1 / 40

An ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement for Tourism Services

An ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement for Tourism Services. Professor Chris Cooper Bangkok December 2006. Presentation. Background Mutual Recognition Arrangements Policy background An MRA for Tourism Services Key Concepts of the MRA What we need to do. ASEAN Background.

peony
Download Presentation

An ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement for Tourism Services

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. An ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement for Tourism Services Professor Chris Cooper Bangkok December 2006

  2. Presentation • Background • Mutual Recognition Arrangements • Policy background • An MRA for Tourism Services • Key Concepts of the MRA • What we need to do

  3. ASEAN Background • Rapid economic growth driving tourism demand • Demand for more skilled manpower • Imperative for tourism competitiveness • MRAs facilitate and accelerate product and labour mobility

  4. There are many barriers which affect the free and easy flow of human resources and servicesThere are so many different requirements to observe when assessing conformity in countries all over the world

  5. Accreditation and conformance assessment bodies have responded by seeking to develop mutual recognition arrangementsTheir aim is to reduce the difficulties imposed by the various requirements

  6. The Basics of MRAs

  7. MRAs Mutual Recognition Arrangements are arrangements between two or more parties to mutually recognise or accept some or all aspects of one another’s conformity assessment results (in our case tourism certificates and qualifications). 

  8. MRAs • The purpose of an MRA is to facilitate trade • Each country has its own regulations and administrative procedures • AN MRA is a mechanism by which regulations, standards and procedures can be conformed • Initially bi-lateral, then mature to multi-lateral (e.g. EU, ASEAN) • In order to facilitate international trade, an MRA sets out an agreement by which countries can mutually recognise each other’s conformity assessments. • Each MRA tends to be sector specific.

  9. MRAs We should understand that MRAs: • Do not guarantee a visa or a job • Involve trust and openness • Require uniform terminology • Are based upon credible specifications and conformance • Provide useful steps towards building confidence for cooperation in the future

  10. MRAs We should also understand that MRAs: • Have participants who abide to a commitment to recognize each others’ conformity assessment procedures • Should be demand driven, not labor supply driven • Should facilitate movement to demand- driven CBT training and certification • Should facilitate equity of access to labor markets

  11. Obligations of MRA Partners • MRA partners are obliged to accept one another’s conformity assessment as meeting its own regulatory requirement • Products for export are automatically accepted by the importing country without further testing

  12. Types of MRAs • Technical - between technical bodies • Government to government (ASEAN MRAs) Carried out in product sectors where the government is the regulator

  13. Benefits of MRAs • Reduced compliance costs • Market access • Competition and innovation • Free flow of trade • Consumers • Good practice and cooperation • Discipline in standards

  14. MRA Regulatory Body Regulatory Body Conformity Assessment Body E.g.: Testing Certification or Inspection Body Conformity Assessment Body Egg: Testing Certification or Inspection Body Country A Certificate ---- ---- Trainers

  15. The Policy Background

  16. Globally • World Trade Organization - Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement (mid 1990s) • ‘Members are encouraged at the request of other members to be willing to enter into negotiations for the mutual recognition of each others conformity assessment’ • World Trade Organization GATS (article VII)

  17. As a result, MRAs became important in conformity assessment

  18. Policy for Economic Integration • From AFTA to AEC • Deeper and broader economic integration • 12 priority products - including tourism • ASEAN framework agreement on MRAs signed 1998

  19. Policy for Services and Tourism • ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS) • ‘States may recognize the education… or certificates granted by another State’ • ASEAN Framework Agreement for the Integration of Priority Sectors (Nov. 2004) • Roadmap for Integration of the Tourism Sector (Nov. 2004) • The roadmap includes the desire across all states to benefit from freer movement of qualified personnel across the ASEAN region • This should ideally be achieved by 2008

  20. MRAs are an Instrument of ASEAN Policy • ASEAN Framework Agreement for the Integration of Priority Sectors (Nov. 2004) • Develop an ASEAN Agreement to facilitate the movement of experts, professionals, skilled labour and talents by December 2005; • Accelerate completion of MRAs to facilitate the free movement of experts, professionals, skilled labour and talents in ASEAN by December 2008; and • States shall cooperate to develop and upgrade skills and capacity building through joint training and workshops.

  21. The ASEAN Framework Agreement on MRAs • Signed December 1998 • Framework document to guide the design and terminology of MRAs for ASEAN • Electronics, telecommunications and cosmetics • The MRA for Tourism Services must align with this framework document

  22. An MRA for Tourism Services

  23. An MRA for Tourism Services An MRA will facilitate agreement on certified competencies (including languages) in specific job titles and access to work visas. i.e.: an ASEAN-wide tourism labour market with states exporting and importing labour.

  24. An MRA for Tourism Services The MRA will: • Require ongoing servicing and development • Build confidence and cooperation • Encourage capacity building • Deal with certification of people not products

  25. An MRA for Tourism Services It will operate by • The exporting country checking for conformity of their qualification against the rules of the importing country • Exporting states therefore bear the cost of conformance – and of preparation and training

  26. Key Concepts and Terms

  27. The Pivotal Notion of Equivalence • A key concept driving MRAs is equivalence assessment – are the qualifications of country A equivalent to those of country B - i.e of equal value • MRAs require participants to mutually accept each others’ conformity procedures as being equivalent

  28. Conformance • In considering an MRA we must distinguish between: • Rules which may be technical regulations, standards or guidelines against which something is judged; and • Conformity assessment - the process by which things are evaluated for compliance with the rules

  29. Conformity Assessment • Conformity Assessment means systematic examination to determine the extent to which a product, process or service fulfils specified requirements • In other words, how tourism certification and qualifications fulfil requirements of each ASEAN country

  30. The Organization Needed Under the Framework Agreement In other words what we need to do

  31. Joint Sectoral Committee • Each Sectoral MRA establishes a Joint Sectoral Committee responsible for the effective functioning of that Sectoral MRA. • The Joint Sectoral Committee comprises one official representative designated by each Country to the Sectoral MRA. • ASEAN Tourism Professional Monitoring Committee

  32. Tourism Professional Certification Board • A TPCB is responsible for the assessment and certification of tourism professionals • It will facilitate good practice and exchange of knowledge.

  33. Authority • Member State signatories to a Sectoral MRAs shall ensure that the TPCB has the power and competence in their respective territories to carry out decisions required of them under the Framework Agreement.

  34. National Tourism Professional Association (TRG) • The NTPA means an entity that exercises a legal right to control the import, use or sale of products within a Member State's jurisdiction (nominated by government). • For the tourism MRA they are responsible for the registration of tourism professionals through ALET

  35. ASEAN Labour Exchange for Tourism A web-based facility to disseminate details about job vacancies and foreign tourism professionals seeking employment

  36. An MRA for Tourism Services • ASEAN Tourism Professional Monitoring Committee • Tourism Professional Certification Board • National Tourism Professional Association (TRG) • ASEAN Labour Exchange for Tourism

  37. Capacity Building Provisions of the Framework Agreement include capacity building to ensure that competency and infrastructure are developed to deliver the products and services demanded by the MRA

  38. Phasing • All Sectoral MRAs are intended to be multilateral agreements in which all Member States are encouraged to participate. • However, two or more Member States may proceed first if other Member States are not ready to participate in the Sectoral MRAs.  

  39. Preamble Objectives Scope and coverage Provisions for recognition and qualification of foreign tourism professionals National bodies ASEAN Professional Monitoring Committee Mutual recognition obligations Timing Contacts Other A Draft Structure for an MRA for Tourism Services

  40. The End!

More Related