Vol. 35 Nos. 1-2 (January-June 2014)
Korean, Japanese
colleagues...
EROPA Bulletin
5
A-FAB, EROPA join
experts’ meeting
on AEC, economic
integration
What kind of 2015 ASEAN economic integration do
we want? Experts and policy advocates from different
organizations in Southeast Asia convened in an experts’
meeting on the ASEAN Economic Community to
address this question.
The ASEAN for a Fair, Ambitious and Binding Global
Climate Deal (A-FAB), together with EROPA and the
Ateneo School of Government (ASOG), based in Manila,
Dr. Sang Ok Choi (far left) and Dr. Chang Yong Jin (2nd from right)
Philippines, gathered distinguished academicians,
from Korea University, together with Secretary General Orlando S.
practitioners and advocates from Southeast Asian
Mercado, Dr. Maria Fe V. Mendoza and Ms. Estrella Ocampo.
organizations and civil society groups on 19 May 2014
After the said meeting, Dr. Kikuchi went on to present at the ASOG Meeting Room to address issues on the
his study to the faculty and students of the National ASEAN economic integration and its implications on
College of Public Administration and Governance, different areas of sustainable development.
University of the Philippines.
The morning session focused on the A SEAN Economic
On 11 February 2014, Dr. Sang Ok Choi and Dr. Community (AEC). Dr. Marissa Maricosa A. Paderon,
Chang Yong Jin from Korea University presented professor at Ateneo De Manila University, gave the
for clarification with the EROPA Secretariat their participants an overview of what ASEAN Economic
preliminary findings on the state/quality of public Integration is and what ASEAN member states should
bureaucracy in East Asia. The discussion spanned across expect from it. Professor Koh Keng Lian of the
the following aspects of public bureaucracy: personnel National University of Singapore and the Asia-Pacific
management, financial management, organization, Centre for Environmental Law presented the status of
transparency and open government, control of public environmental governance in ASEAN. Experts from
bureaucracy, and bureaucracy-politics and bureaucracy- Oxfam International shared their insights on ASEAN
free trade agreements and private sector investments.
society relations.
Among those present in the meeting with Prof. Choi
and Prof. Chang were Dr. Mercado, Dr. Mendoza and
Dr. Alex Brillantes, Professor at National College of
Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) and
Commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education
(CHED), who provided some reference materials for
the study. [EB]
In the afternoon, representatives of farmers’ groups,
non-government organizations and the academe shared
their insights on community-based enterprises and the
promotion of human rights and social forestry. They
highlighted the expansion of industrial agriculture
and extractive businesses in ASEAN, at the expense
of the environment and welfare of communities in the
region.
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