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THE THIRTEENTH APEC MINISTERIAL MEETING
Shanghai, People's Republic of China
17-18 October 2001
JOINT STATEMENT
- Ministers from Australia;
Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; the People's Republic of China; Hong Kong,
China; Indonesia; Japan; the Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand;
Papua New Guinea; Peru; the Republic of the Philippines; the Russian Federation;
Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; the United States and Viet Nam participated
in the Thirteenth Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting
in Shanghai on 17-18 October 2001. The APEC Secretariat was present. The Association
of South-East Asia Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat, the Pacific Economic Cooperation
Council (PECC), and the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) attended as observers.
- The meeting was chaired by
H.E. Mr. Tang Jiaxuan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and H.E. Mr. Shi Guangsheng,
Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, of the People's Republic
of China. The theme for APEC 2001 was: "Meeting New Challenges in the
New Century: Achieving Common Prosperity through Participation and Cooperation".
The agenda of the meeting was structured to reflect the three sub-themes of
APEC 2001:
- Advancing Trade and
Investment;
- Sharing the Benefits
of Globalization and the New Economy; and
- Promoting Sustainable
Economic Growth.
- Since the end of last year,
the slowdown in the United States, Japan and Europe has dampened the prospect
of global and regional economy, with some members in the region affected considerably
by the declining global demand. The recent terrorist attacks in the United
States risk undermining some industries as well as consumer confidence. In
the face of the less favorable global and regional economic environment, Ministers
affirmed their confidence in the medium and long-term prospects of growth
in the APEC region and agreed to strengthen cooperation to tackle the short-term
economic difficulties. In this connection, Ministers reaffirmed the importance
of promoting dialogue and cooperation with a view to achieving sustainable
and common development. In addition, Ministers emphasized the importance of
achieving the Bogor goals in accordance with the agreed timetables as a key
element of APEC's response to current economic conditions, and stressed the
importance of structural reform and sound domestic policies to create a more
favorable macro-economic environment for growth in the region.
Advancing Trade and Investment
Strengthening the multilateral trading system
- Ministers firmly underlined
their commitment to open regionalism and strong support for an open, equitable,
transparent and rules-based multilateral trading system, as represented by
the WTO.
- Ministers reaffirmed the strong
commitment to launch the WTO new round of multilateral trade negotiations
in 2001. Given the global economic slowdown, Ministers agreed on the critical
importance and urgency of successfully launching the round at the Fourth WTO
Ministerial Conference to reenergize the global trading system.
- Ministers called on parties
concerned to demonstrate strong political will and flexibility in agreeing
on a balanced and sufficiently broad-based agenda to launch the new round,
which should include further trade liberalization and the strengthening of
WTO rules and reflect the interests and concerns of all members especially
those of the developing ones,address the challenges in the 21 st
century and support the goal of sustainable development. Ministers urged that
the new round focus on trade-related issues, including existing WTO rules
and not duplicate the work of other international organizations. They further
agreed that internal transparency within WTO will facilitate the participation
of all members.
- Ministers reaffirmed that
the concerns of developing economies should be addressed through the effective
implementation of special and differential treatment and ongoing effort for
capacity building and technical assistance so as to facilitate their full
participation in the WTO.
- Ministers reaffirmed APEC's
determination on expediting the full and effective implementation of the Uruguay
Round agreements and commitments, and called on the WTO to give due consideration
to the concerns of members, especially developing ones, on the implementation
issues emanating from the Uruguay Round agreements and commitments when formulating
the agenda for the new round.
- Recalling previous Leaders'
Declarations and Ministerial Statements, Ministers reaffirmed that APEC would
actively and constructively contribute to the mandated WTO negotiations on
agriculture and services.
- Ministers reiterated their
commitment to continuing to contribute to the WTO work on industrial tariffs
and other related areas, without prejudice to the overall agenda for negotiations.
- Ministers agreed to continue
mobilizing APEC's expertise to maintain and enhance the momentum of the WTO
negotiations on services. In this respect, they recognized the progress made
in 2001 on the APEC Menu of Options for Voluntary Liberalization, Facilitation
and Promotion of Economic and Technical Cooperation in Services Trade and
Investment, which will continue in 2002. Ministers expected this work to make
an important contribution to the on-going WTO negotiations.
- Ministers undertook to refrain
from using measures that increase levels of trade protectionism. To this end,
they reaffirmed their commitment to the APEC-wide moratorium on the imposition
of custom duties on electronic transmissions until the Fourth WTO Ministerial
Conference, and agreed to extend the moratorium until the Fifth Ministerial
Conference. Ministers also supported a vigorous continuation of the WTO's
work program on E-commerce.
- Ministers reaffirmed the importance
of the implementation of APEC WTO-related capacity building Strategic Plan,
as an unique, substantial and value-adding contribution to strengthening the
participation of developing economies in the multilateral trading system,
improving the implementation of existing commitments, and building confidence
for a WTO new round. They recognized the initiative as a concrete example
of the way in which technical and economic cooperation in APEC and the policy
commitment to trade liberalization can be mutually reinforcing. In this regard,
Ministers commended progress made on a number of projects and noted that twelve
TILF projects in support of the plan have received funding this year. They
stressed the need for new projects to be accorded continued priority in allocating
the APEC TILF fund in accordance with the established TILF approval process,
decided that both developed and developing members would continue to prioritize
as appropriate the plan in the developmental programs, and affirmed the importance
of involving bilateral development agencies, relevant regional and international
organizations including WTO, ADB and World Bank in implementing the plan.
- Ministers congratulated China
on the successful conclusion of negotiations on its accession to the WTO.
They urged that China's accession be finalized at the forthcoming WTO Ministerial
Conference. Ministers also reiterated strong support for approval of accession
to the WTO by Chinese Taipei at that Conference and the advancement of WTO
accession by the Russian Federation and Viet Nam. Ministers supported the
participation of all acceding economies in the new round of WTO negotiations.
Trade and Investment Liberalization and Facilitation (TILF)
Individual Action Plans
- Reaffirming the central role
of Individual Action Plans (IAPs) in achieving APEC's trade and investment
liberalization and facilitation goals, Ministers commended the refinements
and improvements made to the e-IAP system to enhance its functionality and
user friendliness. They also welcomed the presentation of 2001 IAPs by member
economies in the e-IAP system and recognized the usefulness of delivering
further technical assistance in their preparation. Ministers encouraged member
economies to publicize the new e-IAP system to their business communities
and work with the private sector to ensure that the system meets its needs.
They commended the Russian Federation for the submission of its IAP for peer
review this year.
- Acknowledging the need for
the IAP peer review process to be further strengthened, Ministers endorsed
the proposal for strengthening the IAP peer review process, including organizing
the IAP Review Teams to conduct studies of economies under review. The new
process is aimed at increasing the rigor of the peer review regime and encouraging
member economies to make greater progress in achieving the Bogor Goals. They
affirmed that the principle of voluntarism should be respected. For this purpose,
they decided to use the APEC funding including the TILF special account through
the funding approval process. Ministers welcomed the offer made by Mexico
and Japan to submit their IAPs for review under the new peer review process
in 2002. They also called on other member economies to actively participate
in this process.
Review of OAA Part I
- As a major roadmap providing
the guidelines for achieving the Bogor Goals, the OAA must remain relevant
for APEC to face the emerging global challenges and to seize new opportunities
in the new century. Ministers thus endorsed the updated OAA Part I, which
reflects the new changes and developments in the area of trade liberalization
and facilitation since 1995. The major elements include a commitment to progressive
reduction of tariffs until the Bogor goals are fully achieved, a commitment
to progressively reducing NTMs to the maximum extent possible to minimize
possible distortion to trade, and a commitment in the services area to provide
for the fair and transparent development, adoption and application of regulations
and regulatory procedures in regulated service sectors. Ministers further
underlined the strategic significance of the updated of OAA Part I in providing
a long-term framework for advancing to APEC TILF agenda. Ministers encouraged
member economies to take the updated OAA Part I into account when updating
their IAPs for 2002 and beyond.
Collective Action Plan
- Ministers approved and endorsed
the Annual Report of the Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI) and the revised/enhanced
Collective Action Plans (CAPs) it contains. Emphasizing the importance of
the CAPs in ensuring APEC is on track towards Bogor Goals, Ministers welcomed
the commendable progress CTI made in implementing CAPs in 2001 and highlighted
some key achievements, which included,
- the further expansion of the
CAPs to intensify work on Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs);
- the completion of APEC Principles
on Trade Facilitation;
- the completion of the new CAPs
on Intellectual Property Rights;
- the completion of the review
and revision of the Mid-term Technical Infrastructure Development Program;
and
- the completion of an assessment/evaluation
of the thirteen SCCP CAP items.
- Ministers welcomed the progress
report and its achievements from the APEC Automotive Dialogue and encouraged
the Dialogue to continue its work. They took note of the ongoing reform and
economic and technical cooperation activities in the automotive sector. Ministers
also took note of the establishment of the Chemical Dialogue and welcomed
Mexico's offer to host the first Chemical Dialogue in 2002.
- Ministers welcomed the report
APEC Economies Breaking Down the Barriers: Case studies in regulatory and
administrative reforms, which indicated that the reforms undertaken by
APEC members had generated significant economic benefits. Ministers also noted
the importance of adopting the revised Kyoto Convention on the Simplification
and Harmonization of Customs Procedures, and encouraged the adoption of the
Convention at the earliest possible opportunity.
- Ministers directed CTI to continue
to give priority in its 2002 work program, to producing tangible deliverables
in CAPs, as envisaged in the Osaka Action Agenda.
- Ministers welcomed the success
of the Second APEC Investment Mart held in Yantai, the People's Republic of
China, during 9-15 June 2001. They reiterated the importance of ensuring stable
investment flows into the APEC region. In this regard, Ministers welcomed
the offer by the Russian Federation and Thailand to host the Third and the
Fourth APEC Investment Marts in 2002 and in 2003 respectively. Ministers also
welcomed the project to review current literature on cross-border mergers
and acquisitions to enable better understanding of its development on investment
flows.
- Emphasizing the benefits of
trade facilitation, Ministers instructed officials to identify concrete actions
and measures to implement the APEC Trade Facilitation Principles in 2002 to
promote the flow of goods and services in the region, and stressed that capacity-building
should remain a central component of APEC's work on trade facilitation.
- Recognizing the importance
of enhancing the mobility of business people as a means to facilitate APEC
trade and investment goals, Ministers noted the progress made in the APEC
Business Travel Card Scheme and welcomed the participation of the People's
Republic of China and Chinese Taipei in the scheme, leading to a majority
of APEC members being part of the Scheme. Ministers also commended the progress
of capacity building strategies towards implementing streamlined border processing
of genuine travelers, and noted the multilateral Advance Passenger Processing
(APP) trial as a new technology standard in regional travel facilitation system
. Ministers supported the Informal Experts' Group on the Mobility of
Business People (IEGBM) capacity building strategies, which uses agreed standards
for economies to improve their immigration capacity and contributes to the
APEC goals of facilitating trade and investment.
- Ministers emphasized the importance
of strengthening competition in the APEC region and welcomed the Mexican proposal
to host a training program in 2002 on promoting competition in regulated sectors
so as to enhance interaction among APEC economies in this field. Ministers
also welcomed the proposal of Mexico to hold a workshop on regional and bilateral
investment rules and agreements.
- Ministers praised the work
that the CTI has done over the past year and expressed appreciation to Mr.
Joe Damond for his contribution as CTI Chair. Ministers also welcomed Ms.
Ng Kim Neo to serve as the CTI Chair for the next two years commencing in
2002.
Sharing the Benefits of Globalization and the New
Economy
Human Capacity Building Initiatives
- Ministers recognized that
human capacity building is a vital means to meet the challenges of Globalization
and the New Economy, and affirmed its importance as one of the core priorities
in APEC. Ministers applauded the various initiatives undertaken in this respect,
particularly the Beijing Initiative adopted at the APEC High Level Meeting
on Human Capacity Building and agreed to submit the Beijing Initiative to
Leaders as a way to provide opportunities for further work on human capacity
building in the context of the New Economy. Ministers also supported the engagement
of all key stakeholders in the region and the development of tripartite partnerships
between government, business, academic and training institutions for this
purpose. Ministers welcomed the "Human Capacity Building Promotion Program"
as a follow-up project to the Beijing initiative. Ministers instructed Senior
Officials, working through APEC fora, to further develop and carry out initiatives
for future work as appropriate to translate the shared vision into action.
Ministers also noted the benefits of active engagement with the private sector
in the provision of IT training.
- Ministers welcomed the significant
progress in formulating an APEC Human Capacity Building Strategy on New Economy
done by the Human Capacity Building Coordinating Group (HCBCG) as an effective
response to the present and future need for transforming the "digital
divide" into "digital opportunities",so that the opportunities
of the New Economy can be widely shared in the APEC region and encouraged
HCBCG to finish their work by SOM I 2002, with the active participation of
all working fora and economies. Ministers urged implementation of the human
capacity building projects, including Information Sharing and Best Practices
on Teleworking and Preparing Human Resources for the New Economy. Ministers
also welcomed Thailand's proposal to explore the possibility of networking
schools in APEC economies and instructed SOM to examine the proposal.
- Ministers welcomed the outcome
of the Fourth APEC Human Resources Development Ministerial Meeting, held in
Kumamoto, Japan and commended the significant progress in achieving human
resources development goals. Ministers resolved to increase APEC's understanding
of the forces that shape and drive the New Economy, inter alia, by increasing
access to quality basic education, skills training-retraining and lifelong
learning to address the challenges that it presents to the workforce of the
21 st century, and to foster an environment which assures greater
access to the opportunities generated. Ministers welcomed the meeting's focus
on knowledge and skills development, formulation of proactive labor market
policies, and involvement of stakeholders such as labor and business.
- Ministers expressed their
appreciation to the APEC Education Foundation for its leadership in launching
the APEC Cyber Education Cooperation Consortium and recognized the Foundation's
potential as a useful vehicle for HCB efforts, especially in the area of cyber
education cooperation. Ministers encouraged further participation in the work
of the Foundation and the Consortium by member economies, business, academia
and other stakeholders with a view towards realizing an APEC cyber education
community.
Ecotech Issues
- Ministers endorsed the SOM
Report on Ecotech and its recommendations. Ministers reaffirmed the role of
Ecotech in contributing to sustainable growth and achieving common prosperity.
Ministers commended the progress made this year in advancing the Ecotech agenda
and reinforcing the complementarity of TILF and Ecotech. Ministers also recognized
the need for APEC to interact with bilateral, regional, and international
organizations and financial institutions with a view to fostering cooperation,
broadening support and leveraging financial resources to boost Ecotech activities.
- Since its inception, SOM Subcommittee
on Ecotech (ESC) has played a significant role in managing and coordinating
Ecotech activities to ensure a more effective and action-oriented agenda.
Ministers endorsed the work that ESC has done over the past year and expressed
appreciation to Dr. Medhi Krongkaew for his excellent contribution as the
ESC Chair. Ministers also welcomed Ambassador Elard Escala from Peru to serve
as the incoming ESC Chair and the Senior Official of the Philippines as the
Vice Chair for the next two years commencing in 2002. Ministers also directed
Senior Officials to review the function and mandate of the ESC with a view
to making recommendations to the next Ministerial Meeting on any adjustments
required to ensure the most effective possible leadership and coordination
of APEC's Ecotech work.
- Ministers welcomed the development
of Ecotech Action Plans (EAPs) in the area of Human Resources Development
as a pilot and affirmed its role in substantially enhancing the opportunity
for cooperation in field of HRD, and facilitating a more focused and intensified
agenda. Ministers welcomed the submission of EAPs by 16 economies and encouraged
continued and broader participation.
- Ministers commended the completion
of updating Osaka Action Agenda (OAA) Part II and its Annex. Ministers reaffirmed
the role of OAA in shaping the road map for APEC in the new century. The revised
OAA Part II incorporates new initiatives and priorities since 1995, and will
continue to function as a fundamental guide in future Ecotech activities.
Ministers also instructed Working Groups to make sure their future activities
are consistent with the updated OAA Part II and include in their annual report
to the SOM information on the implementation of OAA Part II so that progress
can be monitored.
- Ministers commended the completion
of the first APEC Science & Technology Policy Forum held in Penang, Malaysia,which
was organized by the Industrial Science and Technology Working Group (ISTWG).
The Forum identified numerous recommendations for building innovation capacity
within APEC economies and fostering linkages among science, technology and
innovation communities across APEC. Noting the contribution to the success
of the Forum made by the participation of academic, business, and other non-governmental
groups, Ministers urged the ISTWG to continue to involve these stakeholders
in implementing these recommendations.
APEC Food System (AFS)
- Reaffirming the importance
of addressing the three areas of the AFS on rural infrastructure development,
promotion of trade in food products, and dissemination of technological advances
in food production and processing, Ministers welcomed and endorsed the SOM
report on the implementation of the AFS. They also asked the Senior Officials
to give further thought to ways to increase the momentum in AFS implementation,
requested SOM to report annually on progress in implementation of the AFS
recommendations, and instructed officials to examine how to respond to ABAC's
recommendations on the AFS in 2000 and 2001.
Biotechnology
- Ministers reaffirmed the importance
of transparent and science-based approaches to risk assessment and management
in the introduction and use of biotechnology products, and of technical cooperation,
and information exchange on new technology and capacity building in this area.
They recognized the importance of economies' efforts to enhance consumers'
awareness, confidence and understanding of biotechnology products to facilitate
the realization of the potential benefits of this technology.
- Ministers endorsed the SOM
Report on Agricultural Biotechnology and asked Senior Officials to report
on progress next year. They welcomed the initiative to hold a policy-level
dialogue on agricultural biotechnology and requested Senior Officials to report
on progress in 2002.
Infectious Disease
- In recognition of the challenges
posed by infectious diseases, Ministers endorsed the APEC Strategy to address
HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases and commended the efforts and contribution
made by ISTWG in developing the strategy in less than a year. Ministers asked
related APEC fora, notably the ISTWG to take actions as laid out in the Strategy
in the six categories of electronic networking, surveillance, outbreak response,
capacity building, partnering across sectors, and political and economic leadership.
Ministers also noted that the APEC Healthcare Services Accreditation Project
and a project to conduct training in infectious disease surveillance were
approved at the 21 st meeting of the ISTWG in Penang, Malaysia.
Ministers welcomed these initiatives in response to the APEC Infectious Disease
Strategy and requested ISTWG to report outcome to the SOM.
Strengthening the Functioning of Markets
- Ministers commended the significant
efforts made by member economies in strengthening the functioning of markets,
which complement the APEC trade and investment liberalization and facilitation
process. Acknowledging the importance of developing transparent, favorable
and predictable policy as well as legal and regulatory environment for business,
Ministers:
- Took note of the progress
made regarding the APEC-OECD Cooperative Initiative on regulatory reform led
by Peru, welcomed the outcomes arising from the Opening Conference of the
Initiative held in Singapore, the First APEC-OECD Workshop on Regulatory Reform
held in Beijing on 19-20 September 2001 and commended Mexico's offer for hosting
the Second Workshop;
- Took note of the work of the
coordinating group on Strengthening Economic Legal Infrastructure led by Australia,
Japan and Peru, particularly the completion of Menus of Options for Strengthening
Economic Legal Infrastructure, called for early implementation and the development
of cooperative projects in capacity and institutional building, corporate
law and competition policy, based on the Cooperation Framework, and urged
continuous efforts in building capacity and skills of individuals, institutions
and agencies in developing and applying commercial, corporate and competition
law;
- Took note of the progress
made in the cooperation program in the area of SME and New Business Support,
and welcomed the progress achieved in the Cooperation Programs, which consists
of holding seminars, dispatching experts and related activities, based on
the Evolving Cooperation Initiative by Japan;
- Endorsed the Guidelines for
Good Corporate Governance Practice developed by PECC and encouraged APEC members
to implement the Guidelines on a voluntary basis;
- Welcomed the Guidelines of
Best Practices for Entrepreneurship and Start-up Companies, which was the
principal outcome of a Symposium in this regard held on August 2-3 2001 in
Chinese Taipei, and encouraged relevant APEC fora to apply the Guidelines
to their future work; and
- Recognized the importance
of capacity building for the implementation of APEC Principles to Enhance
Competition and Regulatory Reform, and welcomed further work in this area,
such as training programs.
New Economy Issues
E-APEC
- The information technology
revolution is one of the major forces transforming the world and the APEC
region into the 21 st century. Ministers reaffirmed their confidence
in the immense potential of Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
and its applications in upgrading the welfare and living standard of our people
in the APEC region. Ministers emphasized the importance of the development
of New Economy, the ICT revolution and its applications.
- As instructed by the Leaders,
a long-term, forward-looking and action-oriented e-APEC Strategy has been
formulated by developing and expanding the Action Agenda for New Economy this
year. Ministers commended the efforts made by the e-APEC Task Force, and endorsed
the e-APEC Strategy, which demonstrated APEC's resolve to spur ICT development
with the vision of an approaching digital society . Ministers urged
members to take concrete and concerted actions to implement the e-APEC Strategy
so as to maximize the benefits of the ICT revolution, address the digital
divide and benefit from the opportunities presented by the emerging New Economy.
- The e-APEC Strategy consists
of the following three pillars:
- Create an environment for
strengthening market structure and institutions;
Ministers urged economies to implement appropriate policies and actions to
promote sustainable and sound macroeconomic policy framework, sustained structural
reform, an effective competition regime, good financial and corporate governance,
etc. and actions to promote sustainable growth.
- Create an environment for
infrastructure investment and technology development;
Ministers encouraged economies to create a policy environment conducive to
competitive investment and the widespread uptake of beneficial technologies.
- Enhance human capacity
building and entrepreneurship development.
Ministers urged economies to take actions to improve human capacity building
and promote entrepreneurship. Ministers also encouraged economies to develop
innovation-oriented policies and promote the participation of SMEs in New Economy
activities.
- Ministers urged member economies
to take concrete actions to turn the e-APEC vision into reality, which would
definitely help facilitate spreading the benefits of the New Economy, enhancing
the momentum of economic development and revitalizing not only regional, but
also the global economy. Ministers encouraged member economies and relevant
APEC fora to implement the e-APEC Strategy through broad cooperation and collaboration.
In this regard, Ministers directed Senior Officials, in cooperation with the
Finance Deputies, where appropriate, to facilitate and oversee the process
of implementing the Strategy and report the outcomes to the responsible Ministers
at their next year's meeting in Mexico. Ministers welcomed the report on progress
in developing the Network of Skills Development Centres and encourage full
participation by members.
E-commerce
- Ministers noted and welcomed
the progress made by Electronic Commerce Steering Group (ECSG) on promoting
and coordinating E-commerce-related activities across APEC sub-fora, including
the completion of the APEC 2001 Electronic Commerce Stocktake. In this regard,
Ministers endorsed the recommended work program on E-commerce in APEC. Ministers
also endorsed the proposal by the ECSG to develop APEC guidelines for online
consumer protection and noted the proposal to organize a public/private sector
forum regarding online privacy and E-commerce during 2002.
- Noting the different roles
of private and public sectors in promoting the development of E-commerce as
well as the needs to strengthening the linkage between them in this field,
Ministers endorsed the proposal of the establishment of the APEC E-commerce
Business Alliance. Ministers also welcomed the proposal to strengthen economic
and technical cooperation in the area of E-commerce with a view to narrowing
the gap between member economies in the application of E-commerce.
- Ministers welcomed Individual
Action Plans on Paperless Trading submitted by some member economies, encouraged
other member economies to participate in the delivery of Paperless Trading
IAPs, and instructed SOM to report on progress to the MRT Meeting in 2002.
Ministers also welcomed the report on Paperless Trading: Benefits to APEC,
and encouraged APEC members to reduce regulatory and institutional barriers
to paperless trading.
- Ministers recognised the growth
of global electronic commerce and the importance of a legal and policy framework
which both ensures business and public confidence and avoids unnecessarily
restrictive trade barriers while respecting national policy objectives in
order to allow E-commerce to develop its full potential to create new opportunities
for trade.
Other Existing and New Initiatives
- Ministers welcomed the progress
report made by lead economies on various existing and new initiatives on e-APEC
activities. Ministers welcomed the implementation of Phase I of the project
on Transforming the Digital Divide into a Digital Opportunity by Chinese Taipei
and urged the early implementation of Phase II work in 2002. Ministers welcomed
Korea's offer to host a high-level conference on strengthening APEC cooperation
for establishing e-government, and a seminar on empowering people with disabilities
in the Information and Technology (IT) age in 2002. In response to Vietnam's
New Economy Initiative on Strengthening the Legal Framework for E?Commerce,
Ministers agreed to convene an E-Commerce Legal Infrastructure Workshop at
the 25 th TEL meeting in 2002 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
- Ministers reaffirmed commitments
to triple access to the Internet by 2005, and to ensure that all groups within
an economy have access individually or through community-based services to
the Internet by 2010; and they commended the TEL for developing a Digital
Divide Blueprint for Action and called for its completion and implementation.
- Ministers welcomed efforts
and policy findings by TEL on ICT development and diffusion, for the creation
of a policy environment in the APEC region for universal access, the liberalization
of the market, the realization of digital opportunities, and the security
of information infrastructure and networks. Ministers recognized the important
role of the private sectors in developing and diffusing ICT and encouraged
enhanced cooperation among members and all stakeholders with the effective
leadership of governments in upgrading capacity into a digital and prosperous
future. In this regard, Ministers instructed the e-APEC Task Force, TEL, ECSG,
HRD, and SME WGs, and other APEC fora to continue their endeavors in carrying
forward the e-APEC activities in various areas within APEC and enhance their
cooperation in ICT development in the region.
Development of SMEs
- Ministers welcomed the outcomes
from the 8 th SMEs Ministerial Meeting held in Shanghai under the
theme of "New Century, New Challenges: Innovation and Environment for
SME Development". They acknowledged the vital role and importance of
SMEs in promoting economic recovery and long-term sustainable economic growth.
Ministers urged member economies to consider the key strategies recommended
by the SME Ministerial Meeting in the development of SMEs and continue to
examine thoroughly the obstacles faced by SMEs. The recommendations identified
are: Advancing Technological Innovation through Cooperation, Facilitating
Financing and Improving the Environment for SME Development.
- In times of economic uncertainty,
Ministers acknowledged the need to redouble efforts to support growth and
development of small and micro enterprises. Recognizing the importance of
enhanced cooperation in human capacity building and information sharing for
the benefit of SMEs across the Asia Pacific region, Ministers welcomed efforts
by the Philippines and Canada as lead economies' to further on-going SME programs
for training and certification of APEC SME Counselors and developing commercial
alliances under the Business Partnership Initiative for SMEs. Ministers welcomed
the "International Cooperation Forum on Innovative Management Skills"
to be implemented by Russia in 2002 and encouraged active participation by
all economies. Recognizing the benefits to SME policy makers to better serve
SME constituencies across APEC, Ministers also endorsed the "Voluntary
Visitor Program for APEC SME Government Officials" and called for the
United States to hold the program next spring and report on results to the
9 th APEC SME Ministerial Meeting in August 2002.
Sectoral Ministerial Meetings
- Ministers took note of the
report presented by Peru regarding the postponement of the 3 rd
Transportation Ministerial Meeting due to the cancellation of the Ministers
of several members after the terrorist attacks in the United States last September,
and welcomed Peru's offer to host the event in March 2003.
- Ministers welcomed the progress
made towards assisting economies to implement the operational plan under Transportation
Working Group including the progress in implementing the recommendations for
more competitive air services on a voluntary basis. Ministers noted the ongoing
efforts in transportation safety and security, and supported efforts to promote
international cooperation for the suppression of terrorism, piracy, and armed
robbery.
- Ministers welcomed Korea's
offer to host the 1st APEC Ocean Related Ministerial Meeting in 2002 and recognized
that, it would contribute to strengthening cooperation on sustainable marine
and fisheries resources development.
- Ministers acknowledged that
the review on the implementation of initiatives of APEC Sectoral Ministerial
Meetings is vital to ensuring the overall effectiveness of the APEC process.
Ministers commended officials for their efforts and directed them to urge
APEC fora to continue to implement the decisions and initiatives of various
Sectoral Ministerial Meetings.
Promoting Sustainable Economic Growth
Economic Committee Report
- Ministers endorsed the Economic
Committee (EC)'s Report for 2001 and welcomed the progress made in its four
core projects: (1) 2001 APEC Economic Outlook; (2) the New Economy and APEC;
(3) the Benefits of TILF; (4) the Implementation Plan for KBE Recommendations.
Ministers welcomed the 2001 APEC Economic Outlook especially its thematic
study on financial development and economic growth, which is particularly
timely in face of the current global economic slowdown and member economies'
collective resolve to foster long-term economic vitality. They also endorsed
The New Economy and APEC report that offers a conceptual framework
and useful elements for creating an environment in which the New Economy could
develop. Ministers acknowledged the importance of the Benefits of TILF projects,
which emphasized the creation of more open and free trade and investment environment.
Ministers urged the continuous implementation of the KBE Recommendations and
instructed the EC to continue its work on KBE issues.
Interaction with the Finance Ministers' Process
- Ministers welcomed the outcomes
from the 8 th APEC Finance Ministers' process, and were encouraged
by the efforts and contribution made by the Finance Ministers under the policy
theme of "Growth with Restructuring, Stability and Equity" in the
year of 2001. They acknowledged the important role of the Finance Ministers'
process in taking appropriate policies in a timely manner and constructing
a stronger macroeconomic foundation for the region in the long run.
- Ministers welcomed the practice
of strengthening linkages and communications between the Finance Ministers'
process and the SOM process in 2001 with a view to ensuring the work programs
coordinate and complement each other. Given the current global and regional
economic downturn, Ministers further underlined the importance of continuing
the inter-process briefing and exchange of views between the Finance Ministers'
process and SOM on a regular basis so as to facilitate information sharing
and coordination.
- Ministers welcomed the APEC
Finance and Development Program proposed by China, which aims at enhancing
capacity building in the areas of financial market management especially for
developing economies across the APEC region.
- Ministers also welcomed the
report "Towards Better Company Accounting and Financial Reporting"
prepared for and accepted by the APEC Finance Ministers, and encouraged member
economies to raise awareness of the importance of robust financial reporting,
accounting, auditing and enforcement practices supported by a sound legal,
professional and regulatory infrastructure.
Social Impact of the Crisis
- Ministers welcomed the recommendations
of the Ad Hoc Task Force on Strengthening APEC Social Safety Nets (SSN). They
endorsed the proposed establishment of an APEC SSN Capacity Building Network
that, in the first instance, would focus on capacity building to implement
the SSN recommendations made by the Finance Ministers and in the study conducted
in the HRDWG. Ministers welcomed the proposals by Korea and Thailand to co-organize
an international meeting to address specific capacity building issues on SSN.
Energy
- Energy security stands as
an important issue for economic development and regional prosperity. In light
of the terrorist attacks in the United States, Ministers directed the EWG
to intensify its work on strengthening the security and reliability of affordable
energy to all in APEC, through such means as exchange of information and experience
on oil stockpiling, on facilitating energy efficiency and conservation, and
on facilitating improved stability in the provision of energy supply to meet
demand. They called for further energy technology development, exchange, application
and deployment, and for the facilitation of a diverse and efficient supply
mix to avoid the risks posed to the economy by volatility in the international
oil market. Ministers welcomed the progress made on the Energy Security Initiative
and directed the EWG to implement the concrete work in the progress report
on the Initiative. They also called on economies to encourage greater private
sector involvement in the EWG work program and the EWG to cooperate closely
with the EWG Business Network. Ministers requested Senior Officials to report
in 2002 on progress made in the Initiative.
Interaction with the Community
Dialogue with ABAC
- Ministers welcomed the ABAC
Report to Leaders, Common Development through Market Opening, Capacity
Building and Full Participation. They noted the four key messages to the
Leaders, calling on APEC economies (1) to accelerate progress towards the
Bogor Goals of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation; (2) to
demonstrate strong support for the launch of new WTO round; (3) to take decisive
measures to stimulate economic growth and accelerate financial reforms; and
(4) to adopt a balanced approach to globalization that combines market opening,
capacity-building and full participation. In light of the broadening and deepening
of regional and global economic integration, Ministers noted that the four
messages presented by the ABAC Report contribute to the APEC process in the
new century. Ministers recognized that regular consultation with business,
including SMEs, would ensure that APEC work remains focused and has practical
usefulness for business. Ministers also noted the importance of the BizAPEC
website for APEC's engagement and communication with business.
Youth
- Ministers commended China
and Canada for their initiative in organizing the highly successful APEC Youth
Festival/Young Leaders and Entrepreneurs Forum, welcomed in particular the
complementarity between this event and APEC work in connection with engagement
with the private sector, the new economy and human capacity building, and
encouraged that complementarity with the APEC agenda be a key characteristic
of future APEC projects aimed at young people.
- Ministers commended Mexico's
offer to organize the 2002 APEC Youth Festival.
Framework for Integration of Women
- Ministers commended Ad-hoc
Group on Gender Integration (AGGI)'s achievements over the past two years
and endorsed SOM's report on the Implementation of the Framework for the Integration
of Women in APEC. They endorsed SOM's recommendations including the extension
of AGGI's term to the end of 2002 in order to enable it to complete its work.
- Ministers emphasized the importance
of and their commitment to the involvement of women in the activities of APEC.
They instructed officials and APEC fora to continue to ensure that women are
involved in and benefit from their work. Ministers tasked officials to complete
the development of monitoring mechanisms to ensure the sustainability of gender
mainstreaming initiatives in APEC.
- Ministers welcomed Mexico's
offer to host the Second Ministerial Meeting on Women in 2002, and urged members
to ensure full participation in the lead up to and during the meeting. Ministers
took note of the proposed research project on fostering SMEs and micro-businesses
through IT capacity-building for women.
Communications and Outreach Strategy
- The movement towards global
integration presented the greatest opportunity to deliver higher living standards
and improved social well-being for APEC communities. Ministers reaffirmed
that the benefits of globalization should be shared by and be better communicated
to APEC communities. In this regard, Ministers welcomed the report on "
Globalisation and Poverty: Turning the Corner". Ministers also
noted that ABAC has expressed its intentions to improve its outreach and encouraged
continuous efforts in fostering productive partnership and cooperation with
the private sector.
- In this regard, Ministers
accepted the SOM Report on APEC Interaction and on Public Outreach and Communications,
reinforcing the importance for APEC of ensuring appropriate community engagement
and input in its work, and endorsed the APEC Communications and Outreach Strategy.
In this connection, they welcomed commitments by economies to provide resources
to support APEC-wide work in outreach, as well as to encourage domestic programs
that explain APEC's work and the benefits of open markets. Ministers further
instructed relevant APEC fora to identify and invite the participation of
outside groups that can make a contribution to their work. Ministers also
directed Senior Officials to make further progress in examining the possibility
of simplifying the management and administration of the guidelines on non-member
participation within the existing policy principles and report the result
next year.
Management Issues
2002 Budget
- Ministers endorsed the SOM
Chair's report on budget and management issues and approved the contributions
from member economies for 2002 to the APEC Central Fund totaling US$3,338,000
and the 2002 budget totaling US$8,576,395.
- Ministers further instructed
Senior Officials to continue their work in improving efficiency and effective
use of time in all APEC fora, particularly by undertaking further work in
the area of reporting requirements and project-related procedures, as well
as clarifying a standard expectation of Secretariat support for APEC fora,
and to report to the next Ministerial meeting on the progress made.
APEC Secretariat
- Ministers took note and welcomed
the report of the Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, and expressed
their appreciation to Amb. Zhang Yan and the staff of the Secretariat for
their devotion and contribution to the APEC process. Ministers also thanked
the Singapore government for its generosity in constructing a new office building
for the Secretariat to be ready in 2002.
Other Issues
Statement by Observers
- Ministers took note of the
statements by ASEAN Secretariat, PECC and PIF.
APEC 2002
- Ministers thanked Mexico for
the briefing on preparations for the Fourteenth APEC Ministerial Meeting and
the Tenth APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Los Cabos, Mexico. The preliminary
list of priority issues embodies, inter alia:
- Growth policies for the new
economy, including appropriate trade and investment, macro-economic, financial
and business facilitation policies;
- Building capacities to reap
the benefits of economic development including the promotion of SMEs and micro-enterprises;
- Making APEC a more relevant
forum to our people, including fostering greater participation of youth and
women, stepping up our efforts in communicating the benefits of globalization
and the improvement of the functioning of APEC.
The overall framework is to implement our shared vision of expanding the benefits
of economic growth and development.
Future Meetings
78. Ministers noted the 2003 to 2005 Ministerial Meetings will be held in Thailand,
Chile and the Republic of Korea respectively.
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