SEVENTH MARITIME INITIATIVE MEETING AT THE SEVENTEENTH TPT-WG

During the seventeenth Transportation Working Group meeting on 27^th - 31^st March in Singapore, the meeting days for experts/project groups will be allocated in the first two days, Monday 27^th and Tuesday 28^th March.

Maritime Initiative ( MI ) will be held on 27^th and AM of 28^th March during these days.

Members of MI are expected to prepare following items for the Singapore meeting.

1.    Voluntary Self-Analysis of Responses to Transparency Exercise Questionnaire (TEQ:MI/99 I/2.REV.2) ( MI/99 II/3, MI/99 II/4,MI/00 I/2, MI/00 I/3, MI/00 I/4, MI/00 I/5)

As we discussed at the Hong Kong meeting, we have sought voluntary economies which would carry analysis work. 6 economies ( Australia, U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Thailand, Japan ) offered and carried the work.

This time, discussion over these analyses is the main subject of the MI meeting. Methodology of the analysis work ( MI/99 II/5 ) was referred as a guidance paper for the analysis work.

1.1   Market Access ( Item 9 in TEQ ) ( MI/99 II/4: report by U.S., and MI/00 I/5:report by Japan, for discussion)

1.2    Support Measures ( Item 11 in TEQ ) ( MI/00 I/2: report by Canada, and MI/00 I/3: report by New Zealand, for discussion)

1.3    Competition Law ( Item 12 in TEQ ) (MI/99 II/3: report by Australia, for discussion )

1.4    General Maritime Policy ( Item 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 10 ) ( MI/00 I/4: report by Thailand, for discussion )

2.    Presentation of private sector (for information)

2.1 Presentation by Shipping Association

We have had presentations by private sectors in resent MI meetings. This time Mr. Daniel J.S. Tan, Executive Director, Singapore Shipping Association will make a presentation on the maritime transport industry in Singapore.

2.2 Presentation by Maritime International Cooperation Center of Japan on

research for maritime policy of economies in the APEC region.

The Maritime International Cooperation Center of Japan (MICC) will make a brief presentation on the result of the research on maritime policy in some APEC economies for development and cooperation in the region for two years.

3. TILF special account project "Facilitation of International Shipping"

(for information)

As reported by Australia at the last meeting, the project will be launched by a consultant from May 2000. Information of the preparation and progress after the last meeting will be reported by Australia.

4. HNS Convention (for information)

Canada contacted IMO and requested its attendance to the MI meeting at TPT-WG 17 for presentation on the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damages in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances, 1996( the "HNS Convention" ). However, it will be impossible for IMO officials to do it, because the dates of TPT-WG 17 coincide directly with a meeting of the IMO Legal Committee.

We will extend the invitation to the IMO with the view to having the presentation at our subsequent meeting, TPT-WG 18.

5. Others

5.1 Comments and suggestions on the future work of MI based on the Japanese Minister’s report to the Ministers on the work of MI

(for information)

At the last (16^th) TPT-WG meeting, we agreed that these comments and suggestions to the Japanese Minister’s report be sent to Japan within 6 weeks after the 16^th TPT-WG meeting. Neither comment nor suggestion has come to Japan until now since the last TPT-WG. This result endorses our on-going work to be firmly implemented.

5.2 WTO2000

(for exchange of views)

Views on the present situation of WTO 2000 Round and on the negotiation on maritime transport sector will be exchanged.

5.3 Others

This page was last updated on 29 February 2000