities across regions and within provinces will also require targeted attention.
Local government units (LGUs) are the “vital cogs” in this intensification of the MDGs. With the support of the national government through stronger policy coherence and increased financial resources, the private sector through resources and investment decisions, and the civil society through advocacy and monitoring, the next 1,000 days offers the opportunity for the country to muster the political will and dedicate its best in harnessing its resources to achieve the MDGs nationwide.
As the world is now coming closer to 2015 and the post-2015 agenda is unraveling, the MDGs have indeed shown the way to development. The new post-2015 development agenda will benefit from the lessons learned from the MDGs.
In 2000, the MDGs were embraced as a unifying theme of global development. The momentum that the MDGs created when the Millennium Declaration was signed is going for a final push. It will always stand as a remarkable moment where all nations were able to reach consensus towards progress and development of humankind. That momentum has to be kept alive more than ever. It will spell the difference for the MDGs in the journey of the next 1,000 days to 2015.
Luiza Carvalho is the UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines.
source: Businessworld
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