Directory of Economic, Commodity and Development Organizations - table of contents

ASIAN AND PACIFIC COCONUT COMMUNITY (APCC)

HEADQUARTERS

3rd Floor Lina Building                                 Postal Add:  P.O. Box 1343
Jln. Rasuna Said Kav B-7                                             Jakarta 10013
Kuningan, Jakarta 12920                                 Telephone:   [62](21)522-1712/13
Indonesia                                               Facsimile:   [62](21)522-1714
                                                        E-Mail:      apcc@indo.net.id
                                                        Internet:    www.apcc.org.sg

          Executive Director:      ...      Ponniah RETHINAM

LANGUAGE: English

ESTABLISHMENT AND FUNCTIONS

The Agreement establishing the Asian Coconut Community was drafted by representatives of the participating governments in two series of intergovernmental consultations held in October and November 1968 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Agreement entered into force on July 30, 1969. The formation of an Asian Coconut Community was proposed in a study prepared by the UN Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (now ESCAP), on the coconut situation in Asia. This study concluded that the major effort for achieving dynamic growth in the industry would have to be directed toward better production, better processing, better marketing, and coordinated research, and that a sub-regional organization could best carry out these objectives. The functions of the Community are to promote, coordinate, and harmonize all activities of the coconut industry for maximum economic development. The name was changed to Asian and Pacific Coconut Community at the 13th session held in Bali, Indonesia, on December 17-20, 1975.

COMPOSITION

15 member countries: Fiji, India, Indonesia, Kiribati, Malaysia, Federated States of Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vanuatu, Vietnam. Palau is an associate member.

The developing countries that are state members within the geographical limits of Asia and the Pacific may apply to become members of the Community and may become members on the unanimous decision of the existing members of the Community.

Any independent territory, or any part or group of dependent territories within the geographical limits of Asia and the Pacific may apply for associate membership and be admitted by a unanimous decision of the existing members of the Community.

Other developing countries, outside the geographical limits of Asia and the Pacific, that are state members may apply to the Community for associate membership and may be admitted by unanimous decision of the then existing members of the Community.

STRUCTURE

Each Member State, called a Contracting Party, is represented in the Community by one representative with plenipotentiary authority. A Member State may also designate one or more advisors to accompany its representative. The Community may invite any non-Member State or interested international and/or non-governmental organization to participate in a consultative capacity in its consideration of any matter of particular concern to it. The Chairmanship of the Community is held in turn in alphabetical order for one year by representatives of Member States. The Community is served by a Secretariat, headed by an Executive Director appointed for a term of three years subject to a further extension for a maximum of three years at the discretion of the session. The Community meets once in each calendar year but may also be called to extra sessions when necessary. In addition, a Permanent Panel on Coconut Techno-Economic Studies (COCOTECH), meets in July before each session of the Community to undertake technical studies and submit recommendations on coconut policies, strategies, and programs for decision by the Community sessions. The session will normally be held in October-November every year.

The Secretariat is organized according to function as follows: Production and Processing Division; Trade Market and Statistical Division; Publication and Information Division; Administration Division; and Documentation Division.

GENERAL PUBLICATIONS

The COCOMUNITY (bi-monthly newsletter) since 1971; Coconut Statistical Yearbook 1984-1999; CORD (bi-annual on coconut research and development) since 1985; Cocoinfo International (bi-annual) since 1993; Cocotech Meeting Proceedings: Technological Developments in Coconut Production, Product Diversification, Processing and Marketing - 35th Coctech Meeting; Promoting Coconut Products in a Competitive Global Market - 36th Coctech Meeting; Sustainable Coconut Industry in the 21st Century - 37th Cocotech Meeting; Health and Wealth from the Tree of Life - 38th Coctech Meeting; Studies on Domestic Marketing of Coconut Products (country studies in Fiji, India, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Vanuatu); Studies on Processing of Coconut Products (country studies in India, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu); Studies on Coconut Production and Productivity (country study in Indonesia); Coconut Industry (country studies in Fiji, India, Federated States of Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vanuatu and Vietnam); Assessment of Experience of New Varieties of Coconuts (field studies in India, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vanuatu); The Coconut Palm - Botany and Breeding; Facts and Fallacies about Coconut Oil; Desiccated Coconut Processing; Waste Heat Recovery Unit for the Carbonization of Coconut Shells; The Isolated Coconut Seed Garden at Ambakelle - Facts and Figures; Energy Values and Uses of Coconut Products; APCC in a Nutshell.

UPDATED:  December 2003