Understanding the ASEAN way of regional qualification governance: the case of service mutual recognition agreements

Hamanaka Shintaro and Jusoh Sufian

No 722, IDE Discussion Papers from Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO)

Abstract: There is no doubt that existing studies on Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) are mostly based on the European experience. In this paper, we will introduce the ongoing attempt in ASEAN to establish very unique MRAs, using professional service qualifications, engineering qualifications in particular, as a case study. Several ASEAN professional service qualification MRAs employ “hub-and spoke” model, wherein neither the hub (regional mechanism) nor spokes (national authorities) become powerful over the other. The hub-and-spoke model has features of both harmonization of professional qualifications led by regional mechanisms along with the recognition of partner countries’ qualifications granted by national authorities. Why does ASEAN need a unique MRA governance that has feature of both harmonization and mutual recognition? We will answer this question from multi-disciplinary angles.

Keywords: Mutual recognition agreement (MRA); professional qualifications; the ASEAN way; institutional design of regionalism; Regional economic cooperation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F15 F53 F55 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018-07
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Published in IDE Discussion Paper = IDE Discussion Paper, No. 722. 2018-07

Downloads: (external link)
https://ir.ide.go.jp/record/50453/files/IDP000722_001.pdf First version, 2018 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:jet:dpaper:dpaper722

Ordering information: This working paper can be ordered from
Publication Office, IDE 3-2-2 Wakaba, Mihama-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba 261-8545 JAPAN
http://www.ide.go.jp/English/Publish/Order

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in IDE Discussion Papers from Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO) Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Michitaka Imamitsu ().