Jakarta – The Second ASEAN-Canada Joint Coordination Committee (AC-JCC) Meeting was held yesterday at the ASEAN Secretariat, co-chaired by Ambassador Tan Hung Seng, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Singapore to ASEAN and Donald Bobiash, Ambassador of Canada to ASEAN.
The Meeting reviewed the progress in the Implementation of the Plan of Action (POA) to implement the Joint Declaration on ASEAN-Canada Enhanced Partnership 2010-2015. The two sides stressed the importance of continuing the effective implementation of the current POA, while agreeing to further expand and deepen cooperation in a number of areas such as non-traditional security issues, transnational crime, human rights, SMEs development, technology and innovation, agriculture productivity and food security, education, people-to-people exchanges, disaster management, public health and, connectivity among others.
The Meeting also noted the encouraging results of the implementation of the ASEAN-Canada Enhanced Partnership Programme (ACEPP), valued at CAD$10 million, under which there are currently three projects to support ASEAN in counter-terrorism, mitigating biological threats and financial regulations.
The Permanent Representatives to ASEAN expressed appreciation for Canada’s strong commitment and accelerated efforts to support the ASEAN Community building process as well as to strengthen the ASEAN-Canada Enhanced Partnership, and looked forward to Canada’s continued assistance to the ASEAN in realising its Post-2015 agenda.
On this occasion, the Meeting witnessed the launch of “ASEAN Online”, an Information Management Platform by OpenText, supported by the Government of Canada to the ASEAN Secretariat for two years to enhance its information management. H.E. AKP Mochtan, Deputy Secretary-General for Community and Corporate Affairs delivered opening remarks at the launch, stressing the importance of this Canadian support in strengthening the efficiency of the ASEAN Secretariat’s work. Ambassador Bobiash and high-level representatives of OpenText were also in attendance. A brief presentation and demonstration of “ASEAN Online” was conducted by OpenText for the participants and staffs of the ASEAN Secretariat.
This event was followed by a Seminar on Enhancing Connectivity through Public-Private Partnership, co-organised by Singapore and Canada, with representatives from the ADB, International Enterprise Singapore and Export Development Canada as resource panelists, and was participated in by diplomatic corps in Jakarta and private sector representatives. Source: ASEAM Secretariat
Photo: Donald Bobiash, Ambassador of Canada to ASEAN.