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37th Meeting of the ASEAN Committee
Subject: 37th Meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Science and Technology
37th Meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Science and Technology
Yangon, Myanmar
19-21 May 1999
Joint Press Release
First COST Meeting in Myanmar
1.The 37th Meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Science and Technology
(COST) was successfully hosted by Myanmar on
19-21 May 1999. The Meeting reviewed its accomplishments and discussed
the planning for implementation of the Hanoi Plan
of Action.
Significant Accomplishments
2.ASEAN COST, which is meeting for the first time in Myanmar, monitored
the progress in the implementation of projects to
enhance S&T development in ASEAN. At this meeting, the successful
completion of 7 projects in various areas of regional
cooperation in science and technology was reported. These projects are
in telecommunications training, multimedia archive
development, energy cogeneration from biomass resources, natural gas
utilisation in transport, coastal zone environment and
resource management, and remote sensing and geographic information
systems for sustainable management of natural
resources and the marine environment.
3.The Telecommunications Cooperation Training Project is a joint project
of ASEAN and Australia. Telecommunications
regulation, management and development are becoming more and more
important in ASEAN as the region becomes more
open and integrated with the rest of the world. This sector is
developing rapidly, and thus demands continuing upgrading of the
skills and capacities of its personnel. The project addressed this need
by conducting technical as well as management training
courses for telecommunications personnel in the ASEAN member countries.
As a result of the project, around 200
telecommunications technicians, engineers and managers were able to
upgrade their knowledge and skills. Those interested in
the training programmes may contact the ASEAN Secretariat for further
information.
4.Another completed project is the development of an archive of
multimedia elements accessible via the World Wide Web. This
multi-lingual and multi-cultural archive consists of digitised text,
voice, music, pictures and video clips based on common
words from most of the ASEAN countries and India. The archive will be
useful for teachers who wish to develop
computer-based instructional materials, for web page designers and
builders and other similar applications. The archive can
be accessed at HTTP://WWW.NECTEC.OR.TH/SLL/AIDA. The project was
accomplished with support and technical
expertise from India.
5.Given the large coastal zone in the ASEAN region, there is a need to
properly manage and support sustainable development of
this resource. The project on coastal zone environment and resource
management addressed the problem by establishing a
network of national environment and resources centres in the ASEAN
member countries. Through this network, a
harmonised set of information can be exchanged on a timely basis. The
availability of such information enables sound
decision-making and coordinated actions to effectively address problems
related to coastal zone management.
6.COST also announced the successful hosting by Vietnam of the 5th ASEAN
Science and Technology Week (ASTW) in Hanoi
last October 1998. The technical exhibition in Vietnam was visited by a
large number of people, including more than a
thousand VIPs and dignitaries. Eight technical conferences attended by
more than 600 scientists and researchers were also
held. The next such event, the 6th ASTW, will be hosted by Brunei
Darussalam in 2001. ASEAN looks forward to this
triennial event which showcases ASEAN achievements in science and
technology by way of technical exhibits and
conferences. It also gives due recognition to outstanding work by the
region's scientists and technologists through the
conferment of awards. Interested parties may know more about COST
activities by visiting the COST home page at
HTTP://WWW.ASTNET.ORG.
Planning for Implementation of Hanoi Plan of Action
7.In science and technology, ASEAN's goal is to attain technological
competitiveness by 2020. This is one of the many goals of
ASEAN embodied in ASEAN Vision 2020. To reach these goals, ASEAN
adopted the Hanoi Plan of Action (HPA) at the
Sixth ASEAN Summit held in Hanoi in December 1998. The HPA provides the
general direction and outlines a road map for
reaching the goals stated in ASEAN Vision 2020.
8.At its meeting, COST agreed to prepare a strategic plan for
implementing its programmes and other S&T-based activities
that are included in the Hanoi Plan of Action. Implementation of these
programmes and activities in an efficient manner will
need careful planning and allocation of resources. In inviting its
Dialogue Partners to support HPA-related activities of mutual
interest, COST will build closer relationships with them, marked by
mutually beneficial technical cooperation and exchanges,
with costs shared by the participating partners in a transparent manner.
9.Recognising the need to assist the new ASEAN member countries to be
more rapidly integrated into the mainstream of S&T
cooperation in the region, COST will design HRD packages to strengthen
S&T institutions in the new member countries. As a
start, training in food science and technology will be offered by
Thailand to Myanmar. The new member countries have started
taking significant roles in regional S&T cooperation by assuming the
chairmanships of certain Sub-Committees. Myanmar
will be the chairman of the Sub-Committee on Food Science and
Technology from July 1999 to June 2002, while Lao PDR
will be the chairman of the Sub-Committee on Non-conventional Energy
Research during the same period.
10.The next COST meeting will be held in Singapore in October 1999.
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