Ceremony to debut ASEAN online information management website (Source: asean.org)

The ASEAN and Canada have agreed to further expand and deepen cooperation in a number of areas such as non-traditional security issues, human rights, SMEs development, technology and innovation, food security, education, disaster management and public health among others.

The two sides reached the consensus on this at the Second ASEAN-Canada Joint Coordination Committee (AC-JCC) Meeting held on April 10 at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta.

The meeting reviewed the progress in the implementation of the Plan of Action (POA) to deploy the Joint Declaration on ASEAN-Canada Enhanced Partnership 2010-2015, with both sides stressing the importance of continuing the effective implementation of the current POA.

The meeting also noted the encouraging results of the ASEAN-Canada Enhanced Partnership Programme (ACEPP), valued at 10 million CAD, 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 to enhance its information management.

Later, Singapore and Canada jointly held a seminar on enhancing connectivity through Public-Private Partnership.

VNA