Monitoring the implementation of RCEP

The establishment of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement in 2020 was a testament to ASEAN and its key regional Dialogue Partners’ shared commitment to regional integration despite rising global trade uncertainty. Yet four years after RCEP’s entry into force, progress has been hampered by slow and uneven progress in the implementation of its in-built agenda, which yields significant costs beyond unrealised trade and investment opportunities. Ahead of the 2027 General Review of RCEP, this paper seeks to stimulate and inform a dialogue among experts and policymakers on how the General Review may consider institutional frameworks governing ongoing monitoring of RCEP implementation and how monitoring can be optimised to incentivise consistent implementation moving forward. The paper presents evidence supporting concerns about the slow progress on key items of the in-built agenda, outlines the costs of such implementation gaps and investigates the applications of implementation monitoring in comparable agreements to inform well-designed incentive-driven monitoring mechanisms. It is proposed that the General Review explore options for a monitoring framework that establishes a clear feedback loop between officials and the political-level agenda, clearly defines the responsibilities and resource requirements of the RCEP Support Unit and potential future Secretariat, formalises the role for private sector stakeholders and links monitoring efforts to the technical assistance and capacity-building support planned under RCEP’s economic and technical cooperation pillar.