The Second RCEP Joint Committee (RJC) met virtually on 25 August 2022, co-chaired by Indonesia and New Zealand. Australia’s delegation was led by Ms Juliana Nam, Assistant Secretary, FTA Policy and Economic Cooperation Branch, FTA and Stakeholder Engagement Division. Under Article 18.3 of the Agreement, the RJC considers all matters related to the implementation and operation of RCEP, including supervision of the subsidiary bodies tasked with the technical work necessary to advance RCEP’s built-in agenda.
At the meeting, the RJC prepared for the Inaugural RCEP Ministers’ Meeting scheduled to be held in September in Siem Reap, Cambodia in the sidelines of the 54th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meetings. The RJC noted the finalisation of its Rules of Procedure and the Rules of Procedure on India’s participation in RCEP and reiterated Ministers’ November 2020 Declaration that RCEP remains open for India to re-engage at any time.