Regional and Bilateral Initiatives
Other types of arrangements
Canada-Japan Economic Framework
Attachment I
Priority Areas of Cooperation
A. Social
Security Agreement
Recognizing the significance of a social security agreement in
facilitating two-way investment and its importance to persons who
have lived or worked in both countries, Canada and Japan welcome
an agreement in principle following the last round of negotiations
held October 11-13, 2005, in Ottawa. The two countries will endeavour
to expedite the signing and domestic processes necessary for the
implementation of the agreement.
B. Cooperation
on Anticompetitive Activities
A cooperation agreement between Canada and Japan on anticompetitive
activities came into effect on October 6, 2005. The agreement contains
provisions for enforcement cooperation and notification on enforcement
actions that may affect the other country. The two sides will cooperate
closely in, inter alia, combating cross-border cartels by active
implementation of the agreement.
C.
Food Safety Cooperation
Given the increase in globalized food trade, new inspection technologies
and new risks, there are many challenges that both countries share
in the area of food safety. The two governments will cooperate and
share experiences to respond to these challenges through enhanced
dialogue and a joint work plan between the relevant Canadian and
Japanese authorities.
D.
Customs Cooperation
Reaffirming the importance of customs cooperation, especially its
usefulness in combating smuggling and enhancing the security and
facilitation of the international trade supply chain, and recognizing
the value of exchanges of information and expertise in customs operations,
the two customs administrations signed a bilateral customs cooperation
arrangement on June 2, 2005.
E.
Trade Facilitation
Reaffirming the importance of the multilateral negotiations on
trade facilitation following the July 2004 negotiated outcome at
the World Trade Organization (WTO) and in recognition of the close
link to trade facilitation of the work on expediting and simplifying
trade procedures to expand world trade and enhance administrative
efficiency, the two governments will continue to work together through
their contact in relevant venues at the WTO and in other relevant
fora, such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD) and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), to progress
the work of the WTO Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation towards
a successful conclusion.
F.
Transportation
With a view to supporting people-to-people, commercial and cultural
exchanges between the two countries, the two governments will continue
the existing dialogue on air transportation between their aeronautical
authorities.
G. Investment
The two governments will collaborate on events aimed at promoting
the mutual benefits and conditions of two-way investment so that
companies in both countries can capitalize on the benefits of engagement
in global production and supply chains. Leaders from the Canadian
and Japanese business communities will be invited to participate
in these high-profile programs. Japan External Trade Organization’s
(JETRO) initiatives and Investment, Science & Technology Branch
of International Trade Canada’s programs for the promotion
of mutual investment will be discussed. The Governments of Canada
and Japan will also discuss points of interest and commonality on
investment policy in the bilateral, regional and multilateral context.
In this regard, the two governments welcome the recent development
on bilateral investment promotion cooperation, arranged by means
of a Memorandum of Understanding between JETRO and International
Trade Canada, which aims to expand comprehensive collaboration between
the two institutions. The two governments believe that such an arrangement
will facilitate the promotion of two-way investment by ensuring
efficient and smooth implementation of investment promotion activities
between the two countries. International Trade Canada launched a
series of investment promotion seminars in Japan, beginning in March
2005, with a view to continuing such seminars in Tokyo and other
locations in both Canada and Japan in 2005 and 2006 with the cooperation
of JETRO. The two governments welcome the co-sponsorship by the
two institutions of the “Invest Japan Seminar: Japan, Your
Stepping Stone to Asia,” which was held on May 27, 2005, in
Toronto. Continuation of efforts to develop investment promotion
activities under this Memorandum of Understanding is welcomed by
both countries.
H.
Science and Technology
The two governments seek to broaden the scope and role of the current
cooperation under the Canada-Japan Agreement on Cooperation in Science
and Technology with a view to (i) facilitating and increasing public
and private sector exchanges; (ii) fostering collaboration in leading
areas of scientific and technological innovation, such as life sciences,
information and communication technologies, earth sciences, environment,
space, renewable energy and advanced materials; (iii) developing
programs and activities to support women in science, engineering
and technology; and (iv) building closer ties between advanced technology
related institutions and the respective private sectors toward the
commercialization of new technologies.
I.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
The two governments will enhance their efforts to promote the exchange
of information on their respective ICT strategies to realize an
ubiquitous network society and will share knowledge on the development
of new markets and opportunities enabled by increasingly ubiquitous
technologies. The Canada-Japan Telecommunications Policy Consultations
will continue to provide a forum to exchange perspectives on telecommunications
policy issues and emerging technologies, with a view to exchanging
information on best practices and enhancing collaboration. The thirteenth
consultation was held on October 3 and 4, 2005, in Tokyo, on such
issues as promotion of broadband, network migration to Internet
Protocol and cooperation on the World Summit on the Information
Society process. The two governments will also work together to
advance common objectives on ICT issues in multilateral fora, such
as the International Telecommunications Union, WTO, APEC and OECD.
J.
E-Commerce
Considering the existing informal cooperation between Canada and
Japan in this sector, the two governments will develop a strategy
to better integrate and enhance those exchanges at the private sector
level with a view to promoting more efficient communication and
implementing agreed upon e-commerce solutions through activities
in a variety of fora, such as WTO, OECD and APEC. The two governments
will consider ways to increase cooperation in the area of electronic
commerce with a view to fostering, preserving and ensuring a predictable
environment for the conduct of electronic commerce to encourage
cross-border transactions.
K.
E-Government
Canada and Japan have exchanged information regarding their respective
approaches and progress on e-Government and are committed to continuing
this valuable dialogue. To that end, Canada and Japan will continue
to collaborate in a variety of fora, such as the OECD and APEC,
for the promotion of their e-Government initiatives with a view
to providing the public with better access to government information
over the Internet for the facilitation of their business and other
activities.
L.
Energy and Natural Resources
The two governments will continue the exchange of policy and technical
expertise for the development and use of natural resources and energy
in a sustainable manner through existing frameworks, including relevant
multilateral fora. The two governments will also consult, as appropriate,
on ways to enhance technical cooperation in areas of mutual interest,
such as the work presently underway to establish a partnership for
onshore natural gas hydrate production research.
M.
Climate Change
With a view to building on the existing successful bilateral cooperation
for the negotiation and implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, Canada
and Japan will conduct ad hoc consultations on climate change policy
involving the participation of officials from key departments, ministries
and agencies from both countries. The goal is to promote more intensive
cooperation through informal meetings on the key policy areas under
consideration for the post-2012 period and implementation of the
Kyoto Protocol. In this regard, the Government of Japan welcomes
Canada’s hosting of the Eleventh Session of the Conference
of Parties to the Climate Change Convention and the first meeting
of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol in Montreal from November 28
to December 9, 2005.
N.
Tax Convention
Recognizing that there are a few key areas in the existing Canada-Japan
tax convention where each side has concerns, Canada and Japan will
discuss their existing convention and exchange views on issues raised
by both countries.
O.
Tourism Promotion
The two governments will cooperate on increasing tourism in both
directions between Canada and Japan. In this regard, the Government
of Canada fully recognizes the importance to the Government of Japan
of the “Visit Japan Campaign.” The Government of Canada
also recognizes that it has been designated as an “important
market area” under the “Visit Japan Campaign”
and that various market research activities will be conducted. The
two governments have expressed their intention to make their best
efforts to increase, by 2010, the volume of tourist flow between
the two countries to one million: 800,000 Japanese tourists to Canada;
and 200,000 Canadian tourists to Japan. To this end also, the two
governments further express their continued commitment to the Canada-Japan
Tourism Conference.
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