Over the past several years, private standards developed by civil society organisations, the private sector and other groups have experienced unprecedented growth. Accompanying this growth is the increasing need for standards information and transparency. Producers and exporters in the developing world often lack information when considering whether and how to engage in more sustainable production and trade practices. Manufacturers, retailers and policy makers often lack detailed information about private standards when making purchasing decisions about intermediate goods and final products.

The Centre for International Economics, a consultant commissioned by AADCP II for ASEAN Secretariat’s project (Investment Trends and Prospects in ASEAN), has been conducting a survey of foreign investors in the ASEAN Member States (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam). The survey is being undertaken as part of the ASEAN Investment Trends and Prospects study, which seeks to improve the environment for foreign direct investment in the ASEAN region. The purpose of the survey is to quantify: - investor views on investment ‘location offer’ in the ASEAN region - what factors are most important in influencing foreign investors’ decision to invest in a particular country - any impediments encountered when investing in the region - areas of improvement needed to improve its environment for foreign investment. The survey is an online survey which should be accessed by potential respondents (foreign investors in the respective ASEAN Member States where they are based).

Various ASEAN-related Senior Officials Meetings (SOMs) were held in Surabaya, Province of East Java, Indonesia, June 9-11, 2011. Senior officials from member countries of various ASEAN-related fora gathered in order to prepare for ministerial-level meetings that are scheduled in July, and participated in the following meetings: ASEAN +3 SOM (June 9, 2011), East Asia Summit (EAS) SOM (June 9, 2011), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) SOM (June 9, 2011), ASEAN Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) Plus Three Meeting (June 10, 2011) and Japan Mekong SOM (June 11, 2011).

The ASEAN-China Fund on Investment Cooperation, the first offshore private equity (PE) fund was announced in April 2009. The Fund amounting to US$ 10 billion is mainly sponsored by Export and Import (EXIM) Bank of China and managed by the ‘China-ASEAN Capital Advisory’, an independent PE fund managing company incorporated in Hong Kong. The Fund aims to provide financial support to enterprises in ASEAN and China to promote economic cooperation between China and the ASEAN region.