ASEAN: No social links to trade issues
By Pandaya
BANGKOK (JP): ASEAN foreign ministers declared on Saturday that they rejected the inclusion of workers rights, labor standards and environmental issues in international trade agreements.
Their views, issued in a joint statement at the end of the two-day ASEAN foreign ministerial meeting, may set stage for confrontation with their Western dialog partners who they meet today.
"Attempts by some developed countries to introduce social clauses into international trade agreements would restrict market access and adversely affect the employment opportunities of workers in developing countries," they said in the joint communique.
They urged the International Labor Organization (ILO) to support flexible and fair implementation of labor standards considering the needs of developing countries.
They expressed "serious concern that the linkage of workers rights, labor standards and environmental issues could become a new pretext for protectionism."
ASEAN was at the forefront of campaigns to baffle efforts by the U.S. and France to include in the recently concluded General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
The U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Canada, European Union, Japan and South Korea are ASEAN's dialog partners. They will discuss security and political cooperation in the Asia- Pacific today.
In their joint statement, the ASEAN foreign ministers raised concern over international tensions and trade barriers, issues likely to resurface in today's meeting with their dialog partners.
Communique
The following are excepts on key issues the foreign ministers raised in their joint communique.
* On security and political cooperation, the ministers noted and welcomed ASEAN's increasingly central role in fostering political and security cooperation in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific through initiatives such as the inaugural meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). ASEAN should work with its ARF partners to bring about more predictable and constructive pattern of relations in the Pacific.
The foreign ministers reaffirmed their commitment to ASEAN' principles and objectives on regional peace and security, particularly those contained in the ASEAN declaration on the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN), the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.
They noted growing recognition for the treaty and expressed their intent to facilitate association with the accord by non- regional states.
* On the South China Sea, the ministers expressed appreciation that the ongoing Indonesia-sponsored workshop series on managing potential conflicts in the South China Sea had promoted confidence-building among the countries directly concerned. They were convinced that, given the political will and spirit of cooperation, peace and stability in the region could be significantly reduced.
* On Cambodia strife, they reiterated their support for the Cambodian government but noted with concern that peace and stability there had not been fully realized. They condemned the recent coup attempt and deplored proclamation by the Khmer Rouge of their so-called "provisional government".
* On the Korean peninsula, they expected early convening of the inter-Korean summit and the resumption of the high level talks between the U.S. and North Korea.
* On the recent development in former Yugoslavia. they called for support for the latest peace proposals and the lifting of the arms embargo against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the face of Serbs' rejection of the peace proposals.
* They urged world community to provide financial resources to the Palestinian Authority with financial resources for successful implementation of the Israel-PLO agreement on Palestinian autonomy.
* On workers' rights, the ministers expressed serious concern that the linkage of worker rights, labor standards and environmental issues to trade could become a new pretext for protectionism and could undermine the progress achieved so far in the liberalization of world trade. While stressing the importance of uplifting social conditions, they insisted that these issues are more appropriately address by other competent international bodies such as the ILO.
* On Asia-Pacific economic cooperation, they welcomed the efforts of APEC in promoting greater economic cooperation and trade liberalization and stressed the need to take into account the different levels of economic development among APEC members to sustain healthy economic growth in the region.
* On East Asia Economic Caucus, they noted the progress made in the consultations to launch the East Asia Economic Caucus with potential members and welcomed their valuable inputs and suggestions. They agreed that these consultations be continued.
* On ASEAN Free Trade Area, they expressed satisfaction at the progress of the implementation of the Common Effective Preferential Tariff Scheme (CEPT) for AFTA. They noted that all member countries had began implementing the tariff reduction program in 1994.
The ministers expressed confidence that the CEPT would enhance the competitiveness of ASEAN as an international production base and encouraged the inflow of foreign direct investments into the region.
They also reaffirmed the importance of ASEAN's relations with its dialog partners in forging better understanding on issues of common interests. They reiterated the concern over measures that restrict market access of ASEAN exports.
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