1995 ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services - Centre for International Law

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Full Title	1995 ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services
Short Title / Abbreviations	AFAS
CIL Subject Classification	ASEAN Documents ASEAN Economic Community ASEAN Economic Ministers ASEAN Free Trade Area Services
Date of Adoption	15/12/1995
Place of Adoption	Bangkok, Thailand, 5th ASEAN Summit
Issued/Adopted by	Economic Ministers of ASEAN
Dispute settlement provisions	Article VII ‘Settlement of Disputes’: “1. The [1996] Protocol on Dispute Settlement Mechanism for ASEAN shall generally be referred to and applied with respect to any disputes arising from, or any differences between Member States concerning the interpretation or application of, this Framework Agreement or any arrangements arising therefrom. 2. A specific dispute settlement mechanism may be established for the purposes of this Framework Agreement which shall form an integral part of this Framework Agreement.” This Agreement is one of the ‘Covered Agreements’ pursuant to Article 1.1 of the 2019 ASEAN Protocol on Enhanced Dispute Settlement Mechanism read together with its Appendix 1. This Agreement was previously one of the ‘Covered Agreements’ pursuant to Article 1.1 of the 2004 ASEAN Protocol on Enhanced Dispute Settlement Mechanism read together with its Appendix I. The 2019 Protocol will only apply with respect to new requests for consultations made on or after its entry into force (20 June 2022). The 2004 Protocol applies to all other disputes.
Depository	Secretary-General of ASEAN
Entry Into Force Status	In Force
Source	ASEAN Legal Instruments
Date of Entry into Force	12/08/1998
Entry into Force / Termination Provisions	Article XIV ‘Final Provision’: “3. This Framework Agreement shall enter into force upon the deposit of instruments of ratification or acceptance by all signatory governments with the Secretary-General of ASEAN.”
Status
ASEAN States	(Source: ASEAN Legal Instruments as of 09/04/2026)
Brunei Darussalam	Signature 15/12/1995 Ratification 12/08/1998
Cambodia	Accession 30/04/1999
Indonesia	Signature 15/12/1995 Ratification 30/12/1995
Lao PDR	Accession 23/07/1997
Malaysia	Signature 15/12/1995 Notification 22/03/2002
Myanmar	Accession 23/07/1997
Philippines	Signature 15/12/1995 Ratification 18/03/1996
Singapore	Signature 15/12/1995 Ratification 29/12/1995
Thailand	Signature 15/12/1995 Ratification 30/07/1997
Vietnam	Signature 15/12/1995 Acceptance 20/02/1997
Timor Leste	Accession 24/11/2025
Related Instruments
Protocols / Amendments to this instrument	2020 ASEAN Trade in Services Agreement Amendments: 2003 Protocol to Amend the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services General Protocols: 2018 Protocol to Implement the Tenth Package of Commitments Under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2015 Protocol to Implement the Ninth Package of Commitments under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2010 Protocol to Implement the Eighth Package of Commitments under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2009 Protocol to Implement the Seventh Package of Commitments under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2007 Protocol to Implement the Sixth Package of Commitments under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2006 Protocol to Implement the Fifth Package of Commitments under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2004 Protocol to Implement the Fourth Package of Commitments under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2001 Protocol to Implement the Third Package of Commitments under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 1998 Protocol to Implement the Second Package of Commitments under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 1997 Protocol to Implement the Initial Package of Commitments under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services Air Services Protocols: 2022 Protocol to Implement the Twelfth Package of Commitments on Air Transport Services under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2019 Protocol to Implement the Eleventh Package of Commitments on Air Transport Services under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2017 Protocol to Implement the Tenth Package of Commitments on Air Transport Services Under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2015 Protocol to Implement the Ninth Package of Commitments on Air Service Transport under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2013 Protocol to Implement the Eighth Package of Commitments on Air Service Transport under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2011 Protocol to Implement the Seventh Package of Commitments on Air Service Transport under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2009 Protocol to Implement the Sixth Package of Commitments on Air Service Transport under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2007 Protocol to Implement the Fifth Package of Commitments on Air Service Transport under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2004 Protocol to Implement the Fourth Package of Commitments on Air Transport Services under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services The third package of commitments on Air Transport Services was made in the 2001 Protocol to Implement the Third Package of Commitments under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services The second package of commitments on Air Transport Services was made in the 1998 Protocol to Implement the Second Package of Commitments under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services The first package of commitments on Air Transport Services was made in the 1997 Protocol to Implement the Initial Package of Commitments under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services Financial Services Protocols: 2019 Protocol to Implement the Eighth Package of Commitments on Financial Services under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2016 Protocol to Implement the Seventh Package of Commitments on Financial Services Under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2015 Protocol to Implement the Sixth Package of Commitments on Financial Services under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2011 Protocol to Implement the Fifth Package of Commitments on Financial Services under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2008 Protocol to Implement the Fourth Package of Commitments on Financial Services under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2005 Protocol to Implement the Third Package of Commitments on Financial Services under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services 2002 Protocol to Implement the Second Package of Commitments on Financial Services under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services The first Package of Commitments on Financial Services was made in the 1998 Protocol to Implement the Second Package of Commitments under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services
This instrument amends/supersedes	1992 Framework Agreement on Enhancing ASEAN Economic Cooperation
Related Instruments	2012 ASEAN Agreement on the Movement of Natural Persons 2009 ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement 2004 ASEAN Framework Agreement for the Integration of Priority Sectors 2004 ASEAN Sectoral Integration Protocol for Air Travel 2000 e-ASEAN Framework Agreement 1998 ASEAN Framework Agreement on Mutual Recognition Arrangements 1992 Agreement on the Common Effective Preferential Tariff Scheme for the ASEAN Free Trade Area ASEAN Services Mutual Recognition Agreements: 2005 ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Engineering Services 2006 ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Nursing Services 2007 ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Architectural Services 2007 ASEAN Framework Arrangement for the Mutual Recognition of Surveying Qualifications 2009 ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Medical Practitioners 2009 ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Dental Practitioners 2012 ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals 2009 ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement Framework on Accountancy Services 2014 ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Accountancy Services 2015 Agreement on the Establishment of the Regional Secretariat for the Implementation of the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals 2022 Protocol to Amend the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals 2017 ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Flight Crew Licensing
External Links	ASEAN accessed on 09/04/2026
Additional Information	With regards to dates of ratification and accession given above: these were obtained from the ASEAN Secretariat’s Legal Instruments website and its electronic collection of instruments of ratification, accession and notification. Some of the dates given appear to be the dates of execution of the instruments of ratification/accession, rather than their date of receipt by the depository. ___ 2019 ASEAN Agreement on Trade in Services See Article 36, which states: “TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENT RELATING TO THE AFAS In accordance with Article 12 (Transition to Schedules of Non-Conforming Measures), the AFAS and its schedules of commitments made by Member States under the AFAS as signed by the AEM, AFM and ATM, will remain in force, mutatis mutandis, until 7 years after entry into force of this Agreement, until 9 years after entry into force of this Agreement for Viet Nam, or until 15 years after entry into force of this Agreement for Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar. The AFAS and its Protocols shall be superseded by this Agreement and its Annexes, upon the completion of the respective periods mentioned in paragraph 1.” As the 2020 ASEAN Agreement on Trade in Services entered into force on 5 April 2021, the expiry of AFAS commitments for the various ASEAN member states would be as follows: 5 April 2028 for Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines 5 April 2030 for Viet Nam 5 April 2036 for Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar In relation to Article 36, please refer also to Article 12, which states: “TRANSITION TO SCHEDULES OF NON-CONFIRMING MEASURES Member States shall submit to the ASEAN Secretariat their Schedules of Non-Conforming Measures in Annex I and Annex II in accordance with Article 11 (Non-Conforming Measures) within 5 years after entry into force of this Agreement. Viet Nam shall be given additional time until 7 years after entry into force of this Agreement. Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar shall be given additional time until 13 years after entry into force of this Agreement. The non-conforming measures reflected in each Member State’s respective Schedule shall represent a level of trade liberalisation that is equal to, or greater than, the level of trade liberalisation offered under its final AFAS Packages. Within 2 years after Member States set out their Schedules of Non-Conforming Measures in Annexes I and II pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Article, Member States reserve the right to make amendments to their Schedules of Non-Conforming Measures in Annexes I and II, to the extent that the amendments do not result in a decrease in the level of commitments made under their respective schedules of commitments under the final AFAS Packages. Schedules of Non-Conforming Measures in Annexes I and II as set out by Member States shall co-exist with the Schedules of Commitments of Member States under the AFAS for 7 years after entry into force of this Agreement, 9 years after entry into force of this Agreement for Viet Nam, or 15 years after entry into force of this Agreement for Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar. Until such time, in the event of discrepancy of interpretation of the commitments of a Member State, its Schedule of Commitment under AFAS shall prevail.”
Last Updated on	09/04/2026