Workshop sets out framework

Workshop sets out framework

BUKITTINGGI, West Sumatra (JP): The participants of the fifth
South China Sea workshop have set up a Technical Working Group on
Legal Matters in an apparent effort to avoid discussing sensitive
territorial and sovereignty claims.

The workshop's organizing committee said in a closing
statement issued yesterday that the Working Group, which is
scheduled to convene in Thailand next year, will focus on the
legal aspects of confidence building measures.

Indonesia's Ambassador-at-Large for the Law of the Sea,
Hasjim Djalal, told reporters earlier that a continuation of the
Technical Working Group on Marine Scientific Research, whose
proposal on bio-diversity had been endorsed by the participants
earlier, will be formulated early next year in Hanoi. At that
time they expect to finalize their project proposals on the
development of a database for information exchange and
networking, as well as on sea level and tide monitoring.

The bio-diversity projects, which will be implemented in two
stages, will cost US$3.6 million for three years. Hasjim said he
will now start to seek donor countries or organizations which are
interested in assisting the programs.

"They are not planning to work on huge, money-consuming
projects. We are more interested in using these projects as a
means to get together and cooperate," Hasjim said.

Reports

The workshop on managing potential conflicts in the South
China Sea, which is hosted annually by Indonesia, is scheduled to
wind up the talks and distribute its preliminary reports today.

In order to manage the overlapping claims in the Spratly and
Paracel Islands by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam,
China and Taiwan, the six claimants, plus five other countries in
the region -- Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos and Cambodia
-- have agreed that cooperation projects in the South China Sea
would be conducive for the development of the region and help
prevent open conflicts.

According to Hasjim, the Technical Working Group on Shipping,
Navigation and Communications, which was established in the
previous workshop in Surabaya last year, but which has never
convened due to difficulties in picking a venue, has given Taiwan
and China until Dec. 31 to resolve their impasse regarding the
venue of the group's first meeting.

Meanwhile, other members of the group are being encouraged to
consult their authorities on the possibility of hosting this
first meeting in case the impasse between the two countries
cannot be resolved.

Yesterday's statement said that the Technical Working Group on
Shipping, Navigation and Communication will address topics, which
include search and rescue, piracy, drug-trafficking and the
problem of refugees.

The five-day workshop, which was attended by almost 70
experts, academics, scientists and government officials on an
individual basis, also agreed that it was premature to consider
institutionalizing or formalizing the workshop process.

The participants agreed, however, that the implementation of
agreed project proposals may require the participation of
relevant government agencies, thus resulting in some kind of
"formalization" of certain workshop activities.

Participants also agreed that a small staff, or secretariat
was needed to support the workshop's activities. This is in line
with the earlier proposal raised by Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ali Alatas at the opening of the workshop.

Non-South China Sea countries, as well as other regional and
global organizations, will also be invited to involve themselves
and participate in the realization of specific projects of
cooperation where necessary; meaning they are welcome to provide
technical and financial assistance.

Meanwhile Taiwan's proposal for the expansion of the specific
issue of the Spratlys and Paracels to a more general level of
"territorial claims and disputes" has not been adopted by the
workshop as reported in this paper yesterday.

Taiwan made the proposal after disagreements developed over
whether the specific issue should be incorporated and resolved in
the workshop. (pwn)