From March 16 to 18, the 12th Meeting of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement (RJC 12) took place in Wellington, New Zealand, with the participation of representatives from 10 ASEAN Member States and 5 partner countries: China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. The Meeting was co-chaired by Indonesia, the coordinating country of the RCEP Agreement in ASEAN, and New Zealand, the RCEP coordinating country of the five partner countries.

Delegates in attendance.At the meeting, the countries further exchanged views on improving and enhancing the effectiveness of the RCEP Supporting Unit (RSU). Based on the RSU's 2025 Annual Report, the countries discussed the implementation status of this Unit, including proposals for adjusting and expanding personnel, the implementation of technical support functions for member countries, as well as issues related to the Terms of Reference (TOR) and the future direction of the RSU's activities, given that the current term of the RSU will end at the end of 2026. The meeting also reviewed the financial contributions of members to the RCEP Trust Fund and the budget plan for the next phase. In addition, participating countries were updated on the progress of building the RCEP Agreement's website to enhance access to information for businesses and the public.

Regarding the membership expansion process, the meeting discussed issues related to the review of applications from interested economies. Based on the responses of applicants to the questionnaire assessing readiness to join the Agreement, the countries exchanged views on the next steps to promote the accession review process, including expected timelines and work plans for the next phase. The meeting also heard a report from the ASEAN and East Asia Economic Research Institute (ERIA) on the research assessing the readiness of economies interested in joining the RCEP Agreement, thereby supporting member countries in their consideration and decision-making.

In addition, the meeting began initial discussions on preparing for a comprehensive review of the RCEP Agreement, a crucial task that RCEP Leaders and Ministers have directed to be implemented in the near future. The participating countries also heard reports on the results of meetings of sectoral committees, including the Committee on Rules of Origin and the Committee on Services and Investment, and discussed issues arising during the implementation of the Agreement, including the difficulties and challenges faced by member countries and businesses.

Furthermore, the meeting discussed the RCEP Joint Committee's work program for 2026, as well as other issues related to further strengthening the Agreement's institutional framework, including Indonesia's proposal to establish an RCEP Secretariat by upgrading the current RSU. The countries also discussed Timor-Leste's participation in the RJC meetings and sectoral committees, as well as other issues related to the implementation of the Agreement.

The 12th RJC meeting affirmed the commitment of member countries to continue promoting the effective implementation of the RCEP Agreement, while preparing for the next steps in the Agreement's development, including membership expansion and a comprehensive review of the Agreement's content to ensure it remains relevant to the rapidly changing regional and global economic landscape.

The 13th RJC meeting is scheduled to take place in June 2026.