An annual conference of the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organizations (AFEO) is due to be held in Yangon next month, aimed at speeding up integration of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and enhancing global competitiveness.

The 22nd AFEO conference on Dec. 18-19 is organized by the Myanmar Engineering Society (MES) for the first time in collaboration with the AFEO with the theme of "Engineering Capacity Building for ASEAN Integration and Global Competitiveness," according to the MES on Monday.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen will attend the conference, the MES disclosed. Hun Sen was the first person to have been awarded the AFEO's Distinguished Honorary Fellows (DHF) in 2002 for his support to the development of the engineering profession.

AFEO started in 1998 to spearhead the mobility of engineers within the formation of the ASEAN Engineering Register in line

with the ASEAN Secretariat program for the liberalization of professional services within the association to prepare for globalization under the World Trade Organization initiative.

The AFEO, a non-governmental body made up of the national institutions and organizations of engineers of the regional countries, was formed with the main objectives of promoting goodwill and mutual understanding, establishing and developing standard of engineering profession and engineer mobility within the regional member countries.

It was initially established with engineering organizations from five members in 1980, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, and was formally set up in 1982.

The MES became the AFEO member in 2000 and now has more than 6,000 members.

Source: Xinhua