AusHeritage was invited to attend the 44th Meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information held in the Philippines in July.

Board Members Ken Taylor and Ian Cook

From July 1-3, Board members Ken Taylor and Ian Cook attended the 44th meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information (COCI) in Tagaytay City, Cavite, The Philippines on behalf of AusHeritage.

Two AusHeritage reports were presented at the meeting attended by some eighty delegates from ASEAN countries and the Jakarta Secretariat. During the meeting COCI met in plenary sessions and separate Sub-Committee meetings were held for the Sub-Committee on Culture and the Sub-Committee on Information.

AusHeritage’s report on ongoing relations with ASEAN–COCI and the future resigning of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between COCI and AusHeritage was well received. The current term of the MOU ends in early 2011 and it is hoped to sign a new memorandum at the beginning of 2011. This will give the parties the opportunity to explore a new vision for the relationship. The first step in the process is for AusHeritage to prepare a history and future directions paper for consideration by the Secretariat and COCI.

AusHeritage’s second report focused on progress regarding the drafting of the cultural mapping guide – A contemporary guide to cultural mapping – An ASEAN-Australia perspective. [See separate news story on progress with the Guide.]. The production of the guide has been a long-term project between ASEAN–COCI and AusHeritage. The authors of the guide, Board members Cook and Taylor, found the meeting with ASEAN colleagues particularly useful. There was not only an opportunity to discuss progress with development of the Guide formally during one of the Sub-Committee on Culture sessions but informally with one-on-one country discussions on case study content.

Ian Cook and Ken Taylor
22 August 2009