An agreement with no apparent purpose

ON Thursday, it was reported that the Philippines had joined four other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member countries — Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand — in an agreement to share aviation safety data, which was hailed in a joint statement by the signatories as "a first-of-its kind initiative in the Asia-Pacific." As Southeast Asia is the world's fastest-growing air transport market, this would seem to be a progressive and relevant bit of cooperation. However, the terms of the agreement as described in the information made public so far raise questions about the usefulness of the pact.