Chapter 19 - Institutional Provisions

Article 1 - FTA Joint Committee

1. The Parties hereby establish a free trade agreement joint committee (the FTA Joint Committee) consisting of representatives of the Parties.
2. The functions of the FTA Joint Committee shall be to:
   
   1. review the implementation and operation of this Agreement;
   2. consider and recommend to the Parties any amendments to this Agreement;
   3. supervise and co-ordinate the work of all subsidiary bodies established pursuant to this Agreement;
   4. adopt, where appropriate, decisions and recommendations of subsidiary bodies established pursuant to this Agreement;
   5. consider any other matter that may affect the operation of this Agreement or that is entrusted to the FTA Joint Committee by the Parties; and
   6. carry out any other functions as the Parties may agree.
3. In the fulfilment of its functions, the FTA Joint Committee may establish additional subsidiary bodies, including ad hoc bodies, and assign them with tasks on specific matters, or delegate its responsibilities to any subsidiary body established pursuant to this Agreement including:
   
   1. Committee on Trade in Goods established pursuant to Article 19 (Committee on Trade in Goods) of Chapter 2 (Trade in Goods):
      
      1. Sub-Committee on Rules of Origin established pursuant to Article 18 (Sub-Committee on Rules of Origin) of Chapter 3 (Rules of Origin);
      2. Sub-Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Matters established pursuant to Article 10 (Meetings Among the Parties on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Matters) of Chapter 5 (Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures); and
      3. Sub-Committee on Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures established pursuant to Article 13 (Sub-Committee on Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures) of Chapter 6 (Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures);
   2. Committee on Trade in Services established pursuant to Article 28 (Committee on Trade in Services) of Chapter 8 (Trade in Services);
   3. Committee on Investment established pursuant to Article 18 (Committee on Investment) of Chapter 11 (Investment); and
   4. Committee on Intellectual Property established pursuant to Article 12 (Committee on Intellectual Property) of Chapter 14 (Intellectual Property).
4. The FTA Joint Committee shall establish its rules and procedures at its first meeting.
5. Unless the Parties agree otherwise, the FTA Joint Committee shall convene its first meeting within one year after this Agreement enters into force. Its subsequent meetings shall be convened at such frequency as the Parties may mutually determine, and as necessary to discharge its functions under this Agreement. The FTA Joint Committee shall convene alternately in ASEAN Member States, Australia and New Zealand, unless the Parties agree otherwise. Special meetings of the FTA Joint Committee may be convened, as agreed by the Parties, within 30 days upon the request of a Party.
6. The FTA Joint Committee shall regularly report to the consultations of the ASEAN Economic Ministers, the Trade Minister of Australia and the Trade Minister of New Zealand through the meetings of their Senior Economic Officials.

Article 2 - Communications

Each Party shall designate a contact point to facilitate communications among the Parties on any matter relating to this Agreement. All official communications in this regard shall be in the English language.