Asean ministers review progress in technology, innovation
SCIENCE AND technology ministers from Asean member countries and their development partners met in Cebu, the Philippines, last week to discuss issues relating to the 10th Informal Asean Ministerial Meeting on Science and Technology.
The meeting was chaired by Fortunato de la Pena, minister of Science and Technology of the Philippines.
Topics centred on Asean economic integration, with participants convinced that this would contribute to fruitful economic and technical developments including consensus around intellectual property protection in the region.
They believe their discussions will lead to increasing interconnectivity among Asean members and dialogue partners in the sector.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Laos’ Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Houmphanh Intharath, highlighted the importance of intellectual property in Laos and throughout the region.
Participants exchanged views on developments on the Asean Declaration of Innovation adopted at the 31st Asean Summit in November 2017, implementation of the Asean Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation 2016-2025, progress in coordination with dialogue partners under the new country coordinatorship mechanism, and the protection and utilisation of intellectual property.
The ministers agreed to the renaming of the S&T ministerial body and senior official committee as the Asean Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology and Innovation (AMMSTI) and the Asean Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation respectively.
The ministers also adopted the terms of reference of AMMSTI.
The ministers also welcomed progress in implementing the Asean-Russia plan of action on Science, Technology and Innovation with the start of the Study and Development of Recommendations on Industrial Wastewater Treatment Technologies for Industrial Enterprises, and workshop on Biological Safety of the Environment, Food and Prevention of Parasitic Diseases.
The ministers were informed that the 18th Asean Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology and Innovation will be hosted by Singapore in October 2019.
The Asean Young Scientists Network was launched at the Asean Young Leaders Forum which was co-hosted by the Young Scientists Network-Academy of Sciences Malaysia and the Academy of Sciences Malaysia on October 18 as a value-adding side event in conjunction with IAMMST-10.
The forum’s theme was “the Role of Young Leaders towards a Shared Vision of 2050”.