Between 7-9 June, Thailand's Food and Drugs Administration, which oversees the quality standard of cosmetic products in Thailand, is hosting the Second ASEAN Cosmetics Committee Conference, and the First ASEAN Cosmetics Scientific Body in Bangkok.
The two conferences will follow up on several projects that are currently underway.
These include a project led by Malaysia to promote good manufacturing practice for cosmetics; regarding surveillance steps for product and cosmetic safety assessment, for which Singapore is the lead member; and Thailand is heading the setting up of a Technical Committee for ASEAN cosmetics.
The three projects are intended to lay down the infrastructure necessary for ASEAN members under the Cosmetics Regulation Amendment Agreement and to help the region achieve its goal of implementing an ASEAN Cosmetics Regulation by 2008.
Eighty delegates are attending from ASEAN member countries including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
ASEAN was established in 1967 to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region. The region has a population of about 500 million, a combined gross domestic product of nearly US$740 billion (€600 m), and a combined trade value of US$720 billion (€580 m).