ASEAN: No social links to trade issues<\/p>\n
By Pandaya<\/p>\n
BANGKOK (JP): ASEAN foreign ministers declared on Saturday
\nthat they rejected the inclusion of workers rights, labor
\nstandards and environmental issues in international trade
\nagreements.<\/p>\n
Their views, issued in a joint statement at the end of the
\ntwo-day ASEAN foreign ministerial meeting, may set stage for
\nconfrontation with their Western dialog partners who they meet
\ntoday.<\/p>\n
"Attempts by some developed countries to introduce social
\nclauses into international trade agreements would restrict market
\naccess and adversely affect the employment opportunities of
\nworkers in developing countries," they said in the joint
\ncommunique.<\/p>\n
They urged the International Labor Organization (ILO) to
\nsupport flexible and fair implementation of labor standards
\nconsidering the needs of developing countries.<\/p>\n
They expressed "serious concern that the linkage of workers
\nrights, labor standards and environmental issues could become a
\nnew pretext for protectionism."<\/p>\n
ASEAN was at the forefront of campaigns to baffle efforts by
\nthe U.S. and France to include in the recently concluded General
\nAgreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).<\/p>\n
The U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Canada, European Union,
\nJapan and South Korea are ASEAN's dialog partners. They will
\ndiscuss security and political cooperation in the Asia- Pacific
\ntoday.<\/p>\n
In their joint statement, the ASEAN foreign ministers raised
\nconcern over international tensions and trade barriers, issues
\nlikely to resurface in today's meeting with their dialog
\npartners.<\/p>\n
Communique<\/p>\n
The following are excepts on key issues the foreign ministers
\nraised in their joint communique.<\/p>\n
* On security and political cooperation, the ministers noted
\nand welcomed ASEAN's increasingly central role in fostering
\npolitical and security cooperation in Southeast Asia and the
\nAsia-Pacific through initiatives such as the inaugural meeting of
\nthe ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). ASEAN should work with its ARF
\npartners to bring about more predictable and constructive pattern
\nof relations in the Pacific.<\/p>\n
The foreign ministers reaffirmed their commitment to ASEAN'
\nprinciples and objectives on regional peace and security,
\nparticularly those contained in the ASEAN declaration on the Zone
\nof Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN), the Treaty of Amity
\nand Cooperation in Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n
They noted growing recognition for the treaty and expressed
\ntheir intent to facilitate association with the accord by non-
\nregional states.<\/p>\n
* On the South China Sea, the ministers expressed appreciation
\nthat the ongoing Indonesia-sponsored workshop series on managing
\npotential conflicts in the South China Sea had promoted
\nconfidence-building among the countries directly concerned. They
\nwere convinced that, given the political will and spirit of
\ncooperation, peace and stability in the region could be
\nsignificantly reduced.<\/p>\n
* On Cambodia strife, they reiterated their support for the
\nCambodian government but noted with concern that peace and
\nstability there had not been fully realized. They condemned the
\nrecent coup attempt and deplored proclamation by the Khmer Rouge
\nof their so-called "provisional government".<\/p>\n
* On the Korean peninsula, they expected early convening of
\nthe inter-Korean summit and the resumption of the high level
\ntalks between the U.S. and North Korea.<\/p>\n
* On the recent development in former Yugoslavia. they called
\nfor support for the latest peace proposals and the lifting of the
\narms embargo against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the face of Serbs'
\nrejection of the peace proposals.<\/p>\n
* They urged world community to provide financial resources to
\nthe Palestinian Authority with financial resources for successful
\nimplementation of the Israel-PLO agreement on Palestinian
\nautonomy.<\/p>\n
* On workers' rights, the ministers expressed serious concern
\nthat the linkage of worker rights, labor standards and
\nenvironmental issues to trade could become a new pretext for
\nprotectionism and could undermine the progress achieved so far in
\nthe liberalization of world trade. While stressing the importance
\nof uplifting social conditions, they insisted that these issues
\nare more appropriately address by other competent international
\nbodies such as the ILO.<\/p>\n
* On Asia-Pacific economic cooperation, they welcomed the
\nefforts of APEC in promoting greater economic cooperation and
\ntrade liberalization and stressed the need to take into account
\nthe different levels of economic development among APEC members
\nto sustain healthy economic growth in the region.<\/p>\n
* On East Asia Economic Caucus, they noted the progress made
\nin the consultations to launch the East Asia Economic Caucus with
\npotential members and welcomed their valuable inputs and
\nsuggestions. They agreed that these consultations be continued.<\/p>\n
* On ASEAN Free Trade Area, they expressed satisfaction at the
\nprogress of the implementation of the Common Effective
\nPreferential Tariff Scheme (CEPT) for AFTA. They noted that all
\nmember countries had began implementing the tariff reduction
\nprogram in 1994.<\/p>\n
The ministers expressed confidence that the CEPT would enhance
\nthe competitiveness of ASEAN as an international production base
\nand encouraged the inflow of foreign direct investments into the
\nregion.<\/p>\n
They also reaffirmed the importance of ASEAN's relations with
\nits dialog partners in forging better understanding on issues of
\ncommon interests. They reiterated the concern over measures that
\nrestrict market access of ASEAN exports.<\/p>\n
Expansion -- Page 14<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asean-no-social-links-to-trade-issues-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }