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The APEC Health Task Force (HTF) has agreed on its 2006 Work Plan that includes a joint action plan to address health and economic impacts of infectious disease and in particular deal with pandemic influenza preparedness and response.

The Work Plan was finalized by the HTF at their meeting in Ha Noi on February 27-28 and was today formally endorsed by APEC Senior Officials.

The HTF will also provide significant support to the APEC Ministerial Meeting on Avian and Influenza Pandemics that will be held in Da Nang, Viet Nam, on May 4-5.

HTF Chair, Mr Ian Shugart, said key issues in the Work Plan include implementing measures to help APEC Member Economies to prepare for the threat posed by potential pandemics.

"With the growing spread of pathogenic avian influenza around the world, including economies in the region, APEC members are working together to prepare to deal with this threat to our people and our economies," Mr Shugart said.

"While the H5N1 avian influenza has not mutated to the degree which allows human-to-human transmission, it is the greatest known emerging infectious disease threat currently facing the global community.

"The work plan focuses on areas such as risk communications and public awareness of issues relating to pandemics and ensuring the continuity of business and economic activities in the event of a crisis.

"As part of the plan a workshop, will be convened in Da Nang to strengthen the capacity of economies in the region to build communications networks that will be essential in the event of a pandemic outbreak. The workshop will take place on the sidelines of the APEC Ministerial Meeting on Avian and Influenza Pandemics."

Mr Shugart said another priority of the HTF will be pursuing activities to strengthen the ability of APEC economies to respond to HIV/AIDS.

"Estimates are that more than 40 million people worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS in 2005," Mr Shugart said.

"The APEC Health Task Force will continue to pursue activities designed to strengthen the ability of APEC Member Economies to respond to HIV/AIDs.

"A focus of this work will be creating an enabling environment for employers to implement effective workplace practices for people living with HIV/AIDS and supporting prevention activities inn work place settings."

A further symposium on Emerging Infectious Diseases will be held in Beijing in April as part of the HTF 2006 Work Plan.



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New Zealand is to join Australia and the United States in a new APEC system to detect the misuse of stolen and lost passports.

Trialed from 2005, the Regional Movement Alert List (RMAL) system is now expanding to include New Zealand with discussions now taking place on widening participation of APEC Member Economies.

The system will immediately identify passengers, when they check in at airports, if they attempt to use lost or stolen passports from participating economies.

The U.S. National 9/11 Commission Report stated "For terrorists, travel documents are as important as weapons".

The Chair of APEC's Informal Experts Group on Business Mobility, Mr. Vincent McMahon, said "the expansion of the RMAL to New Zealand will mark an important development in improving regional security."

"As this system expands to cover other jurisdictions the opportunities for people to use stolen or lost passports will be dramatically reduced.

"Now, any time a passenger attempts to travel with a lost or stolen Australian, New Zealand or United States passport to or between these economies, they will be detected and border agencies alerted.

New Zealand's Border Security Operations Manager, Mr Arron Baker, noted "The problem in the past was that it was difficult to detect a stolen or lost passport unless it was used in the economy or country that had issued it."

The RMAL system uses a messaging system to interface with participating economies' document databases to conduct real-time checks, while protecting individual privacy because the system does not rely on sharing data.

The ability to conduct these checks will enhance security as well as facilitate movement of properly documented travelers, without impacting the integrity or any functionality of existing border control systems. The system is also supported by 24/7 operations to help resolve any incidents.

The pilot program between Australia and the United States began in September of 2005. After the findings of the trial were presented to APEC Ministers and Leaders in November, the program was endorsed and other economies are now able to join.

The APEC IEGBM has been meeting for two days in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, as part of the first series of APEC meetings in 2006.

Additional details about the IEGBM are available at www.businessmobility.org



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Science and Technology cooperation in the Asia-Pacific has been enhanced through a two day meeting of APEC's Industrial Science and Technology Working Group.

Meeting in Manila, the Philippines, on March 28-29, delegates from around the APEC Region explored areas for increased scientific and technological cooperation.

Discussions focused on areas such as cleaner production methods, metrology, nanotechnology, biotechnology, climatology, development of natural resources, environmental science, education, and converging technology for combating infectious diseases.

An important feature of this meeting was the inclusion of a number of participants from the Philippines science and technology sector in the event. Philippines representatives were selected from agencies involved in the study of industrial science and technology policies and issues.

ISTWG priority concerns for 2006 include the participation of women and ethnic communities in scientific research, a planned symposium on science-industry linkages, the ongoing activities of the Sustainable Development Task Force and the APEC Climate Center.

The role of the ISTWG is to fulfill APEC's vision for the 21sth century of a dynamic and prosperous Asia-Pacific region. This vision is anchored on industrial science and technology activities that improve the quality of life, preserve the natural environment and achieve sustainable development.

The ISTWG's Medium-term Work Plan includes efforts to connect research and innovation activities taking place around the region and to build the human capacity of the science sectors in APEC Member Economies.

 



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The Deputy Prime Minister of Viet Nam, Mr. Vu Khoan, officially opened the start of the Viet Nam 2006 APEC year in Ha Noi today.

In his opening address to the APEC Senior Officials Plenary Meeting Mr. Vu highlighted the resurgent economic strength of the APEC region.

"Following the financial and monetary crisis of the late 1990s that seriously affected many member economies, APEC is now the most dynamic economic region of the world," Mr. Vu said.

"Trade and investment within APEC has seen a sharp rise, which has had positive impacts on the global economy.

The Deputy Prime Minister also drew attention to new opportunities in the global economy that he said must be shared between developed and developing economies.

"Thanks to the fast development of science and technology, never-before opportunities have been opened for mankind's advance on the one hand,? Mr. Vu said.

"But such development has also widened the gap between the economies of developed countries and those of developing countries.

"Therefore, promoting cooperation within the framework of ECOTECH is of great significance."

Mr. Vu said it was important for APEC Member Economies to be mindful of emerging threats to regional prosperity such as terrorism, energy and food security, money laundering and epidemics.

"Facing the emergence of several non-traditional threats that have serious impacts on both business environment and human security, it is imperative for us to strengthen our cooperation in response to them."

The First APEC Senior Officials' Meeting for 2006 began with a series of meetings, workshops and seminars covering a wide rage of APEC related issues on February 20.

The next major event in the APEC 2006 schedule is the APEC Ministerial Meeting on Avian and Influenza Pandemics that will take place in Da Nang on May 4-5.

A video of the Deputy Prime Minister's speech is available for download here:

http://www.apec.org/Press/Videos/23f.aspx

[https://www] 

Deputy Prime Minister of Viet Nam, Vu Khoan

 



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APEC Member Economies have agreed to a range of measures to enhance the region's surveillance and response capacity for dealing with emerging infectious diseases.

After two days of meetings at the "APEC Symposium on Emerging Infectious Diseases" in Beijing this week, Member Economies have agreed to establish and improve existing infectious disease surveillance networks and regional laboratory networks in the Asia-Pacific.

In the statement that was agreed by the symposium, Member Economies also agreed to enhance bio-safety standards at commercial farms and markets, improve veterinary capacity to detect and report infectious disease outbreaks and to strengthen animal health capacity to respond to outbreaks.

In agreeing to the range of measures the delegates to the Seminar also made plans to undertake an assessment of the economic and social impacts of emerging infectious diseases in the region. This research is expected to then help Member Economies develop policies that will guide decision-making in the event of a crisis.

Member Economies have also agreed to increase technical and scientific cooperation for the development of prevention and control measures among economies to better deal with emerging infectious diseases.

The symposium on April 4-5 was opened by China's Vice Minister for Health, Dr. Chen Xiaohong, and included presentations from representatives from the World Health Organization and the Asian Development Bank.

The full text of the Consensus from the Beijing APEC Symposium on Emerging Infectious Diseases is available here.

The APEC Ministerial Meeting on Avian and Influenza Pandemics is the next major APEC event scheduled to deal with the threats posed by emerging infectious diseases and will be held in Da Nang, Viet Nam, on May 4-6.



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New Zealand will go live today with the Regional Management Alert List (RMAL) pilot scheme for detecting the misuse of stolen and lost passports.

After its successful initial implementation in Australia and the United States the RMAL system is also expected to expand to other APEC Member Economies and even countries outside of the APEC region.

The system allows participating economies to detect the use of invalid travel documents either at airport check-in counters before passengers board flights, or before their arrival at their destination.

The initiative was formally launched at the United States Embassy in Wellington earlier in the week by New Zealand's Internal Affairs Minister, Rick Barker, Immigration Minister, David Cunliffe and United States Ambassador to New Zealand William P McCormick.

With the first flights to travel between Australia, New Zealand and the United States RMAL will become active between these three economies.

Mr Barker said RMAL will provide a significant security boost for participating APEC Member Economies.

"It again underlines the value and integrity of national passports by reducing the likelihood of someone misusing a lost or stolen passport for criminal purposes."

RMAL follows other initiatives in New Zealand and around the APEC Region to enhance passport security, including Advance Passenger Processing, the introduction of e-Passports with leading edge security features, stricter issuing processes and much bigger penalties for passport crime, Mr Barker said.

Mr Cunliffe said the checking of passengers would contribute to more effective border security. Screening passports when passengers check in ensures a higher level of assurance that only people using authorised documents can travel on those documents.

"We have been able to detect the attempted use of lost or stolen Australian travel documents for some time. When New Zealand joins the RMAL system on 31 March, we will be able to do this for United States travel documents as well."

Ambassador McCormick said the United States was delighted New Zealand was joining the RMAL program.

"This will be an important step in our joint efforts to secure our borders against terrorism and transnational crime. The addition of New Zealand to the pilot program will also expand the RMAL from a bilateral to a multi-lateral framework and lay the groundwork for other APEC members to join in the future," Mr McCormick said.

The pilot program between Australia and the United States began in September of 2005. After the findings of the trial were presented to APEC Ministers and Leaders in November other economies and non-APEC countries are now able to join.

A fact sheet on RMAL is available.



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A high level APEC Anti-Corruption Workshop has strengthened the capacity of member economies to prevent corrupt individuals from seeking safe haven and hiding assets in the Asia-Pacific.

Held from April 24-26 in Shanghai, China, the "APEC Anti-Corruption and Transparency Workshop on the Denial of Safe Haven, Asset Recovery and Extradition" was co-sponsored by China and the United States.

In his opening address to the conference, China's Vice Minister of Supervision, Mr. Li Yufu highlighted the importance of member economies sharing experience and provided the Chinese Government's perspective on how to build a clean government and fight against corruption.

"I believe that through the discussions and exchanges of each side's experiences and ways of handling the matters involving the denial of safe haven, asset recovery and extradition," Mr. Li said.

"This workshop will certainly serve to enhance the mutual understanding of APEC economies in anti-corruption and further advance the exchange and cooperation in the field of fighting against corruption.

"The Chinese Government has attached great importance to building a clean government while committing itself to the reform and opening up and the development of economy.

"By adhering to the principle of tackling the corruption from both its root causes and symptoms, in a comprehensive way, combining punishment and prevention with emphasis on the latter, we firmly and continuously push forward the anticorruption work."

Ms. Debra Wong Yang, United States Attorney, Central District of California, United States highlighted the importance of the fight against corruption at both a domestic and international level.

"The FBI has made corruption its number one white collar priority. In the past years alone, over 200 new agents have been added to corruption squads across the US," Ms. Wong Yang said.

"In addition to investigating and prosecuting corruption at home, we are also working to stem corruption around the world.

"One of the ways in which we are doing that is by investigating US companies and individuals engaged in bribing and corrupting foreign government officials."

Addressing the workshop, the Executive Director APEC Secretariat, Ambassador Tran Trong Toan highlighted APEC's role in fighting corruption in the region.

"APEC member economies have a great stake in the success of this struggle if their goals for sustainable socio-economic development and prosperity are to be achieved," Ambassador Toan said.

"In 2005 APEC Leaders agreed to intensify regional cooperation to deny a safe haven to officials and individuals guilty of corruption, those who corrupt them and their unlawfully-acquired assets, and to prosecute those engaged in bribery, including in international business transactions.

"This is still a new area of cooperation in APEC and this Workshop on the Denial of Safe Haven, Asset Recovery and Extradition is very timely and significant."

The three day program of the workshop included presentations from a range of international experts from governments, the business sector and international organizations.

The workshop took place as part of the range of activities coordinated by the APEC Anti-Corruption and Transparency Experts Task Force (ACT). The next event on the ACT calendar is an APEC anti-corruption symposium in Hong Kong on May 9-11 with the theme "Corporate Corruption, Integrity & Governance."

Links to the text of speeches by:

[https://www]Mr. Li Yufu, China's Vice Minister of Supervision

 

[https://www]Ms. Debra Wong Yang, Unites States Attorney 



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APEC Ministers will meet in Da Nang, Viet Nam, on May 4-6 to coordinate preparedness planning that will be put into effect should there be an outbreak of avian or other influenza pandemics.

The APEC Ministerial Meeting on Avian and Influenza Pandemics will establish an action plan that will help to avert the significant social and economic harm that would be caused by a pandemic.

Viet Nam's Minister for Agriculture and Rural development, Dr. Cao Duc Phat, said pandemics such as avian influenza have the potential to kill an unimaginable number of people and cause enormous economic damage.

"The H5N1 avian influenza virus is the greatest known emerging infectious disease threat that is currently facing the global community," Dr. Cao Duc Phat said as his department prepared to host ministers from around the region.

"To reduce the potential of this threat, APEC ministers will consider the range of options that are open to Member Economies in preparing for and dealing with a pandemic.

"Ministers will identify coordination mechanisms and action plans that will be put into play should an outbreak become a reality.

"The coordination that will be developed will link government departments around the region and involve a range of people in the private sector, intergovernmental organizations and community groups.

"A range of measures will also be discussed to help developing economies to raise their domestic capacity to deal wit threats."

The ministerial meeting will also involve regional experts in public health and disaster management with experience in past crises such as natural disasters and the SARS epidemic.

The action plan is expected to include protocols covering communications, logistics, business operation and government processes.

As the threat of a potential avian influenza outbreak has grown, APEC has undertaken a number of initiatives to strengthen regional pandemic preparedness. Ministers will incorporate recommendations from recent meetings held to discuss Avian Influenza issues in San Francisco, Brisbane and Beijing into their action plan. 



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APEC Ministers have adopted an Action Plan that will strengthen the ability of Member Economies to detect and respond to outbreaks of Avian Influenza in the Asia-Pacific.

At the conclusion of the meeting that was attended by Ministers and Senior Officials from Agricultural and Health Departments from around the APEC Region, Ministers endorsed the "APEC Action Plan on the Prevention and Response to Avian and Influenza Pandemics."

Covering five specific areas, the Action Plan lays down directives and requirements that will now be implemented at a domestic level by APEC Member Economies.

Viet Nam's Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development and Co-Chair of the ministerial meeting, Mr. Cao Duc Phat, said Ministers recognize that the only way to defeat the threat posed by an Avian Influenza Pandemic is to work across sectors and across borders.

"The Action plan will enhance the region's capacity to deal with Avian Influenza outbreaks by increasing cross-border cooperation and sharing information between governments departments," Mr. Cao said after the conclusion of the meeting.

"The Action Plan also recognizes that reducing the massive economic and social costs associated with Avian Influenza also requires a high level of cooperation between government and business.

"Ministers have agreed to the Action Plan that creates new avenues for each APEC Member to work with colleagues in other economies and at a domestic level to overcome the Avian Influenza threat."

The five areas covered by the Action Plan are:

Multi-sectoral cooperation and coordination on avian and pandemic influenza

Establishing best practices and common approaches to risk communications

Mitigating negative effects of avian influenza on agriculture and trade

Working with the private sector to help ensure continuity of business, trade and essential services

Strengthening regional and international cooperation

The full text of the Action Plan is available for download

Ministers will conclude the Ministerial Meeting tomorrow with a tour of poultry production facilities in Central Viet Nam.



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On the eve of the APEC Ministerial meeting on avian and pandemic influenza, more than 60 representatives from APEC economies have been exploring the role of risk communications during an infectious disease outbreak.

The "Pandemic Preparedness Risk Communications" workshop took place in Da Nang, Viet Nam, on 2-3 May. Sponsored by Canada, the workshop was undertaken as part of the APEC Leaders' initiative on "Preparing for and Mitigating an Influenza Pandemic" that was endorsed by Leaders when they met in Busan, Korea, in 2005.

"Risk communications must be looked upon as a public health intervention that is equally as important as other interventions like social distancing and vaccination." said Ian Shugart, Chair of the APEC Health Task Force and host of the workshop.

"This workshop was designed to enhance risk communications and public awareness campaigns at a local level in areas where there is the potential for an avian influenza outbreak."

The workshop sought to build risk communication capacity, particularly in developing economies, by providing practical tools to help develop national and regional communications strategies.

"APEC is the perfect forum to deal with such a threat as avian influenza," Ian Shugart said.

"Any potential pandemic must be fought at a local level using skills imparted at this workshop, and at a regional level as is being undertaken by ministers later this week."

Nine APEC economies have suffered outbreaks of avian H5N1 influenza within bird populations, and four economies have experienced human cases of H5N1 influenza. In addition to the social costs, the spread of avian H5N1 influenza across Asia and into Europe has devastated the poultry industry in affected areas, resulting in economic losses upwards of USD 15 billion.

The workshop included a number of sessions addressing various issues related to effective domestic and regional pandemic preparedness communications.

These are skills that can then be dispersed by the participants of the workshop to communities in their local areas. Feedback from workshop will be provided to the APEC Ministerial Meeting on Avian and Influenza Pandemics that will take place in Da Nanag, on May 4-6.



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The APEC Avian Influenza Pandemic Ministerial Meeting was opened in Da Nang today by the Deputy Prime Minister of Viet Nam, Mr. Vu Khoan.

In his opening address to delegates the Deputy Prime Minister highlighted the global spread of avian influenza and hopes for regional cooperation to deal with the threat.

"Nowadays, the epidemic has quickly spread from Asia to Europe, the Middle East, Africa and is likely to hit America. In face of such a global threat, an effective prevention and control can never be achieved without global cooperation," Mr. Vu Khoan said in his speech.

"At present, although the avian influenza epidemic has been pushed back, the danger of recurrence is still there. We therefore look forward to enhancing cooperation with APEC economies to not only roll back but also wipe out the epidemic, especially to prevent the transmission from human to human."

Webcasts, podcasts and news photographs of the opening remarks are now available for download and use by news organizations.

News Photographs

[https://www]Official Photograph

[https://www]The APEC Avian Influenza Pandemic Ministerial Meeting in progress 



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Issued by the APEC Ministerial Meeting on Avian and Influenza Pandemics

Webcast and Podcast downloads from the concluding Press Conference from the APEC Avian Influenza Pandemic Ministerial are available for download at www.apec.org.

The Press Conference was hosted by Viet Nam's Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development and Co-Chair of the ministerial meeting, Mr. Cao Duc Phat.

Responses to the following questions are aviable for download:

[https://www]

Q1) There is a lot of emphasis in the plan on encouraging transparency and sharing information. Does that mean that some economies in the region are not cooperating?

Response by Ian Shugart, Chair of the APEC Health Task Force (HTF)
MP3 Podcast (3MB)
Audio Webcast (780KB)

[https://www]

Q2) How much discussion was there at the ministerial meeting on the issue of the illegal cross-border trade in poultry and how does the Action Plan address this?

Response by Mr Chang Chui He, Regional Representative and Assistant Director General, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
MP3 Podcast (2.7MB)
Audio Webcast (700KB) 



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Webcast and Podcast downloads from the concluding Press Conference from the APEC Avian Influenza Pandemic Ministerial are available for download at www.apec.org.

The Press Conference was hosted by Viet Nam's Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development and Co-Chair of the ministerial meeting, Mr. Cao Duc Phat.

Responses to the following questions are aviable for download:

[https://www]

Q1) There is a lot of emphasis in the plan on encouraging transparency and sharing information. Does that mean that some economies in the region are not cooperating?

Response by Ian Shugart, Chair of the APEC Health Task Force (HTF)
MP3 Podcast (3MB)
Audio Webcast (780KB)

[https://www]

Q2) How much discussion was there at the ministerial meeting on the issue of the illegal cross-border trade in poultry and how does the Action Plan address this?

Response by Mr Chang Chui He, Regional Representative and Assistant Director General, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
MP3 Podcast (2.7MB)
Audio Webcast (700KB) 



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Asia-Pacific business leaders meeting as the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) released a strong message from the region demanding that the Doha Round of trade negotiations be completed successfully.

"WTO negotiators have failed to reach consensus on agricultural and industrial goods market access and now the Doha Round stands at a critical crossroads," said Mr. Hoang Van Dung, Chair of ABAC and ABAC member from Viet Nam.

"ABAC members urge our governments to lead the global community in pushing the round forward to a successful and timely completion.

"ABAC will also be calling on businesses in Europe and around the world to support our call for the successful conclusion to the Doha negotiations.

Made up of senior business people that are hand picked by the Leaders of APEC's 21 Member Economies, ABAC meets four times each year in a different location to address issues of concern to the regional business community.

Through this process ABAC provides Leaders of APEC member economies with a business perspective on economic development in the region.

Chair of the ABAC Trade and Investment Liberalization and Facilitation Working Group and ABAC USA Representative, Mr. Michael L. Ducker, also highlighted the importance of a successful outcome to WTO DDA negotiations for not only for the Asia-Pacific, but for the global economy.

"ABAC believes a healthy multilateral trading system is the most effective way of ensuring global economic growth and economic development," Mr. Ducker said at the conclusion of the ABAC Meeting.

"The business community drives economic expansion and new jobs through investment and trade development, and we are here to get the message across that the successful conclusion of the Doha Round is of utmost importance to us.

"An open and predictable trading environment is essential to create new business opportunities everywhere and to deliver improved economic conditions for all people, especially those in developing countries."

APEC member economies account for over half of global output and trade and are home to 60% of the world's population. APEC brings together the Asia-Pacific economies of Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; China; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Peru; Philippines; Russian Federation; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; United States; and Viet Nam.



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Leading business figures from around the Asia-Pacific region will convene in Montreal on May 9-13 for the Second 2006 Meeting of the APEC Business Advisory Council.

Made up of senior business people that are hand picked by the Leaders of APEC's 21 Member Economies, ABAC meets four times each year in a different location to address issues of concern to the regional business community. Through this process ABAC prepares a series of recommendations that are delivered to APEC Leaders at their annual meeting. This year the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting will take place in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, on November 18-19.

The ABAC Montreal Meeting will include sessions with Canadian business people and symposiums on business facilitation and trade liberalization.

Meetings and luncheons will take place at the Hotel Omni (Mont-Royal) on Sherbrooke Street West in Montreal.

Guest speakers at the meeting include:

Tuesday May 9, 1200
- Hon. Sergio Marchi, Senior Business Advisor, Lang Michener LLP (former Canadian Ambassador to the WTO) - on progress within WTO and the role of business;
- Robert Greenhill, President, Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) - on the role of the private sector in development;

Wednesday May 10, 1200: 
- Michael Klein, Vice President, Private Sector Development, World Bank/International Finance Corp - on promoting ease of doing business as a development tool;

Thursday May 11th at 0730:
- Hon. Raymond Bachand, Quebec Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Trade - on strengthening Quebec's trade and investment ties with Asia Pacific;
- Dr. Wendy Dobson, Director of the Institute for International Business, University of Toronto - on the proliferation of trade agreements and prospects for Asia Pacific free trade

Friday May 12th at 1030: 
- Latin American Economic Update Briefing, featuring Mr. Hernán Somerville, President, Chilean Business Association - on the economic outlook for Latin America

Vision and photographs of meetings in progress can be arranged only by prior agreement with the ABAC Canada or ABAC International Secretariat Offices.



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Priorities for the upcoming APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting have been agreed by APEC delegates meeting this week.

A strategic review of the APEC Tourism Charter and the launch of an APEC Tourism Fair are some of the outcomes that will go to ministers following the Tourism Working Group (TWG) Meeting on 10-11 May, in Shizuoka, Japan. The TWG will also propose to hold an "APEC Tourism and Investment Forum" on the margins of future ministerial meetings with the intention of drawing investment for the ongoing development of tourism in the Asia-pacific.

The 4th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting, preceded by the 29th TWG meeting, is now scheduled to take place on October 12-19 in Hoi An, Viet Nam.

Chair of the TWG Meeting, Mr. Pham Quang Hung, said the issues that were put forward by the TWG for the ministerial meeting will boost the tourism industry in the Asia-Pacific.

"Tourism is one of the greatest employers in the APEC region and the outcomes of the upcoming ministerial meeting will provide a substantial boost to jobs and incomes," Mr Pham said at the conclusion of the meeting.

"Tourism opportunities in the APEC region are diverse and have ever increasing market potential in both the Asia-Pacific region and the rest of the world.

"Addressing issues such as the review of the APEC Tourism Charter and undertaking activities to enhance tourism investment will help keep the industry focused on the future.

"The Strategic review of the 2000 Tourism Charter will ensure a work program that will identify and addresses the challenges affecting tourism in the coming years.

"The plan will be of benefit to both large and small tourism related businesses."

Mr Pham said areas that the TWG meeting identified as being particularly important to the development of tourism include the "facilitation of tourist movements in the region by reducing unnecessary red tape. This includes streamlining business procedures, connecting tours and opening direct flights between the world cultural heritages in member economies.

"By working and planning as a regional community we can maximize the returns from tourism potential in the APEC region."

The TWG Meeting included presentations from a number of government and private sector regional tourism experts including the Executive Director of the APEC International Centre for Sustainable Tourism. Youth and Sister Cities Exchanges were also highlighted in the meeting.

The APEC Tourism Working Group was established in 1991 to promote the development for tourism as an important component of economic growth and social development in the Asia-Pacific.



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The importance of enhancing youth exchange and sister/friendship city exchanges for promoting community linkages was highlighted at the 28th APEC Tourism Working Group Meeting in Shizuoka, Japan this week.

Held on 10-11 May, the meeting discussed shared past exchange experiences and called for greater awareness in member economies of benefits of activities in this area. These include:

- At the APEC 2006 First Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM1) held in Ha Noi, Viet Nam on 1-2 March, APEC agreed to take up "Promote Community Linkages" as one of its sub-themes in 2006 and to prioritize the further promotion of linkages among APEC member economies through increased tourism and cultural exchanges.

- Expanding international tourism exchange of younger generations, especially educational exchanges including school trips and youth exchange programs, are of great benefit to increase mutual international understanding. These increase the number of international travelers, promote education for international understanding and enhance regional development through international exchange.

- From a tourism point of view, international youth exchange forms a supporting basis for nurturing middle and long-term mutual international tourism exchanges. Provided with opportunities to begin to learn about and deepen their understanding of foreign culture, customs and traditions, open-minded youth can truly become international citizens through such experience. Not only do they become potential repeat international travelers for leisure and business, but they also encourage friends and family members to frequently travel abroad.

- Within the framework of sister/friendship city arrangements, a variety of exchange programs have been taking place covering fields such as culture, sports and education. These programs play an important role in promoting exchanges at the grassroots level with the full participation of citizens. In addition, such programs provide all participants with opportunities to revitalize their local communities and rediscover their own values and identities.

The Tourism Working Group Meeting reconfirmed the importance of youth exchange and sister/friendship city exchange and held the view that tourism exchange in these fields should be further promoted.

The Meeting agreed that grassroots-level exchanges including youth exchange and sister/friendship city exchange will contribute substantially to the process of developing closer social and economic linkages, to the deepening of mutual understanding and friendly relations, and to expansion of mutual exchanges among the peoples within the APEC region in the future.



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The second round of Senior Officials and Related Meetings for 2006 began today in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.

The round of meetings that cover numerous areas of APEC activities began with meetings of APEC's Human Resource Development Working Group, Independent Experts' Group on Business Mobility, Life Sciences Innovation Forum, Investment Experts' Group and Non-Ferrous Metals Dialogue

Opening comments by the Executive Director from the APEC Secretariat, Ambassador Tran Trong Toan, at the meeting of the Human Resource Development Working Group are available.

The series of meetings will conclude with the APEC Senior Officials' Meeting on May 29-30.

Immediately following the Senior Officials Meeting will be the Annual Meeting of APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade, also in Ho Chi Minh City, on June 1-2.

Additional details of meetings taking place in Ho Chi Minh City are also available.



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The importance of enhancing youth exchange and sister/friendship city exchanges for promoting community linkages was highlighted at the 28th APEC Tourism Working Group Meeting in Shizuoka, Japan this week.

Held on 10-11 May, the meeting discussed shared past exchange experiences and called for greater awareness in member economies of benefits of activities in this area. These include:

- At the APEC 2006 First Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM1) held in Ha Noi, Viet Nam on 1-2 March, APEC agreed to take up "Promote Community Linkages" as one of its sub-themes in 2006 and to prioritize the further promotion of linkages among APEC member economies through increased tourism and cultural exchanges.

- Expanding international tourism exchange of younger generations, especially educational exchanges including school trips and youth exchange programs, are of great benefit to increase mutual international understanding. These increase the number of international travelers, promote education for international understanding and enhance regional development through international exchange.

- From a tourism point of view, international youth exchange forms a supporting basis for nurturing middle and long-term mutual international tourism exchanges. Provided with opportunities to begin to learn about and deepen their understanding of foreign culture, customs and traditions, open-minded youth can truly become international citizens through such experience. Not only do they become potential repeat international travelers for leisure and business, but they also encourage friends and family members to frequently travel abroad.

- Within the framework of sister/friendship city arrangements, a variety of exchange programs have been taking place covering fields such as culture, sports and education. These programs play an important role in promoting exchanges at the grassroots level with the full participation of citizens. In addition, such programs provide all participants with opportunities to revitalize their local communities and rediscover their own values and identities.

The Tourism Working Group Meeting reconfirmed the importance of youth exchange and sister/friendship city exchange and held the view that tourism exchange in these fields should be further promoted.

The Meeting agreed that grassroots-level exchanges including youth exchange and sister/friendship city exchange will contribute substantially to the process of developing closer social and economic linkages, to the deepening of mutual understanding and friendly relations, and to expansion of mutual exchanges among the peoples within the APEC region in the future.



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Business leaders and government officials from APEC Member Economies have met in Ho Chi Minh City to clarify the business relevance of Regional Trade Arrangements and Free Trade Agreements (RTAs/FTAs).

The 2006 APEC Policy Dialogue on RTAs/FTAs was the first to involve business representatives that included leading executives from FedEx, the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and the Mexican Trade Business Organization Network.

FedEx Express Managing Director and United States alternative representative to the APEC Business Advisory Council, Mr. Ralph Carter, highlighted the business community?s desire that current WTO negotiations produce a comprehensive agreement.

"Most businesses, if offered a choice, would prefer to liberalize trade through the multilateral or WTO approach," Mr. Carter said to the dialogue meeting.

"However, as the Doha round has shown us, the WTO process is becoming much more difficult.

"Free trade agreements are therefore an important compliment to the WTO and can be quite successful in stimulating trade. FTAs can open up new markets, expand investment opportunities, lower the cost of doing business and provide important legal protections for investors and operators."

The First Deputy Minister of Viet Nam?s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. LE Cong Phung, highlighted the value of RTAs and FTAs to APEC's ultimate goals.

"High quality RTAs and FTAs are important avenues to achieve APEC's free and open trade and investment," Mr Le said at the meeting.

"The current situation in Geneva regarding DDA negotiations, as you all know, may add more new RTAs/FTAs to our inventory."

"In this dialogue today we wish to hear practical views from private sector representatives on the impacts of RTAs and FTAs and what you expect from APEC work in this area."

The meeting was the fourth diolague by APEC Senior Officials on RTAs/FTAs since the issue first formally appeared on the APEC Agenda in 2003. APEC has since established a comprehensive database on RTAs/FTAs undertaken by APEC members that is now available on APEC website.

The proliferation of RTAs/FTAs in recent years has seen the signing of 34 RTAs/FTAs in the APEC Region and around 325 RTAs/FTAs world-wide that have been presented to the GATT and WTO. Of these more than 200 were agreed over the last eleven years. By the end of 2005 the WTO estimates that more than fifty-one percent of all world merchandise was traded under preferential agreements.



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Free trade agreements and regional trading arrangements (FTAs/RTAs) will be the topic for the 4th Policy Dialogue when APEC senior officials and business leaders meet tomorrow. This is the first APEC FTA/RTA Policy Dialogue which includes participants from the private sector. Chaired by APEC 2006 SOM Chair Mr. Le Cong Phung and Australian Senior Official David Spencer, the event will conclude with a dialogue among senior officials.

Business leaders from both developing and industrialized member economies will present their views about the benefits, challenges and opportunities that free trade agreements bring about. APEC;s approach to reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers and developing model measures for trade agreements will also be addressed.

Chairman and Coordinator General for the Mexican Foreign Trade Business Organizations Network Mr. Luis Martinez Arguello, will talk about how Mexico achieved privileged access to the marketplaces of 43 countries and the benefits it has gained from liberalizing its borders.

FedEx senior representative and member of the APEC Business Advisory Council Mr. Ralph Carter will outline the benefits of multilateral liberalization of trade and how it simplifies administrative burdens for business people.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thai Li of Viet Nam's Chamber of Commerce and Industry will present a developing economy's perspective on free trade agreements.

CEO of Intraco Ltd Singapore Mr. Teng Theng Dar will present Singapore's views on the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership, a multilateral free trade agreement between Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore. As a result of its accession clause, other economies can also join.

Based on the outcomes of the policy dialogue, senior officials will make their recommendations to trade ministers who will meet on June 1-2.



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Chinese Taipei has signed a Memorandum of Understanding committing US$1 million to assist APEC members to strengthen human security capacity building in their economies.

The MOU identifies the details of the contribution that will be provided to the APEC Support Fund for projects in developing economies for areas such as counter-terrorism, health security, emergency preparedness and energy security.

Chinese Taipei Senior Official John Chen said the commitment will benefit a range of APEC capacity building activities.

"The funding epitomizes the commitment of Chinese Taipei to all the good causes of APEC, especially human security," Mr Chen said after the signing ceremony

"The whole of humanity is threatened not only by natural disasters but also by pandemics, earthquakes and terrorism.

"Chinese Taipei donated this US$ 1 million to the APEC Support Fund following the leadership of Australia and I hope that it can be well-used in all the APEC prospects.

Ambassador Tran Trong Toan, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, welcomed Chinese Taipei's commitment that will produce tangible benefits for the APEC region.

"The generous contribution from Chinese Taipei is the first which contributes specifically to capacity building in human security under APEC's economic and technical cooperation agenda," Ambassador Toan said at the signing ceremony.

"The fund allows for flexibility to develop special sub-funds for specific purposes under APEC's wide-ranging agenda on economic and technical cooperation.

"I would like to express our high appreciation and sincere thanks to Chinese Taipei for its generous contribution. I look forward to receiving project proposals on capacity building in human security for funding under this new sub-fund."

The MOU signing took place on the eve of the APEC Senior Officials' Meeting that takes place in Ho Chi Minh City on May 29-30.

The APEC Support Fund was established through an initial contribution from Australia to meet capacity building needs in high priority sectors relating to economic and social development. The Fund supports projects for developing member economies in the APEC region.

Sound bites of the signing ceramony are available.



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The Second formal APEC Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) for 2006 begins tomorrow. The agenda includes APEC's role in concluding current WTO negotiations, ensuring best practices for the signing of free trade agreements and enhancing human security.

Following the informal meeting of Senior Officials today the plenary session will begin tomorrow and lay the foundations for the Meeting of APEC Ministers' Responsible for Trade in Ho Chi Minh City on June 1-2.

First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam and Chair of the 2006 Senior Officials Meetings, Mr. Le Cong Phung, said one of the most important issues for Senior Officials would be the consideration of input from the APEC Geneva Caucus on current WTO negotiations.

"The global economy is at a delicate stage of WTO negotiations and APEC is making progress on identifying a way forward," Mr. Le said after the informal meeting.

"With the conclusion of the Doha Development Round of World Trade Organization Negotiations expected by the end of 2006, APEC has an important role to play in overcoming differences between the wide range of trading members involved in negotiations.

"APEC represents a diversity of developing and developed economies and accounts for around half of global trade flows so we are in a position to make a substantial contribution to WTO negotiations.

"The Geneva Caucus, the group of Member Economy representatives based in Geneva, has provided input that will be considered in a standalone statement on the DDA by APEC Trade Ministers."

"Senior Officials will consider the recommendations of the Geneva Caucus before this is presented to ministers."

The APEC 2006 SOM Chair said other pressing issues to be considered by APEC Senior Officials include improving the quality and transparency of Trade Arrangements and Free Trade Agreements (RTAs/FTAs) in the region.

"It is quite clear that RTAs and FTAs are important components of the regional economy so APEC is working to ensure new agreements implemented by Member Economies are of the highest quality," said Mr. Le.

"APEC adopted a series of model measures for undertaking RTAs and FTAs in 2005 and now these are being further refined."

Senior Officials will also consider the range of recent APEC issues intended to enhance human security in the Asia-Pacific. This will include the latest updates from the APEC Counter Terrorism Task Force, the APEC Health Task Force and the APEC Task Force on Emergency Preparedness.

"The recent tragic earthquake in Indonesia, the potential for a pandemic influenza outbreak and the ongoing threat of terrorism are all issues that harm the social and economic health of our regional economy," Mr. Le said.

"APEC will continue to strengthen measures designed to prepare for potential crises and to deal with a disaster once it occurs."

News photographs from the Informal Meeting are now available.



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In preparation for the Meeting of APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade this week, the APEC Business Symposium on Trade and Investment began today in Ho Chi Minh City.

Taking place over two days, the symposium brought Ministers and Officials from APEC economies together with representatives of the APEC business community to discuss how to move the APEC trade and investment agenda forward.

Delegates to the symposium discussed a range of measures to facilitate growth, trade, investment and innovation in the Asia-Pacific.

Chair of the Ministerial Meeting, Viet Nam's Trade Minister, Truong Dinh Tuyen, welcomed the participation of the business sector.

"We see this event as a key opportunity to strengthen Public-Private Partnerships in pursuit of further trade liberalization and growth in the APEC region," said Minister Truong Dinh Tuyen.

"The symposium offers the perfect platform to present trade and investment opportunities in Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City to the Asia-Pacific community and encourage dynamic interaction between the Vietnamese business community and their APEC counterparts."

Participants at the symposium included Viet Nam Minister of Trade, Mr. Truong Dinh Tuyen; Senior Adviser at New York Life, Sandra J Kristoff; New Zealand Minister of Trade, Mr. Phil Goff; Vice President Asia Pacific Glaxo Smith Kline, Stephen W. Cook; and Senior Vice president International Relations and Public Policy, Asia Pacific Time Warner, Hugh Stephens.

The Symposium is taking place at a critical time with APEC Trade Ministers set to address key global and regional issues including the status of the WTO Doha Development Agenda, the increasing number of Free Trade Agreements and Regional Trade Arrangements, and the Busan Business Agenda.



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APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade will continue to build momentum for a successful conclusion to the current round of World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations at their meeting in Viet Nam today and tomorrow.

News photographs available for download.

In the meeting that is also attended by the Director General of the WTO, Pascal Lamy, ministers are considering the text of a ministerial statement containing a series of specific proposals for consideration by WTO Members.

The two day ministerial meeting began with one day of informal meetings that will be followed by the formal plenary session and the release of the ministerial statement on June 2.

Other issues on the agenda include plans for the implementation of the Busan Roadmap to achieve APEC's free trade and investment goals and plans for a significant reduction in the transaction costs related to conducting business in the APEC Region. Ministers will also continue with work on the development of high quality regional trade arrangements and free trade agreements and review latest developments in the APEC Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Initiative.

Chair of the Ministerial Meeting, Viet Nam's Trade Minister Truong Dinh Tuyen, said the work of APEC Member Economy representatives based in Geneva will be taken into consideration for a statement that should be specific in its recommendations to progress WTO negotiations.

"APEC Trade Ministers will deliver a strong and credible message to advance WTO negotiations that goes beyond a political statement and includes specific proposals," Minister Truong said.

"APEC has a crucial role to play in salvaging WTO negotiations. APEC's membership represents a wide spectrum of WTO Members from developing to developed areas and from a range of different cultures. Our economies also account for around half of global trade volume.

"APEC Member Economies based in Geneva have been working for several months on building consensus to advance WTO negotiations for a successful conclusion by the end of 2006."

APEC Trade Ministers are also reviewing progress on the success of the APEC Trade Facilitation Action Plan which sought to reduce transaction costs by five percent over the past five years and then consider plans for another five percent reduction by 2010.

"The reduction of business transaction costs by five per cent since 2001 was estimated to stimulate an additional US$280 billion in annual trade," Minister Truong said.

"The success of the Trade Facilitation Action Plan has benefited business operators and the communities they serve around the Asia-Pacific. A further targeted reduction in transaction costs will provide additional direct benefits for regional commerce.

"Ministers will consider a proposed framework for delivering the further five percent reduction in transaction costs."

Also on the agenda, Ministers is a review of progress in implementing the APEC Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Initiative, including the development of guidelines on intellectual property rights public awareness. Ministers will also consider progress on APEC's work on anti-corruption and transparency, secure trade and economic impact of avian influenza pandemic.



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The 12th Meeting of APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) has concluded with ministers issuing a statement calling for urgent action on specific issues that are critical for breaking the impasse in the current round of World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations.

The "MRT Stand-Alone Statement on the Doha Development Agenda" is specific in affirming APEC Trade Ministers' support for utilizing the "Swiss formula" in calculating tariff reductions for improving market access for non-agricultural goods. Ministers stated their support for the use of two ambitious coefficients applying to developed and developing Members which they anticipate will deliver real and meaningful improvements to market access and ensure the benefits of the DDA are shared by all economies.

On enhancing market access for agricultural goods, Ministers have agreed to make effective cuts to trade-distorting domestic support and to the elimination of all forms of export subsidies by 2013.

Chair of the Ministerial Meeting, Viet Nam's Trade Minister Truong Dinh Tuyen, welcomed the outcomes of the Ministerial Meeting that he said will provide significant political momentum to help the WTO conclude the current round of trade negotiations.

"APEC Ministers representing around half of global trade flows have made a very personal commitment to break the impasse at the WTO and conclude DDA negotiations," Minister Truong said at the end of the ministerial meeting.

"APEC is a barometer for the broader WTO membership in that APEC Member Economies represent a diverse spectrum of interests and levels of economic development. We hope our commitment here today provides the impetus to conclude the DDA and share the benefits of a stronger global multilateral trading system."

During their two day meeting Ministers also covered a number of other issues that are important for the achievement of APEC's free trade and investment goals and the ongoing economic health of the region.

This includes the strong support and endorsement by Ministers for the structure of the Action Plan to Implement the Busan Roadmap towards the Bogor Goals of free and open trade and investment by 2010 for developed economies and 2020 for developing economies. In this regard, Ministers instructed Senior Officials to intensify efforts to develop a strong, balanced and concrete action plan for endorsement at the next APEC Ministers' Meeting.

Ministers also addressed APEC work on averting a serious crisis in the event of an Avian Influenza pandemic, measures to ensure that new free trade agreements are transparent and of high quality and direction to domestic government officials to deal with counterfeiting and intellectual property rights piracy.

Ministers called for the strengthening of capacity to deal with the potential of an influenza pandemic that is part of the 'APEC Initiative on Preparing for and Mitigating an Influenza Pandemic.'

"Next week a regional simulation exercise will take place that will test the emergency responses and communication channels among APEC Member Economies in the event of a pandemic," Minister Truong said.

"Ministers look forward to the success of this exercise in ensuring the preparedness of APEC to deal with any future pandemic."

The growth of new Free Trade Arrangements and Regional Trade Agreements was also discussed. Ministers and government officials have been instructed to continue with work to develop useful model measures on FTAs/RTAs that will be presented to APEC Ministers and Leaders for endorsement in November 2006.

Ministers also called on Member Economies to continue their work on two additional model guidelines to strengthen APEC's work to counter the production and trafficking of counterfeit and pirated products.

These include measures to ensure that supply chains are free of counterfeit and pirated goods as well as the development of model guidelines for effective IPR public awareness campaigns.

The full text of the ministerial statements are available.

The two day ministerial meeting was held in Ho Chi Minh City and included input from the Director General of the WTO, Pascal Lamy, and representatives from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) as official observer organizations to the APEC Process.

The next ministerial level meeting to be held as part of APEC 2006 Viet Nam will be the 13th APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting in Ha Noi on September 4-8.



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The preparedness for the region to protect sea, land and air transportation supply chains from serious threats has been strengthened during a two day symposium that concluded in Singapore today. Attended by more than 350 policymakers, government officials and private sector representatives, the APEC Symposium on Total Supply Chain Security covered a range of topical issues relating to threats and vulnerabilities in the global supply chain.

Delegates exchanged views and information on best practices for implementation in their economies and companies.

The Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, Ambassador Tran Trong Toan, welcomed Singapore's initiative to hold the Symposium on an issue that is of core importance to the Asia-Pacific.

"As most of the world's largest seaports and busiest airports are located in APEC economies, ensuring the stability, security and efficiency of supply chains has become an issue of vital significance for APEC," Ambassador Toan said at the Symposium.

"APEC Member Economies account for 40% of world population, 56% of world GDP and 48% of world trade, so our region depends heavily on the efficiency of supply chains to fuel our long lasting and high rate of economic growth.

"With the increased trade flows, protecting the sea, land and air lanes that transport goods and materials has become crucial for stability in the global economy.

"Even the slightest interruption to a supply chain can produce a multiplier effect that damages the business activities of a range of suppliers, transportation companies, production houses and retailers of the goods that are delayed or lost. As a consequence economies face potential downturn, business growth is undermined and jobs are lost."

In his keynote speech, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister, Professor S Jayakumar, identified some of the threats and areas of vulnerability in regional supply chains

"As terrorism itself has globalised, we have witnessed a spate of horrific and sophisticated attacks in many parts of the world including Southeast Asia," Professor Jayakumar said.

"Notwithstanding recent successes in counter-terrorism, the threat from international terrorism is real and will remain with us for the long-haul.

"Whether we are public or private sector, we all have a stake in keeping this supply chain intact."

The symposium included more than 20 speakers from government agencies including representatives from the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, New Zealand and China. Senior industry figures from companies including Sony, IBM and Federal Express also presented the business perspective on regional supply chain security issues and the future improvements that they felt were required.

The text for the following speeches is available:

[https://www]

Professor S Jayakumar, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Law

Keynote Speech

[https://www]

Ambassador Tran Trong Toan, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat

Opening Remarks

Closing Remarks 



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The work of women e-Commerce entrepreneurs from around the Asia-Pacific has been given a boost this week with the "APEC Women's e-Biz Training 2006" that concluded today in Seoul, Korea.

Held over six days, the training program sought to increase the competitiveness of women entrepreneurs, women leaders and policy makers involved with gender issues to improve their knowledge and skills in e-business.

Delegates from APEC Member Economies participated in a range of e-lectures that covered topics such as emerging technologies in e-Business, business planning, branding and marketing strategy development, skills sessions on building websites and group sessions where participants were to formulate a collaborative business plan based on the learning they've acquired throughout the training course.

Dr. Kio Chung Kim, Executive Director of the Asia Pacific Women's Network Center of Sookmyung Women's University and the organizer of this meaningful event said the training has sought to impart new knowledge and skills for women to prosper in the new world of online business.

"This APEC program has equipped a number of women with e-business skills that they can use and impart to women in their economies so that they can succeed in the knowledge based economy," Dr. Kim said.

"A number of the participants were from areas where opportunities had often been denied to women in the past. Now the women who attended this APEC training will have an opportunity to return home and make a difference."

One of the participants, Ms Josepina D. Parilla, the Founder of 'A Women's Livelihood Project' in the Philippines said the training would provide a boost to her and other women in her economy.

"I've been encouraging each and every woman in my country to be entrepreneurs," Ms. Parilla said at the conclusion of the Women's e-Biz Training 2006 Week.

"I feel like I am finally able to conduct business with other parts of the world now that I'm finally connected to the online business world.

"So I am happy that I got to create my own website for my business.

"I am also very happy that I have networked with different business women from all over the world."

Dr. Kio Chung Kim also highlighted the potential of women entrepreneurs in the APEC region.

"Women in the Asia-Pacific have tremendous entrepreneurial zeal and when barriers are overcome, are stepping up to the challenges of online business," Dr. Kim said.

Lectures covered areas such as the development of entrepreneurship, Internet security and ethics, intellectual property rights and managing customer relations online.

The training also included business matching sessions where a number of Korean women CEOs introduced their products and services that had proved successful in the Korean market and sought business partners among the participants.

The training program was held at the Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul and was organized by the APEC Women's e-Biz Center in association with the Asia Development Bank Institute (ADBI), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

The APEC Women's e-Biz Center was established at the Asia Pacific Women's Information Network Center of the Sookmyung Women's University of Korea with the sponsorship of Korea's Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy and APEC. The core role of the centre is to implement the APEC project 'Initiative for APEC Women's Participation in the Digital Economy' that is running from 2005 to 2009. The initiative is involved in research, e-Business Training, eBiz Community Building and policy forum aimed at enhancing the participation of women in the digital economy.



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Preparations for APEC Peru 2008 moved a step closer this week with an official visit to Lima by the Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat that is based in Singapore.

Ambassador Tran Trong Toan, who is a senior diplomat from Viet Nam, will meet with President Alejandro Toledo and Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Oscar Maúrtua, during his visit on July 17-18. Ambassador Toan will also meet with senior government officials and deliver a speech on APEC at the University of Lima.

Ambassador Toan said, his visit to Peru will provide an opportunity to share information on the challenges and rewards that come with hosting the APEC process.

"In 2008 the eyes of the world will be on Peru as Leaders, Ministers and other delegates from APEC Member Economies meet for a series of the most important meetings in the annual global political calendar," Ambassador Toan said from Singapore prior to his departure.

"I very much look forward to visiting Peru this week when I will have great honour to call on the President, Foreign Minister and other dignitaries.

"Since joining APEC in 1998, Peru has made significant contributions to the progress of APEC, which accounts for 57% of world GDP and around 50% of the world's trade. APEC includes several of the world's largest and most dynamic economies. With the hosting of the APEC year in 2008, Peru will play a vital role in enhancing the linkage among those economies from the two sides of the Pacific".

"Hosting the APEC process is a great honour and high responsibility that requires long-term and meticulous planning. As host of the APEC process in 2008, Peru has already started preparations for this important event with the PERU APEC 2008 National Executive Committee established as early as in November 2004. I firmly believe that under the able leadership of the Government of Peru, APEC year 2008 will be crowned with great success."

Ambassador Toan's speech at the University of Lima, that has been organized by the Network of Peruvian Studies in the Asia-Pacific, is entitled "APEC Vietnam 2006 - A Response to a Changing World." 
Other meetings on the Executive Director's agenda include a meeting with Ambassador Allan Wagner, Secretary General of the Andean Community and a meeting with Peru's members of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). Ambassador Toan will also inaugurate a seminar on APEC Projects for Government officials.

Ambassador Toan is the Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat during the APEC 2006 Viet Nam year. A Peruvian diplomat will be appointed Deputy Director of the APEC Secretariat based in Singapore during the 2007 Australia APEC year. The Peruvian Ambassador will then be appointed as Executive Director for the 2008 Peru APEC year.

APEC was formed in 1989 to promote economic cooperation and growth in the Asia-Pacific region. APEC focuses on trade and investment liberalization and facilitation as well as economic and technical cooperation. In the recent years, the scope of cooperation has been further expanded to include areas such as human security, anti-corruption, tourism and cultural exchange. APEC also undertakes numerous capacity building programs each year intended to improve the skills of people in developing areas and help bridge the development gap in the APEC Region.

Peru and Viet Nam became Member Economies of APEC at the same time in 1998.



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The adoption of smart passports by all APEC Member Economies will be advanced with a three day capacity building exercise to be attended by regional immigration officials in Hong Kong on July 18-20.

Taking place as part of an APEC Business Mobility Group (BMG) project, the Workshop on Biometric Technology in Machine Readable Travel Documents (MRTDs) is an opportunity for all APEC economies to work through the challenges that may be experienced as they introduce biometric passports.

Mr. Raymond Wong, Assistant Director, Hong Kong Immigration Department, and the Chair and Host of the Workshop, welcomed the event as an opportunity to enhance security and make it easier for legitimate travelers to move around the region.

"APEC Member Economies are leading the world in introducing passport technology that will undermine the activities of terrorists and other criminals," Mr. Wong said in the lead-up to the workshop.

"The improved passport technology also speeds up immigration checks at airports and other borders.

"Passports are among the most valuable documents in mass use today and it is essential that we use the latest technology to protect them from theft and fraud.

"There are a number of issues to consider when economies introduce the new machine readable travel documents. This includes the deployment of the right biometric systems to best suit the needs of their border conditions and traffic.

"The introduction of biometric technology in passports and other travel documents is a complex and challenging process but is rewarded by increased protection from terrorist attack and criminal actions."

The workshop in Hong Kong, China will cover areas such as the manufacture and storage of MRTDs, choosing the best biometrics that might include face, fingerprint and iris information and privacy issues.

All APEC economies have agreed to issue MRTDs by 2008 and will accelerate the replacement of older passports with MRTDs.

The APEC BMG is also working to assist APEC Member Economies adopt International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards for the issuing of smart passports.



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Gold Coast, Australia, August 2, 2006 -- APEC's support for World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations, the regional financial outlook and human security issues are among the core topics for discussion at the APEC Australia 2007 Symposium taking place this week.

Around 160 delegates from APEC Member Economies, senior executives and academics are taking part in the discussions that will conclude with a meeting of APEC Senior Officials on Friday to discuss the outcomes of the Symposium.

With Australia preparing to host APEC 2007, the symposium follows the practice established in previous years by Viet Nam and Korea as they have prepared to Chair the APEC process.

Many of the issues covered at the two-day symposium are anticipated to be of high priority in the APEC 2007 Year.

The symposium opened with a session on APEC's trade and investment role in light of the suspension of WTO negotiations last week.

The session was moderated by Australia's Senior Official to APEC, David Spencer, who posed a series of questions relating to APEC's multilateral trade negotiations considering that the ultimate fate of WTO negotiations will be clearer by the start of 2007.

Panelists and delegates shared a range of opinions on how APEC may need to review its trade and investment liberalization and facilitation agenda, and whether APEC should encourage momentum towards more bilateral, plurilateral and sub-regional FTAs or consider an APEC-wide free-trade area.

The afternoon session on the symposium's first day considered barriers to trade that still exist despite APEC's strong liberalization record over the past decade. The range of "behind-the-border" impediments that are now viewed as being as serious as barriers at the border were also discussed.

The core question put to panelists by the moderator, Peter Drysdale from the Australia-Japan Research Centre at the Australian National University, was whether or not APEC should look to new directions, targets and milestones in relation to trade liberalization.

The symposium continues tomorrow with sessions on the regional financial outlook that will consider efforts that can be adopted to redress imbalances in the global economy and efforts to promote investment flows into emerging markets.

Regional human security will also be discussed and cover areas that have become increasingly important to the APEC agenda recently including counter-terrorism, emergency and disaster preparedness and energy security.

The final session tomorrow afternoon will look at APEC's role in the region's economic architecture in relation to the rise of new forums for interaction in the global economy.

Australia will become the host of the APEC Process at the conclusion of the APEC Viet Nam 2006 Year that will culminate with the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, in November this year.



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Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and former President Fidel V. Ramos will lead discussions with senior Asia-Pacific business figures when they meet in Cebu, the Philippines, on August 12-15 for the Third 2006 Meeting of the APEC Business Advisory Council.

Made up of senior business people that are hand picked by the Leaders of APEC's 21 Member Economies, ABAC meets four times each year in a different location to address issues of concern to the regional business community. Through this process ABAC prepares a series of recommendations that are delivered to APEC Leaders at their annual meeting. This year the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting will take place in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, on November 18-19.

The ABAC Cebu Meeting will also include a Premiere Conference to celebrate the group's tenth anniversary, and will bring together current and past members and eminent persons to examine where the region has come from and prospects for future business facilitation and trade liberalization.

Other key topics to be discussed will include business views on the state of WTO DDA negotiations, a study exploring the idea of an Asia-Pacific FTA, and preparations for the group's meeting with APEC Leaders in November in Ha Noi.

Guest speakers at the meeting include:

Saturday August 12
- H.E. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, President of the Philippines
- Jagdish Bhagwati. Columbia University Professor of Economics & Law

Sunday August 13
- The Hon. Fidel V. Ramos, Former President of the Philippines
- Supachai Panitchpakdi, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Secretary General

Monday August 14
- Juan Miguel Luz, International Rural Reconstruction Institute;
- Paul Peters, Opportunity International;

Vision and photographs of meetings in progress can be arranged only by prior agreement with the ABAC Philippines or ABAC International Secretariat Offices.



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APEC has taken another step in the expansion of a new system that will prevent stolen and lost passports from being used for travel by terrorists and other criminals.

Currently in operation as a pilot trial in Australia, New Zealand and the United States, the Regional Movement Alert List (RMAL) system is now anticipated to expand to other APEC members.

At border crossings using the RMAL system, when a passenger checks-in for a flight or arrives at a border crossing details from their passport are sent to the economy or country that issued the passport. If the passport has been reported as being stolen or lost, an alert will be relayed back to the border point the passenger is attempting to cross for relevant authorities to investigate further.

A three-day RMAL workshop that concluded yesterday in Pattaya, was held to expand knowledge of the practicalities of the RMAL for senior government officials who will now be in a position to consider implementing the system in their economies.

Vincent McMahon, the Convenor of the APEC Business Mobility Group, the APEC forum charged with overseeing the expansion of the RMAL, said the system provides greater safety for the citizens of participating APEC economies and for airline travelers.

"There are more than 3 million passports that have been reported stolen or lost in the APEC Region and some of these will be in the hands of terrorists and other criminals," Mr. McMahon said.

"Before the introduction of RMAL there was no way to detect when these passports were being used to cross borders outside of the country where they were issued. The days of terrorists and other criminals easily traveling on stolen or lost passports are coming to an end."

APEC Member Economies are now working towards agreeing to a multilateral framework that will enable the system to be adopted around the region.

Mr. McMahon said one of the important issues surrounding the use of the RMAL is that it protects the private information contained in national passport offices but will detect fraudulent use of passports.

"The system does not involve establishing shared databases or large information directories in other economies as only when a stolen or lost passport is used will the RMAL system raise an alert."

Following the workshop and with the ongoing success of the RMAL trial in three Member Economies, APEC Senior Officials will consider the adoption of the multilateral framework when they meet in Hoi An, Viet Nam, in September.



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APEC's 21 Member Economies have delivered a statement outlining APEC's efforts in confronting the HIV/AIDS pandemic to the XVI International AIDS Conference being held in Toronto this week.

APEC Leaders and Ministers recognize the importance of the fight against HIV/AIDS in the APEC region and have made it an increasingly important component of the APEC Human Security Agenda .

They have instructed government departments in all economies to work together to combat AIDS and to provide people living with HIV/AIDS every opportunity to live with dignity as productive working members of society.

Ongoing efforts include improving the management of HIV/AIDS in the workplace. APEC initiatives call for the provision of HIV/AIDS education for employees at all levels and include programs to encourage employers to adopt the International Labour Organization's Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS.

A series of APEC capacity building projects have been undertaken to enhance the skills of government departments to better respond to the spread of HIV/AIDS and to improve the living standards of people already living with HIV/AIDS.

This has included projects to gain a better understanding of the situation of migrant-mobile workers and their enhanced vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.

APEC Ministers have also stressed the need to enhance prevention, treatment, and care capacity in developing economies, including the provision of anti-retroviral drugs in developing economies.

APEC continues to cooperate with specialized international organizations in dealing with HIV/AIDS including United Nations agencies such as the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

The text of the APEC Statement delivered today is available for download.



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A preliminary review of a major exercise designed to test communication in the event of a human influenza pandemic within the APEC region has recommended strengthening networks that can be activated in times of an emergency.

The review - conducted by Australian officials in the wake of the 2006 APEC Pandemic Response Exercise - will be discussed by more than 50 health and Government officials at a 'Lessons Learnt' workshop in Singapore on 14-15 August.

The workshop is being sponsored by the governments of Australia and Singapore.

Co-ordinator of the Exercise, Dr Helena Studdert, of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the review had been conducted after intensive de-briefing of emergency officials involved in the exercise held on 7-8 June.

"The exercise involved health and emergency officials in 21 APEC economies responding to a hypothetical outbreak of a new strain of influenza called the 'Malacca Straits Flu'. In the scenario, it was feared the 'flu was a human form of Avian influenza," she said.

"It was suspected in some fishermen, whose boat subsequently capsized and who were rescued by a passing passenger cruise ship. This led to a hypothetical 'outbreak' of pandemic proportions within the APEC region.

"The scenario successfully achieved the goal of testing communication responses during the exercise, which lasted 26 hours across eight time zones and involving some 500 'message inputs' from around 100 officials. We were very pleased with the success of the exercise," Dr Studdert said.

Senior officials from the relevant agencies made critical decisions based on 'real' developments, communicating through the National Emergency Management Coordination Centre of Emergency Management Australia (EMA) in Canberra.

"After the exercise, we conducted a series of debriefs and evaluations with the results being compiled in a draft report," Dr Studdert said.

"These will be shared with officials from participating economies and a final report will be submitted to leaders at the APEC Ministerial Meeting in Hanoi in November"

The draft report recommends that APEC economies establish detailed communication arrangements in their domestic emergency preparedness planning. It recommends a region-wide communications network which could be activated in the event of an emergency or pandemic.

"The exercise achieved its purpose of highlighting the need for improved communications to handle these sorts of emergencies. The next step is for the Singapore workshop to discuss the report, decide how to move forward, and make a series of recommendations to ministers.

"The aim of this exercise, which is part of APEC's Taskforce on Emergency Preparedness, is to strengthen communications to be able to respond to these sorts of threats to human security in the region in a more effective and efficient way in the future," she said.

The 2006 APEC Pandemic Response Workshop will be held at the Grand Waterfront Hotel in Singapore on 14-15 August. 



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A one and a half day workshop in Singapore, co-sponsored by Singapore and Australia, concluded on 15 August 2006 with participants from APEC economies welcoming the chance to share information and experience on the dangers posed by avian influenza. International organisations such as the UN and WHO as well as observer participants from Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar also attended the workshop.

The workshop was held as a debriefing session on the APEC pandemic simulation exercise which was staged in June to strengthen communication in the event of a human influenza pandemic within the APEC region.

Participants in the workshop agreed that the exercise was a significant event in APEC's contribution in the fight against avian influenza and a clear sign that APEC economies are taking concrete steps towards prevention and preparedness. The workshop also evaluated a survey of health and emergency officials involved in the exercise.

In his key note address, Colin Heseltine, Deputy Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, noted that "APEC is involved in dealing with the potential of an avian influenza pandemic because it poses a threat to the very goals and objectives that APEC strives to attain."

"Importantly, for future co-operation and community building among APEC economies, this pandemic response exercise clearly has greater implications than the initial task at hand to prepare APEC Member Economies for an avian influenza pandemic," he said.

A report on the exercise is now being prepared and will be submitted to APEC Ministers at their annual meeting to be held in Hanoi, Viet Nam in November.



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Senior Business Leaders from around the Asia-Pacific have called the suspension of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Round of trade talks as being of "deep concern for businesses and consumers in the Asia-Pacific and around the world." 

The 2006 Chair of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), Hoang Van Dung, from Viet Nam voiced the sentiments shared by ABAC Members.

"The failure of the Doha negotiations will hurt economic growth in the Asia-Pacific and dampen the potential for continuing rapid economic growth and prosperity," Mr. Dung said.

"I have written today to APEC Leaders urging them to resume negotiations to complete the Doha Round and to find common ground on outstanding issues.

"It is critical that negotiators are directed to get the DDA restarted as soon as possible."

As part of its efforts to restart the stalled negotiations, ABAC is arranging for representatives to visit Geneva in September to join with European business organisations in pressing for a meaningful outcome from DDA negotiations.

The ABAC Meeting in Cebu marked the tenth anniversary of the business forum and included the participation of the President of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and several leading business, academic and government figures from around the region.

"We have had the benefit of input by several speakers such as Prof. Jagdish Bhagwati and Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, amongst others," Mr. Dung said.

"This 10th anniversary meeting of ABAC placed a great deal of emphasis on the importance of resolving to deliver the greatest benefits to the widest cross section of their communities".

ABAC is part of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) which comprises 21 of the world's largest economies including the United States, Japan and China, and accounts for around 56 per cent of world GDP and nearly half of world trade.

The next ABAC Meeting will take place on November 14-16 in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, just prior to the APEC Leaders Meeting when ABAC will present Leaders with its annual report and recommendation.

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The first formal meetings of APEC Viet Nam 2006 are taking place this week with a major focus for the year expected to be building the international integration capacity of developing Member Economies through enhancement of human capacity, cooperation in information technology and partnership for development.

Through the series of events that will culminate with the APEC Leaders Meeting in November, Viet Nam is expecting increased regional cooperation in areas such as IT skills sharing, particularly as this relates to small business.

The Chair of the APEC Senior Officials Meeting process, Mr Le Cong Phung, said one of the great strengths of the APEC process is the diversity and complementarity of its members and this would deliver tangible benefits for the people of the region throughout the year.

"APEC is a diverse forum of developing and industrialized economies where all members collaborate and share resources for the region to achieve APEC?s ultimate goals," Mr Le Cong Phung said at the start of the meetings in Ha Noi.

"The most important support that industrialized economies can provide to developing economies is the sharing of knowledge and skills.

"Viet Nam hopes that throughout 2006 APEC Member Economies will expand cooperation in a range of areas including support for the WTO process, the implementation of the Busan Roadmap through APEC's Collective Action Plan and individual action plans, and the promotion of High-Quality Regional Trade Agreements and Free Trade Agreements.

"To this end, all APEC Member Economies have renewed their commitment to achieve our shared goal of free and open trade and investment in the APEC region by 2010 for industrialized economies and 2020 for developing economies".

Mr Le Cong Phung also said he expected Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to benefit from APEC activities.

"With enhanced skills to increase production, resources to promote innovation and avenues to expand trade, SMEs are able to contribute in an important way to job creation and enhance regional prosperity. Throughout the year Member Economies will look at a range of options to enhance SME growth and competitiveness."

The first meetings of the year include the APEC Life Science Innovation Forum, Meeting of the Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures and a Symposium on Information Privacy Protection in E-Government & E-Commerce as well as several other meetings in the lead-up to the First APEC Senior Officials Meeting of 2006 on March 1-2.

Major meetings in 2006 include:

Ministers Responsible for Avian and Pandemic Influenza, Da Nang, 24-25 April

Ministers Responsible for Trade, Ho Chi Minh City, 01-02 June

Finance Ministers, Ha Noi, 04-08 September

SME Ministers, Ha Long, 25-29 September

Tourism Ministers, Hoi An, 12-18 October

18th APEC Joint Ministerial Meeting, Ha Noi, 15-16 November

4th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, Ha Noi, 18-19 November

Details on APEC Viet Nam 2006 are available at: www.apec2006.vn



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The Minister of Foreign Affairs from Peru, Oscar Maúrtua, addressed the APEC Workshop on Anti-Corruption Measures for the Development of SMEs to share Peru's experience in the fight against corruption.

A webcast of Mr Maúrtua's speech is available for download: http://www.apec.org/Press/Videos/21f.aspx

[https://www]



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APEC Member Economies will increase the sharing of legal infrastructure information in the coming year through a series of projects that will culminate in a seminar in Viet Nam.

APEC's Strengthening Economic Legal Infrastructure (SELI) Coordinating Group has reviewed their work plan for the coming year and evaluated the series of projects that are being delivered around the region.

SELI Chair, Mr Kunihiko Shinoda, said the latest project to be added to the group's work plan is a seminar scheduled for Ha Noi in January 2007.

"SELI will host a seminar to help Member Economies develop laws for the implementation of market-oriented economic reforms," he said at the conclusion of the SELI meeting in Viet Nam this week.

"Around 70 delegates from Member Economies will attend the seminar to share information on strengthening legal infrastructure and in particular will learn from the experience of Viet Nam.

"In recent years Viet Nam has undergone dramatic change as the economy has opened up to the global market and this has required significant changes in local legal infrastructure.

"Experience from the capacity building programs that have been undertaken in Viet Nam over recent years will benefit a number of other economies in the region undergoing change."

Other issues covered at the SELI meeting today include discussions on continuing regulatory reform, corporate governance and enforcing rules on corporations and competition.

Mr Shinoda said APEC and SELI make a significant contribution to ensuring economies are able to adjust to changes in the global economy.

"APEC has played an important role in strengthening economic legal infrastructure in Asia-Pacific particularly since this region was faced with the Asian Economic Crisis at the end of 1990s."

The SELI Coordinating Group was established in 2001, following the endorsement by APEC Ministers of the SELI Menu of Options which specifies the priority areas for the APEC Region in strengthening economic legal infrastructure.



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Ha Noi, Viet Nam, February 24, 2006 -- The Fourth Secure Trade in the APEC Region (STAR) Conference began today in Ha Noi with Viet Nam's Trade Minister calling for increased cooperation across the APEC region between business and the government sector on security issues.

The annual two-day event will provide an opportunity for business representatives to contribute to recommendations on strengthening counter-terrorism preparedness that will be presented to APEC Leaders in November.

In his opening address to the conference, Minister Truong Dinh Tuyen said citizens of the region have a responsibility to cooperate so as to build and strengthen a secure and favorable environment that ensures human security as well as trade and investment facilitation.

"There are differences in understanding and enforcement of security measures among different member economies, organizations and authorities that have created difficulties for the business community and others," Minister Truong told the meeting.

"Security measures within the region are also often implemented inconsistently."

Minister Truong said delegates at the STAR Conference have the opportunity to help overcome these problems by contributing to the development of coordination mechanisms for trade-related security measures.

"STAR 4 emphasizes the participation of the private sector and the collection of ideas from various sources, particularly form those that are directly affected by trade-related security measures.

"APEC has long been an active hub, attracting huge amounts of trade and investment flows with intense competitiveness and it is our duty to maintain this advantage.

Senior business executives and government representatives from around the APEC Region will make presentations and engage in two round table discussions during the meeting covering various perspectives of enhancing public and private sector partnerships.

At the conclusion of the meeting summary reports from the Aviation Security Round Table and the Maritime Security Round Table will be made available. These can be downloaded from the APEC Secretariat Website.

A webcast from the opening of the STAR Conference is available for download:

Webcast:

Welcoming Remarks 
by H.E. 1st Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam 
2006 APEC SOM Chair 2006, Mr. LE Cong Phung

http://www.apec.org/Press/Videos/20f.aspx

Keynote Address 
by Ambassador Benjamin Defensor Jr
Chairman, APEC Counter-Terrorism Task Force (CTTF)

Opening Speech 
by H.E. Mr Truong Dinh Tuyen, Minister of Trade

[https://www]



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High level representatives from around the APEC Region are meeting in Viet Nam today to identify and evaluate policy concerns related to implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The Viet Nam meeting is seen as a last opportunity for APEC Member Economies to discuss these issues before the third Meeting of the Parties to the protocol in Brazil in March.

Nearly one-half of APEC economies are Protocol Parties, and all APEC economies are active participants in the movement of agricultural products throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Officials from APEC's 21 member economies are meeting in Ha Noi until 27 February for the Fifth High Level Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Biotechnology and a separate Private Sector Day. Over 100 delegates and expert speakers from APEC economies and relevant international organizations are expected to attend.

The Policy Dialogue was opened by Viet Nam's Minister for Agriculture, Mr Cao Duc Phat, and United States Under Secretary for Agriculture, Dr. J.B. Penn.

The Philippines Secretary for Science and Technology, Dr Estrella Alabastro, also presented a paper on the Philippine experience in developing and Implementing National Biosafety Policies.

In his address to the meeting, Dr. Penn said "this year's Policy Dialogue meeting provides an ideal opportunity to identify and evaluate policy and trade concerns that merit consideration as APEC economies decide whether and how to implement the Protocol.

"Given the timing of the next Meeting of the Parties, the Policy Dialogue is an occasion for a useful exchange of viewpoints and experiences on the important issue of Protocol implementation."

This year's Policy Dialogue is also closely examining the issue of biotechnology policy development, implementation and communication.

"The Policy Dialogue provides a unique opportunity for APEC economies to share their experiences regarding how to create an effective policy and regulatory environment for the responsible use of biotechnology in agriculture," said Under Secretary Penn.

The Fifth Policy Dialogue will continue its tradition of supporting public policy development activities, including the creation of an "Investment Toolbox" that will assist interested APEC economies in creating a positive investment environment for agricultural biotechnology. In addition, the Policy Dialogue will undertake a review of its 2004-2006 Work Plan and begin the task of identifying priorities for its 2007-2009 Work Plan.

In conjunction with the Policy Dialogue, private sector representatives are also presenting a report on the HLPDAB's activities which focused on the nutritional and socioeconomic benefits of agricultural biotechnology. Since the first HLPDAB three years ago, the Private Sector Day has allowed high level officials from APEC economies to learn about new developments in agricultural biotechnology and the impacts that biotechnology is having in agriculture, food security and economic development.

Since its first meeting in Mexico City in 2002, the APEC Policy Dialogue has become the premier meeting in the Asia-Pacific region for high level agricultural biotechnology policy makers. The Policy Dialogue's work is regularly acknowledged in APEC Leaders' and Ministers' statements.

Through the Policy Dialogue, APEC seeks to build the capacity of economies to maximize the benefits of this promising technology. This high level dialogue provides a forum for policy makers to exchange and discuss multidisciplinary policy views, trade implications, implementation experiences, effective communication strategies and the benefits of agricultural biotechnology, including increased productivity, improved rural development and reduced environmental impacts.



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New Zealand is to join Australia and the United States in a new APEC system to detect the misuse of stolen and lost passports.

Trialed from 2005, the Regional Movement Alert List (RMAL) system is now expanding to include New Zealand with discussions now taking place on widening participation of APEC Member Economies.

The system will immediately identify passengers, when they check in at airports, if they attempt to use lost or stolen passports from participating economies.

The U.S. National 9/11 Commission Report stated "For terrorists, travel documents are as important as weapons".

The Chair of APEC's Informal Experts Group on Business Mobility, Mr. Vincent McMahon, said "the expansion of the RMAL to New Zealand will mark an important development in improving regional security."

"As this system expands to cover other jurisdictions the opportunities for people to use stolen or lost passports will be dramatically reduced.

"Now, any time a passenger attempts to travel with a lost or stolen Australian, New Zealand or United States passport to or between these economies, they will be detected and border agencies alerted.

New Zealand's Border Security Operations Manager, Mr Arron Baker, noted "The problem in the past was that it was difficult to detect a stolen or lost passport unless it was used in the economy or country that had issued it."

The RMAL system uses a messaging system to interface with participating economies' document databases to conduct real-time checks, while protecting individual privacy because the system does not rely on sharing data.

The ability to conduct these checks will enhance security as well as facilitate movement of properly documented travelers, without impacting the integrity or any functionality of existing border control systems. The system is also supported by 24/7 operations to help resolve any incidents.

The pilot program between Australia and the United States began in September of 2005. After the findings of the trial were presented to APEC Ministers and Leaders in November, the program was endorsed and other economies are now able to join.

The APEC IEGBM has been meeting for two days in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, as part of the first series of APEC meetings in 2006.

Additional details about the IEGBM are available at www.businessmobility.org



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The APEC Health Task Force (HTF) has agreed on its 2006 Work Plan that includes a joint action plan to address health and economic impacts of infectious disease and in particular deal with pandemic influenza preparedness and response.

The Work Plan was finalized by the HTF at their meeting in Ha Noi on February 27-28 and was today formally endorsed by APEC Senior Officials.

The HTF will also provide significant support to the APEC Ministerial Meeting on Avian and Influenza Pandemics that will be held in Da Nang, Viet Nam, on May 4-5.

HTF Chair, Mr Ian Shugart, said key issues in the Work Plan include implementing measures to help APEC Member Economies to prepare for the threat posed by potential pandemics.

"With the growing spread of pathogenic avian influenza around the world, including economies in the region, APEC members are working together to prepare to deal with this threat to our people and our economies," Mr Shugart said.

"While the H5N1 avian influenza has not mutated to the degree which allows human-to-human transmission, it is the greatest known emerging infectious disease threat currently facing the global community.

"The work plan focuses on areas such as risk communications and public awareness of issues relating to pandemics and ensuring the continuity of business and economic activities in the event of a crisis.

"As part of the plan a workshop, will be convened in Da Nang to strengthen the capacity of economies in the region to build communications networks that will be essential in the event of a pandemic outbreak. The workshop will take place on the sidelines of the APEC Ministerial Meeting on Avian and Influenza Pandemics."

Mr Shugart said another priority of the HTF will be pursuing activities to strengthen the ability of APEC economies to respond to HIV/AIDS.

"Estimates are that more than 40 million people worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS in 2005," Mr Shugart said.

"The APEC Health Task Force will continue to pursue activities designed to strengthen the ability of APEC Member Economies to respond to HIV/AIDs.

"A focus of this work will be creating an enabling environment for employers to implement effective workplace practices for people living with HIV/AIDS and supporting prevention activities inn work place settings."

A further symposium on Emerging Infectious Diseases will be held in Beijing in April as part of the HTF 2006 Work Plan.



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The Deputy Prime Minister of Viet Nam, Mr. Vu Khoan, officially opened the start of the Viet Nam 2006 APEC year in Ha Noi today.

In his opening address to the APEC Senior Officials Plenary Meeting Mr. Vu highlighted the resurgent economic strength of the APEC region.

"Following the financial and monetary crisis of the late 1990s that seriously affected many member economies, APEC is now the most dynamic economic region of the world," Mr. Vu said.

"Trade and investment within APEC has seen a sharp rise, which has had positive impacts on the global economy.

The Deputy Prime Minister also drew attention to new opportunities in the global economy that he said must be shared between developed and developing economies.

"Thanks to the fast development of science and technology, never-before opportunities have been opened for mankind's advance on the one hand,? Mr. Vu said.

"But such development has also widened the gap between the economies of developed countries and those of developing countries.

"Therefore, promoting cooperation within the framework of ECOTECH is of great significance."

Mr. Vu said it was important for APEC Member Economies to be mindful of emerging threats to regional prosperity such as terrorism, energy and food security, money laundering and epidemics.

"Facing the emergence of several non-traditional threats that have serious impacts on both business environment and human security, it is imperative for us to strengthen our cooperation in response to them."

The First APEC Senior Officials' Meeting for 2006 began with a series of meetings, workshops and seminars covering a wide rage of APEC related issues on February 20.

The next major event in the APEC 2006 schedule is the APEC Ministerial Meeting on Avian and Influenza Pandemics that will take place in Da Nang on May 4-5.

A video of the Deputy Prime Minister's speech is available for download here:

http://www.apec.org/Press/Videos/23f.aspx

[https://www] 

Deputy Prime Minister of Viet Nam, Vu Khoan

 



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Science and Technology cooperation in the Asia-Pacific has been enhanced through a two day meeting of APEC's Industrial Science and Technology Working Group.

Meeting in Manila, the Philippines, on March 28-29, delegates from around the APEC Region explored areas for increased scientific and technological cooperation.

Discussions focused on areas such as cleaner production methods, metrology, nanotechnology, biotechnology, climatology, development of natural resources, environmental science, education, and converging technology for combating infectious diseases.

An important feature of this meeting was the inclusion of a number of participants from the Philippines science and technology sector in the event. Philippines representatives were selected from agencies involved in the study of industrial science and technology policies and issues.

ISTWG priority concerns for 2006 include the participation of women and ethnic communities in scientific research, a planned symposium on science-industry linkages, the ongoing activities of the Sustainable Development Task Force and the APEC Climate Center.

The role of the ISTWG is to fulfill APEC's vision for the 21sth century of a dynamic and prosperous Asia-Pacific region. This vision is anchored on industrial science and technology activities that improve the quality of life, preserve the natural environment and achieve sustainable development.

The ISTWG's Medium-term Work Plan includes efforts to connect research and innovation activities taking place around the region and to build the human capacity of the science sectors in APEC Member Economies.



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New Zealand will go live today with the Regional Management Alert List (RMAL) pilot scheme for detecting the misuse of stolen and lost passports.

After its successful initial implementation in Australia and the United States the RMAL system is also expected to expand to other APEC Member Economies and even countries outside of the APEC region.

The system allows participating economies to detect the use of invalid travel documents either at airport check-in counters before passengers board flights, or before their arrival at their destination.

The initiative was formally launched at the United States Embassy in Wellington earlier in the week by New Zealand's Internal Affairs Minister, Rick Barker, Immigration Minister, David Cunliffe and United States Ambassador to New Zealand William P McCormick.

With the first flights to travel between Australia, New Zealand and the United States RMAL will become active between these three economies.

Mr Barker said RMAL will provide a significant security boost for participating APEC Member Economies.

"It again underlines the value and integrity of national passports by reducing the likelihood of someone misusing a lost or stolen passport for criminal purposes."

RMAL follows other initiatives in New Zealand and around the APEC Region to enhance passport security, including Advance Passenger Processing, the introduction of e-Passports with leading edge security features, stricter issuing processes and much bigger penalties for passport crime, Mr Barker said.

Mr Cunliffe said the checking of passengers would contribute to more effective border security. Screening passports when passengers check in ensures a higher level of assurance that only people using authorised documents can travel on those documents.

"We have been able to detect the attempted use of lost or stolen Australian travel documents for some time. When New Zealand joins the RMAL system on 31 March, we will be able to do this for United States travel documents as well."

Ambassador McCormick said the United States was delighted New Zealand was joining the RMAL program.

"This will be an important step in our joint efforts to secure our borders against terrorism and transnational crime. The addition of New Zealand to the pilot program will also expand the RMAL from a bilateral to a multi-lateral framework and lay the groundwork for other APEC members to join in the future," Mr McCormick said.

The pilot program between Australia and the United States began in September of 2005. After the findings of the trial were presented to APEC Ministers and Leaders in November other economies and non-APEC countries are now able to join.

A fact sheet on RMAL is available.



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APEC Member Economies have agreed to a range of measures to enhance the region's surveillance and response capacity for dealing with emerging infectious diseases.

After two days of meetings at the "APEC Symposium on Emerging Infectious Diseases" in Beijing this week, Member Economies have agreed to establish and improve existing infectious disease surveillance networks and regional laboratory networks in the Asia-Pacific.

In the statement that was agreed by the symposium, Member Economies also agreed to enhance bio-safety standards at commercial farms and markets, improve veterinary capacity to detect and report infectious disease outbreaks and to strengthen animal health capacity to respond to outbreaks.

In agreeing to the range of measures the delegates to the Seminar also made plans to undertake an assessment of the economic and social impacts of emerging infectious diseases in the region. This research is expected to then help Member Economies develop policies that will guide decision-making in the event of a crisis.

Member Economies have also agreed to increase technical and scientific cooperation for the development of prevention and control measures among economies to better deal with emerging infectious diseases.

The symposium on April 4-5 was opened by China's Vice Minister for Health, Dr. Chen Xiaohong, and included presentations from representatives from the World Health Organization and the Asian Development Bank.

The full text of the Consensus from the Beijing APEC Symposium on Emerging Infectious Diseases is available here.

The APEC Ministerial Meeting on Avian and Influenza Pandemics is the next major APEC event scheduled to deal with the threats posed by emerging infectious diseases and will be held in Da Nang, Viet Nam, on May 4-6.



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APEC Ministers will meet in Da Nang, Viet Nam, on May 4-6 to coordinate preparedness planning that will be put into effect should there be an outbreak of avian or other influenza pandemics.

The APEC Ministerial Meeting on Avian and Influenza Pandemics will establish an action plan that will help to avert the significant social and economic harm that would be caused by a pandemic.

Viet Nam's Minister for Agriculture and Rural development, Dr. Cao Duc Phat, said pandemics such as avian influenza have the potential to kill an unimaginable number of people and cause enormous economic damage.

"The H5N1 avian influenza virus is the greatest known emerging infectious disease threat that is currently facing the global community," Dr. Cao Duc Phat said as his department prepared to host ministers from around the region.

"To reduce the potential of this threat, APEC ministers will consider the range of options that are open to Member Economies in preparing for and dealing with a pandemic.

"Ministers will identify coordination mechanisms and action plans that will be put into play should an outbreak become a reality.

"The coordination that will be developed will link government departments around the region and involve a range of people in the private sector, intergovernmental organizations and community groups.

"A range of measures will also be discussed to help developing economies to raise their domestic capacity to deal wit threats."

The ministerial meeting will also involve regional experts in public health and disaster management with experience in past crises such as natural disasters and the SARS epidemic.

The action plan is expected to include protocols covering communications, logistics, business operation and government processes.

As the threat of a potential avian influenza outbreak has grown, APEC has undertaken a number of initiatives to strengthen regional pandemic preparedness. Ministers will incorporate recommendations from recent meetings held to discuss Avian Influenza issues in San Francisco, Brisbane and Beijing into their action plan. 



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A high level APEC Anti-Corruption Workshop has strengthened the capacity of member economies to prevent corrupt individuals from seeking safe haven and hiding assets in the Asia-Pacific.

Held from April 24-26 in Shanghai, China, the "APEC Anti-Corruption and Transparency Workshop on the Denial of Safe Haven, Asset Recovery and Extradition" was co-sponsored by China and the United States.

In his opening address to the conference, China's Vice Minister of Supervision, Mr. Li Yufu highlighted the importance of member economies sharing experience and provided the Chinese Government's perspective on how to build a clean government and fight against corruption.

"I believe that through the discussions and exchanges of each side's experiences and ways of handling the matters involving the denial of safe haven, asset recovery and extradition," Mr. Li said.

"This workshop will certainly serve to enhance the mutual understanding of APEC economies in anti-corruption and further advance the exchange and cooperation in the field of fighting against corruption.

"The Chinese Government has attached great importance to building a clean government while committing itself to the reform and opening up and the development of economy.

"By adhering to the principle of tackling the corruption from both its root causes and symptoms, in a comprehensive way, combining punishment and prevention with emphasis on the latter, we firmly and continuously push forward the anticorruption work."

Ms. Debra Wong Yang, United States Attorney, Central District of California, United States highlighted the importance of the fight against corruption at both a domestic and international level.

"The FBI has made corruption its number one white collar priority. In the past years alone, over 200 new agents have been added to corruption squads across the US," Ms. Wong Yang said.

"In addition to investigating and prosecuting corruption at home, we are also working to stem corruption around the world.

"One of the ways in which we are doing that is by investigating US companies and individuals engaged in bribing and corrupting foreign government officials."

Addressing the workshop, the Executive Director APEC Secretariat, Ambassador Tran Trong Toan highlighted APEC's role in fighting corruption in the region.

"APEC member economies have a great stake in the success of this struggle if their goals for sustainable socio-economic development and prosperity are to be achieved," Ambassador Toan said.

"In 2005 APEC Leaders agreed to intensify regional cooperation to deny a safe haven to officials and individuals guilty of corruption, those who corrupt them and their unlawfully-acquired assets, and to prosecute those engaged in bribery, including in international business transactions.

"This is still a new area of cooperation in APEC and this Workshop on the Denial of Safe Haven, Asset Recovery and Extradition is very timely and significant."

The three day program of the workshop included presentations from a range of international experts from governments, the business sector and international organizations.

The workshop took place as part of the range of activities coordinated by the APEC Anti-Corruption and Transparency Experts Task Force (ACT). The next event on the ACT calendar is an APEC anti-corruption symposium in Hong Kong on May 9-11 with the theme "Corporate Corruption, Integrity & Governance."

Links to the text of speeches by:

[https://www]Mr. Li Yufu, China's Vice Minister of Supervision

 

[https://www]Ms. Debra Wong Yang, Unites States Attorney 



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On the eve of the APEC Ministerial meeting on avian and pandemic influenza, more than 60 representatives from APEC economies have been exploring the role of risk communications during an infectious disease outbreak.

The "Pandemic Preparedness Risk Communications" workshop took place in Da Nang, Viet Nam, on 2-3 May. Sponsored by Canada, the workshop was undertaken as part of the APEC Leaders' initiative on "Preparing for and Mitigating an Influenza Pandemic" that was endorsed by Leaders when they met in Busan, Korea, in 2005.

"Risk communications must be looked upon as a public health intervention that is equally as important as other interventions like social distancing and vaccination." said Ian Shugart, Chair of the APEC Health Task Force and host of the workshop.

"This workshop was designed to enhance risk communications and public awareness campaigns at a local level in areas where there is the potential for an avian influenza outbreak."

The workshop sought to build risk communication capacity, particularly in developing economies, by providing practical tools to help develop national and regional communications strategies.

"APEC is the perfect forum to deal with such a threat as avian influenza," Ian Shugart said.

"Any potential pandemic must be fought at a local level using skills imparted at this workshop, and at a regional level as is being undertaken by ministers later this week."

Nine APEC economies have suffered outbreaks of avian H5N1 influenza within bird populations, and four economies have experienced human cases of H5N1 influenza. In addition to the social costs, the spread of avian H5N1 influenza across Asia and into Europe has devastated the poultry industry in affected areas, resulting in economic losses upwards of USD 15 billion.

The workshop included a number of sessions addressing various issues related to effective domestic and regional pandemic preparedness communications.

These are skills that can then be dispersed by the participants of the workshop to communities in their local areas. Feedback from workshop will be provided to the APEC Ministerial Meeting on Avian and Influenza Pandemics that will take place in Da Nanag, on May 4-6.



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APEC Ministers have adopted an Action Plan that will strengthen the ability of Member Economies to detect and respond to outbreaks of Avian Influenza in the Asia-Pacific.

At the conclusion of the meeting that was attended by Ministers and Senior Officials from Agricultural and Health Departments from around the APEC Region, Ministers endorsed the "APEC Action Plan on the Prevention and Response to Avian and Influenza Pandemics."

Covering five specific areas, the Action Plan lays down directives and requirements that will now be implemented at a domestic level by APEC Member Economies.

Viet Nam's Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development and Co-Chair of the ministerial meeting, Mr. Cao Duc Phat, said Ministers recognize that the only way to defeat the threat posed by an Avian Influenza Pandemic is to work across sectors and across borders.

"The Action plan will enhance the region's capacity to deal with Avian Influenza outbreaks by increasing cross-border cooperation and sharing information between governments departments," Mr. Cao said after the conclusion of the meeting.

"The Action Plan also recognizes that reducing the massive economic and social costs associated with Avian Influenza also requires a high level of cooperation between government and business.

"Ministers have agreed to the Action Plan that creates new avenues for each APEC Member to work with colleagues in other economies and at a domestic level to overcome the Avian Influenza threat."

The five areas covered by the Action Plan are:

Multi-sectoral cooperation and coordination on avian and pandemic influenza

Establishing best practices and common approaches to risk communications

Mitigating negative effects of avian influenza on agriculture and trade

Working with the private sector to help ensure continuity of business, trade and essential services

Strengthening regional and international cooperation

The full text of the Action Plan is available for download

Ministers will conclude the Ministerial Meeting tomorrow with a tour of poultry production facilities in Central Viet Nam.



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Webcast and Podcast downloads from the concluding Press Conference from the APEC Avian Influenza Pandemic Ministerial are available for download at www.apec.org.

The Press Conference was hosted by Viet Nam's Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development and Co-Chair of the ministerial meeting, Mr. Cao Duc Phat.

Responses to the following questions are aviable for download:

[https://www]

Q1) There is a lot of emphasis in the plan on encouraging transparency and sharing information. Does that mean that some economies in the region are not cooperating?

Response by Ian Shugart, Chair of the APEC Health Task Force (HTF)
MP3 Podcast (3MB)
Audio Webcast (780KB)

[https://www]

Q2) How much discussion was there at the ministerial meeting on the issue of the illegal cross-border trade in poultry and how does the Action Plan address this?

Response by Mr Chang Chui He, Regional Representative and Assistant Director General, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
MP3 Podcast (2.7MB)
Audio Webcast (700KB) 



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The APEC Avian Influenza Pandemic Ministerial Meeting was opened in Da Nang today by the Deputy Prime Minister of Viet Nam, Mr. Vu Khoan.

In his opening address to delegates the Deputy Prime Minister highlighted the global spread of avian influenza and hopes for regional cooperation to deal with the threat.

"Nowadays, the epidemic has quickly spread from Asia to Europe, the Middle East, Africa and is likely to hit America. In face of such a global threat, an effective prevention and control can never be achieved without global cooperation," Mr. Vu Khoan said in his speech.

"At present, although the avian influenza epidemic has been pushed back, the danger of recurrence is still there. We therefore look forward to enhancing cooperation with APEC economies to not only roll back but also wipe out the epidemic, especially to prevent the transmission from human to human."

Webcasts, podcasts and news photographs of the opening remarks are now available for download and use by news organizations.

News Photographs

[https://www]Official Photograph

[https://www]The APEC Avian Influenza Pandemic Ministerial Meeting in progress 



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Leading business figures from around the Asia-Pacific region will convene in Montreal on May 9-13 for the Second 2006 Meeting of the APEC Business Advisory Council.

Made up of senior business people that are hand picked by the Leaders of APEC's 21 Member Economies, ABAC meets four times each year in a different location to address issues of concern to the regional business community. Through this process ABAC prepares a series of recommendations that are delivered to APEC Leaders at their annual meeting. This year the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting will take place in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, on November 18-19.

The ABAC Montreal Meeting will include sessions with Canadian business people and symposiums on business facilitation and trade liberalization.

Meetings and luncheons will take place at the Hotel Omni (Mont-Royal) on Sherbrooke Street West in Montreal.

Guest speakers at the meeting include:

Tuesday May 9, 1200
- Hon. Sergio Marchi, Senior Business Advisor, Lang Michener LLP (former Canadian Ambassador to the WTO) - on progress within WTO and the role of business;
- Robert Greenhill, President, Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) - on the role of the private sector in development;

Wednesday May 10, 1200: 
- Michael Klein, Vice President, Private Sector Development, World Bank/International Finance Corp - on promoting ease of doing business as a development tool;

Thursday May 11th at 0730:
- Hon. Raymond Bachand, Quebec Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Trade - on strengthening Quebec's trade and investment ties with Asia Pacific;
- Dr. Wendy Dobson, Director of the Institute for International Business, University of Toronto - on the proliferation of trade agreements and prospects for Asia Pacific free trade

Friday May 12th at 1030: 
- Latin American Economic Update Briefing, featuring Mr. Hernán Somerville, President, Chilean Business Association - on the economic outlook for Latin America

Vision and photographs of meetings in progress can be arranged only by prior agreement with the ABAC Canada or ABAC International Secretariat Offices.



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Asia-Pacific business leaders meeting as the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) released a strong message from the region demanding that the Doha Round of trade negotiations be completed successfully.

"WTO negotiators have failed to reach consensus on agricultural and industrial goods market access and now the Doha Round stands at a critical crossroads," said Mr. Hoang Van Dung, Chair of ABAC and ABAC member from Viet Nam.

"ABAC members urge our governments to lead the global community in pushing the round forward to a successful and timely completion.

"ABAC will also be calling on businesses in Europe and around the world to support our call for the successful conclusion to the Doha negotiations.

Made up of senior business people that are hand picked by the Leaders of APEC's 21 Member Economies, ABAC meets four times each year in a different location to address issues of concern to the regional business community.

Through this process ABAC provides Leaders of APEC member economies with a business perspective on economic development in the region.

Chair of the ABAC Trade and Investment Liberalization and Facilitation Working Group and ABAC USA Representative, Mr. Michael L. Ducker, also highlighted the importance of a successful outcome to WTO DDA negotiations for not only for the Asia-Pacific, but for the global economy.

"ABAC believes a healthy multilateral trading system is the most effective way of ensuring global economic growth and economic development," Mr. Ducker said at the conclusion of the ABAC Meeting.

"The business community drives economic expansion and new jobs through investment and trade development, and we are here to get the message across that the successful conclusion of the Doha Round is of utmost importance to us.

"An open and predictable trading environment is essential to create new business opportunities everywhere and to deliver improved economic conditions for all people, especially those in developing countries."

APEC member economies account for over half of global output and trade and are home to 60% of the world's population. APEC brings together the Asia-Pacific economies of Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; China; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Peru; Philippines; Russian Federation; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; United States; and Viet Nam.



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Priorities for the upcoming APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting have been agreed by APEC delegates meeting this week.

A strategic review of the APEC Tourism Charter and the launch of an APEC Tourism Fair are some of the outcomes that will go to ministers following the Tourism Working Group (TWG) Meeting on 10-11 May, in Shizuoka, Japan. The TWG will also propose to hold an "APEC Tourism and Investment Forum" on the margins of future ministerial meetings with the intention of drawing investment for the ongoing development of tourism in the Asia-pacific.

The 4th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting, preceded by the 29th TWG meeting, is now scheduled to take place on October 12-19 in Hoi An, Viet Nam.

Chair of the TWG Meeting, Mr. Pham Quang Hung, said the issues that were put forward by the TWG for the ministerial meeting will boost the tourism industry in the Asia-Pacific.

"Tourism is one of the greatest employers in the APEC region and the outcomes of the upcoming ministerial meeting will provide a substantial boost to jobs and incomes," Mr Pham said at the conclusion of the meeting.

"Tourism opportunities in the APEC region are diverse and have ever increasing market potential in both the Asia-Pacific region and the rest of the world.

"Addressing issues such as the review of the APEC Tourism Charter and undertaking activities to enhance tourism investment will help keep the industry focused on the future.

"The Strategic review of the 2000 Tourism Charter will ensure a work program that will identify and addresses the challenges affecting tourism in the coming years.

"The plan will be of benefit to both large and small tourism related businesses."

Mr Pham said areas that the TWG meeting identified as being particularly important to the development of tourism include the "facilitation of tourist movements in the region by reducing unnecessary red tape. This includes streamlining business procedures, connecting tours and opening direct flights between the world cultural heritages in member economies.

"By working and planning as a regional community we can maximize the returns from tourism potential in the APEC region."

The TWG Meeting included presentations from a number of government and private sector regional tourism experts including the Executive Director of the APEC International Centre for Sustainable Tourism. Youth and Sister Cities Exchanges were also highlighted in the meeting.

The APEC Tourism Working Group was established in 1991 to promote the development for tourism as an important component of economic growth and social development in the Asia-Pacific.



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APEC projects designed to strengthen the infrastructure and capacity of developing areas of the regional economy were given a boost in 2005 with the Budget Management Committee (BMC) approving 85 projects worth US$5,546,859. A further US$ 2,193,000 will be available for projects later in 2006.

BMC Chair, Mr Mario I Artaza, said the projects approved in 2005 will provide direct training in a range of sectors and increase government departments' capacity to deliver services.

"An important part of APEC's work is sharing skills, technologies and best practices between all of our members," Mr Artaza said in a briefing for regional news organizations in the lead-up to the APEC Leaders' Meeting.

"Regardless of their level of economic development, all APEC Member Economies benefit from the projects implemented each year.

"The projects that APEC oversees throughout the year cover areas that have a direct impact on the lives of people who are seeking to adapt to challenges brought by the globalizing economy.

"This includes activities in support of small and medium enterprises, trade facilitation, sustainable development, infectious disease control and other human resource development initiatives.

In 2005 major projects included work on renewable energy, climate change, SMEs, conservation, business facilitation and investment including:

A project operated by the Human Resources Development Working Group on APEC Learning Standards for English and Other Languages

A project operated by the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Working Group designed to assist in the development of financial assistance programs for micro-enterprises from APEC

A project operated by the APEC Committee on Trade and Investment to encourage the use of Best Practices for Free Trade Agreements and Regional Trading Arrangements to assist developing economies.

Funding for APEC projects is provided through the APEC Trade Investment Liberalization Fund, operational funds provided by Member Economies and the new APEC Support Fund (ASF). 
The ASF was established this year with a A$3 million grant over 3 years from Australia with the intention of supporting activities in APEC's high priority economic and technical cooperation sectors for developing member economies. The ASF has the flexibility to provide contributions for specific activities such as counter-terrorism capacity building or the development of programs to encourage women to set up small businesses.

Individual APEC capacity building projects are approved by the BMC following directions provided by APEC Leaders, Ministers and Senior Officials.

This year new quality standards were also incorporated into the process of identifying and evaluating the value provided to the region by individual APEC projects.



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Issued by the 17th APEC Ministerial Meeting

The 17th APEC Ministerial Meeting has concluded with the release of a Joint Statement from Ministers. The statement is now available for download from the APEC Website. News Photographs of APEC Ministers are available for use by media organizations.

The statement covers the following topic areas:

Strengthening the Multilateral Trading System

Mid-term Stocktake of the Bogor Goals

Trade and Investment Liberalisation and Facilitation (TILF)

Anti-Corruption and Transparency Standards

Human Security

Economic and Technical Cooperation (ECOTECH)

Sharing Prosperity of the Knowledge-Based Economy (KBE)

Macroeconomic Issues

Structural Reform

Interaction with the Business Community

Cross Cultural Communication

Gender Integration

Youth

Non-Member Participation

APEC Reform

Sectoral Ministerial Meetings

APEC Secretariat

Official Observers

Future meetings

Approval of SOM Report

A Video and audio Webcast of the opening comments by the Co-Chair of the APEC Ministerial Meeting, H.E. Ban Ki-moon, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade from Korea, is available at:

[https://www]

Audio
(WMA, 800 KB)

Dial-up Video
(WMV, 1.5 MB)

Broadband Video
(WMV, 12 MB)

The Ministerial Meeting will be followed by the 13th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting also in Busan, Korea, on November 18-19.



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The APEC Privacy Framework, which seeks to ensure the rapid cross-border flow of information and data while protecting consumers, businesses and governments from fraud and criminal activity, has been endorsed by APEC Ministers.

The Framework clarifies how information can be handled and will also improve information sharing among regulators and government agencies to enable the safe transfer of information between economies.

Ms. Josette S. Shiner, United States' Under Secretary of State, said the framework creates a set of common privacy principles that will make a significant contribution to APEC?s ongoing efforts to increase cross border trade and growth in e-commerce.

"It is crucial that information being transmitted electronically is able to move quickly across borders while at the same time offering peace of mind that the information is secure," the Under Secretary said.

"The range and number of electronic transactions taking place around the region grows every day. This includes activities such as the transferring of funds, purchases made over the Internet, credit card transactions and sensitive corporate information that is sent from one computer to another.

"Our economy is dependent on having functional information networks and the APEC Privacy Framework boosts the security and integrity of this vital infrastructure."

The publication of the APEC Privacy Framework is a significant milestone in APEC?s continuing efforts to promote trade and investment in the Asia Pacific region. The Framework advocates consistent privacy principles while avoiding the creation of unnecessary barriers to the cross-border flow of information.

The Framework also provides technical assistance to APEC Member Economies that have not addressed privacy from a regulatory or policy perspective and bridges the differences with those economies that have privacy rules in place.

The APEC Privacy Framework and associated fact Sheet are available in printed Form or can be downloaded from the APEC Website.



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A new report has found that barriers to trade and investment have fallen significantly in the APEC region since the creation of the APEC process sixteen years ago. The report that was endorsed by the APEC Ministers today also sets a roadmap to ensure that APEC's ultimate free trade and investment goals are reached by their target years.

The 'Mid-term Stocktake of Progress Towards the Bogor Goals' report was prepared from input provided by all of APEC's 21 Member Economies that was then analyzed by independent trade and economic experts. The report lists achievements, notes challenges that lay ahead and then outlines the 'Busan Roadmap to the Bogor Goals.'

APEC Leaders set the Bogor Goals in 1994 with the aim of achieving free and open trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region by 2010 for industrialized economies and 2020 for developing economies.

Korea's Minister for Trade and Co-Chair of the APEC Ministerial Meeting, Mr. Kim Hyun Chong, said as 2005 marks the midpoint between the creation of APEC in 1989 and its ultimate goals in 2020, Member Economies have seen the need to take stock and plan for the future.

"The region has achieved a great deal during the past one and a half decades of APEC and now we have the roadmap to see our regional goals achieved," Mr Kim said after the report was endorsed by APEC Ministers.

"The most notable achievement is that average applied tariffs in APEC Member Economies declined from 16.9 per cent in 1989 to 5.5 per cent in 2004. In fact almost half of all APEC Member Economies' tariff lines are at less than 5 per cent while tariffs on many goods are now set at zero.

"The same period also saw intra-APEC goods and services trade more than triple and account for an ever-growing share of APEC economies' GDP, increasing from 13.8 per cent in 1989 to 18.5 per cent of GDP in 2003. Employment also grew by 18 per cent in the APEC region between 1990 and 2002.

"There has been substantial growth in services trade, barriers to investment have been reduced and APEC has led the world in recognizing the value of free trade agreements to achieving regional trade goals."

Mr. Kim said the report outlines policy measures to be implemented in APEC Member Economies aimed at achieving APEC's Bogor Goals in a changing business environment.

"APEC Members have agreed to a number of initiatives to deepen commitment to the multilateral trading system and the WTO while also developing high quality free trade agreements," Mr Kim said.

"Member Economies are committed to the launch of the Busan Business Agenda that has been developed to respond to concerns of the private sector such as business facilitation, transparency and behind-the-border regulations.

"The roadmap also highlights the importance of economic and technical cooperation in order to develop and utilize skills and other resources from APEC economies. The report notes that these capacity building activities should be tailored to accommodate the specific needs of each Member Economy."

The 'Mid-term Stocktake of Progress Towards the Bogor Goals' report was commissioned by APEC Leaders in 2001 and assesses how far APEC has moved towards the Bogor Goals and what further actions are needed to reach the Goals.

Additional information is available on the attached Fact Sheet. The full text of the Report is available for download from the APEC website (www.apec.org).



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Asia-Pacific Business Leaders will highlight their concerns about the state of the WTO DDA negotiations and the upcoming Hong Kong Ministerial meeting when they meet with APEC Leaders on November 18.

Members of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), in their annual meeting with Leaders, will issue a no-nonsense call for action, reiterating the importance of progress in the WTO to business and regional economies, and, consistent with calls to Trade Ministers, urging work toward an agreement on agriculture as a major contribution to conclusion of the WTO DDA talks.

ABAC Chair, Mr Jae-Hyun Hyun, said "We have seen the power in the WTO when APEC economies work together. APEC collective action helped the WTO conclude the Information Technology Agreement in the mid-1990s, and more recently broke a deadlock to help WTO members agree on the 'Swiss Formula' and move negotiations forward."

"We expect no less now, at this critical stage, and believe that together, APEC members could contribute to a breakthrough on agriculture, and on progress with this round."

Hyun said, "We urge all APEC Economies to stand together in Hong Kong and lead the WTO to a comprehensive and robust commitment on agriculture, which will enable the WTO to move forward."

"This is the message we are delivering to APEC Leaders personally, and that we have provided to both Leaders and Trade Ministers in an open letter."

ABAC's other top priorities for their dialogue with Leaders are a recommitment to, and steady progress towards, APEC's Bogor Goals of free trade and investment in the region, and practical implementation of further tangible trade facilitation measures, to actually reduce the cost of doing business in the region.

ABAC, in conducting a Mid-term Review of APEC's progress, has noted that APEC will need to reform the way it operates if it is to achieve the Bogor Goals. ABAC welcomes APEC Economies' establishing a roadmap to guide further progress, and of a business agenda to focus on further practical steps.

Looking ahead, 2006 ABAC Chair, Mr Hoang Van Dzung, from Viet Nam, said, "Business wants to see officials carry through on Leaders' promises of liberalization, facilitation and capacity building, and to deliver more of the practical economic benefits we've been waiting for."

ABAC members will also raise with Leaders other key issues which concern business. The threat of an Avian Flu pandemic led ABAC members to initiate a program to advise the private sector impacts and preparedness. ABAC members will also raise concerns about high energy prices and their results across many sectors, urging economies to take proactive measures. ABAC continues to stress the importance of strengthening financial systems to deal with trade imbalances and volatile capital flows.

ABAC's annual dialogue with APEC Leaders is unique among international fora, giving ABAC an important voice to represent regional business interests directly to Leaders. The dialogue allows for a free and open discussion of the issues of most concern to business at a leadership level, and is the annual culmination of ABAC's deliberations preparing recommendations and advice to Leaders. Each ABAC member is selected individually by their Leader, with the Council consisting of three representative business executives from each APEC Economy.

The ABAC Report to Leaders, detailing ABAC's recommendations for the year, and a November 14 open letter to APEC Trade Ministers can be found at www.abaconline.org.



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The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat and Microsoft today signed a memorandum of understanding for the development of the APEC Information Management Portal.

The portal provides a web-based integrated platform for creating and managing projects, meetings and policy initiatives, thereby enhancing APEC productivity and organizational effectiveness. The system includes a Less Paper Meeting System. The portal is expected to improve collaboration capacity and knowledge sharing between APEC Member Economies and private sector representatives involved in APEC's work.

"We are very excited about this technology partnership with Microsoft, as we strive to use information technology to keep the APEC process efficient and effective without adding additional complexity or costs to the forum," said Ambassador Choi Seok Young, 2005 Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat when he signed the MOU.

"APEC's Member Economies recognize that information and communications technologies are having a significant impact on economic development and social activities in our region."

Ambassador Tran Trong Toan, the 2006 APEC Secretariat Executive Director, similarly welcomed the newly forged collaboration with Microsoft as a strong example of public/private partnership and a demonstration of APEC's commitment to technology initiatives that advance the socio-economic environment in the Asia Pacific.

"Appropriate infrastructure and policies on IT, together with human resource and development cooperation strategies, are preconditions to move APEC towards a knowledge-based economy," said Ambassador Toan.

"The APEC forum welcomes Microsoft's support in achieving our vision for the Asia-Pacific,"

Commenting on the APEC partnership, Craig Mundie, Microsoft's Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President for Advanced Strategies and Policies said: "Microsoft enjoys a strong relationship with governments around the world including across the APEC region."

"We look forward to working with APEC to address its IT needs in a manner that delivers value to the organization and its Member Economies," said Mr Mundie.

He added that "At Microsoft, we are committed to building public/private partnerships worldwide to develop and deliver technology and solutions that will help people achieve their personal and professional goals."

Under the terms of the MOU signed by the Secretariat on behalf of the APEC forum, Microsoft is providing in-kind support, comprising software and technical support, worth US$500,000 to APEC for the implementation of the integrated portal. atQuest Solution (www.atquest.com), a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and a Southeast Asia based company with offices in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand is implementing the integrated portal solution.

Mr Mundie is in Korea attending the APEC CEO Summit as a delegate and is also participating in a plenary discussion at the summit focused on the capacity of ICTs to advance a knowledge-based economy. He will be meeting with senior government and business leaders during his trip to Korea.

APEC has significantly expanded its IT-related activities in recent years. Changes in the global economy have led APEC to develop a range of strategies to increase the capacity of members to fully tap into the benefits of the digital economy. "Toward that end," Choi noted, "APEC members have agreed to work together to support principles of technology choice in a market-opening, trade liberalizing manner that will spur the cycle of innovation and opportunity and promote economic development across the region."



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The following media statement was issued by Le Cong Phung, First Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Socialist Republic of Viet Nam at the conclusion of the 2005 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM) in Busan:

The 13th ALEM Meeting has now come to a successful end and we are now looking forwards to the Viet Nam 2006 Year. In view of the need to build on what we have achieved during the successful year 2005 in Korea and thanks to your valuable inputs, I have the honor to represent member economies to announce the Theme and Sub themes of the APEC 2006 Year in Viet Nam as follows:

I/APEC 2006 Theme:

"Towards a Dynamic Community for Sustainable Development and Prosperity"

II/ APEC 2006 Sub-themes:

Enhancing Trade and Investment with the Busan Roadmap and the Doha Development Agenda

Strengthening Economic and Technical Cooperation for Gap Bridging and Sustainable Development

Improving Secure and Favorable Business Environment

Promoting Community Linkages

It is our firm conviction that given such theme and sub themes for the Viet Nam Year 2006, we will be able to advance the APEC cooperation process to achieve our vision of prosperity and sustainable development.

I look forward to welcome you all to Viet Nam in 2006.



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The 13th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM) has concluded in Busan.

At the end of the meeting Leaders issued the "Busan Declaration" that is now available for download from the APEC Website (www.apec.org).

The declaration covers three areas:

Advancing Freer Trade

Safe and Transparent Asia-pacific Region: Enhancing Human Security

APEC's Progress into the Future

A separate statement was also issued on WTO Doha Development Agenda Negotiations that is also available for download.

News photographs of APEC Leaders in Busan are also available for download.

With the conclusion of the AELM in Busan, APEC Leaders, Ministers and Officials will prepare for the 2006 APEC Year that will be hosted by Viet Nam.



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Outgoing Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat,Ambassador Choi Seok Young, will discuss the major issues of the recent APEC Leaders' Declaration at a Seminar hosted by the Institute of South East Asian Studies on Wednesday.

In his address Ambassador Choi will discuss the outcomes from APEC 2005, hosted by Korea and take questions from the audience.

Ambassador Choi will discuss issues contained in the Leaders' Statement on advancing freer trade, human security and preparations for the future as well as the Leaders' statement calling for the timely conclusion of the current round of WTO negotiation.

Ambassador Choi will also look into challenges facing APEC such as the proliferation of FTAs/RTAs, the expansion of non-trade agenda issues and the emergence of the East Asia Summit. He will also discuss APEC's long-term vision including the moratorium on membership, APEC reform and sensitive internal challenges.

Incoming Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, Ambassador Tran Trong Toan, will then elaborate on the themes, sub-themes and priorities for the APEC 2006 year hosted by Viet Nam.

Media are invited to attend the Seminar and put questions to the Ambassadors.

Time: 10.30 am - 12.00 noon, Wednesday, 7 December
Venue: ISEAS Seminar Room II, 30 Heng Mui Keng Terrace



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The issues of public finance sustainability and capital flows will top the agenda when APEC Finance Ministers hold their annual meeting in 2006.

The themes for the APEC Finance Ministers' process were agreed at the meeting of the APEC Finance Ministers' Technical Working Group in Quang Ninh, Viet Nam last week. The working group will carry out a work program in 2006 to support the themes for discussion by APEC Finance Ministers when they meet in Ha Noi, Viet Nam on 7-8 September 2006.

Chair of the Technical Working Group, Mr Nguyen Ba Toan, said that one of the key issues for ministers will be ensuring the efficiency and financial sustainability of government activities as APEC Member Economies intensify liberalization and international economic integration efforts.

"Fiscal sustainability and efficient revenue sources are of key importance particularly for developing economies as our region becomes increasingly integrated," Mr Nguyen said after the conclusion of the meeting.

"This means that APEC Member Economies must ensure that internal structures relating to taxation are robust and stable."

Mr Nguyen said another key issue for ministers will be to address issues relating to promoting capital inflows in the APEC region.

"Finance Ministers will address specific factors to further develop financial markets and make them more conducive to capital flows in the region," Mr Nguyen said.

"Ministers will discuss policy cooperation measures aimed at enhancing reform in member economies to attract foreign investment."

APEC Finance Ministers have met each year since 1994 to develop policy initiatives and discuss macroeconomic and financial issues confronting the region.

The participants involved in the APEC Finance Ministers process include ministers, finance and central bank deputies and senior officials as well as high-level representatives from the APEC Business Advisory Council and International Financial Institutions.

Mr Nguyen Ba Toan is also the Deputy Director-General of the International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Finance of Viet Nam.



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A bronze replica of the Tripitaka Koreana woodblock containing an ancient Buddhist scripture, the Sutra of Wisdom, will be presented to the APEC Secretariat by the Korean Government on Thursday, December 15.

The carving is being presented in appreciation for the cooperation and support provided by the APEC Secretariat in Singapore for the 2005 APEC Year that was hosted by Korea.

The Sutra of Wisdom is a 260-character summary of the contents of the Sutra of Great Wisdom. This is the shortest scripture of Buddhism but is believed to encompass all elements that Buddha preached.

The Tripitaka Koreana will be officially unveiled by the Chair of the 2005 APEC Senior Officials' Meeting process, Ambassador Kim Jong-Hoon.

The carving will be on display in the lobby of the APEC Secretariat building.

The media are invited to view the unveiling and to interview officials at the event:

Time: 10:30am, 15 December 2005
Venue: APEC Secretariat, 35 Heng Mui Keng Terrace, Singapore

The Secretariat has received numerous gifts from member economies, the more recent being an Easter Island Moai sculpture from Chile, a Dance Head Dress from Thailand and a set of colorful glass baskets from the United States by renowned artist Dale Chihuly.



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Issued by APEC Secretariat

A copper replica of a traditional Tripitaka Koreana woodblock carving of the Sutra of Wisdom, an ancient Buddhist scripture, has been presented to the APEC Secretariat in Singapore by the Korean Government.

The carving was presented by the Republic of Korea to the Secretariat in appreciation for the cooperation and support provided by the APEC Secretariat for the 2005 APEC Year that was hosted by Korea.

The Chair of the APEC Senior Officials Meeting process in 2005, Ambassador Kim Jong-Hoon, presented to the Secretariat and said the gift was a symbol of appreciation from Korea.

"The success of the 2005 APEC Year hosted by Korea is due in a large part to the efforts of the APEC Secretariat," Ambassador Kim said after the unveiling ceremony.

"Working behind the scenes from its base in Singapore, the APEC Secretariat ensures the smooth flow of each APEC year by providing administrative support.

"On behalf of the Korean Government I congratulate the Secretariat for its tireless efforts this year and wish the Secretariat further success in the 2006 APEC Year hosted by Viet Nam."

The 2005 Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, Ambassador Choi Seok Young, welcomed the gift on behalf of the Secretariat.

"This is a precious gift from the Government of Republic of Korea to commemorate the host of the APEC 2005 events," Ambassador Choi said.

"As the Tripitaka Koreana has compiled all available Buddhist scriptures, it serves as a precious sources for academia and researchers in studying the Buddhism in Asia and beyond.

"The exchange of printed scriptures reminds me of the spirit of APEC dedicated to promote trade and community building process. Cultural cooperation is an efficient tool for the promotion of exchanges of goods and peoples."

News photographs of the unveiling are available from the APEC Secretariat Website: www.apec.org/content/apec/tools/misc/temp/2005_media_releases/15



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Ambassador Tran Trong Toan from Viet Nam will become the 14th Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat on January 1, 2006. The appointment of the new Executive Director will coincide with the change of APEC host economy from Korea to Viet Nam.

Ambassador Toan said that striving under the theme of "A Dynamic Community for Sustainable Development and Prosperity", APEC 2006 in Viet Nam will make a significant contribution to enhancing development in the region.

"2006 will provide all Members of the APEC family with opportunities to strengthen their cooperation for sustainable development and secure a common prosperity for our people," Ambassador Toan said on the eve of his promotion to the most senior position at the Secretariat.

"Ensuring the dynamism of APEC in economic development and effectively responding to new challenges will be particularly important for APEC in 2006.

"APEC is placing increased emphasis on enhancing regional trade and investment with the implementation of the Busan Roadmap to achieve the Bogor goals of free and open trade and investment. APEC is also working to ensure the successful conclusion of WTO Doha Development Agenda negotiations in 2006.

"In our efforts to attain sustainable development and common prosperity, a great importance has been attached to bridging the development gap among the member economies through strengthened economic and technical cooperation.

"The Korea APEC 2005 Year was particularly successful in advancing the APEC process towards our development goals. As the host of APEC in 2006, Viet Nam, in cooperation with all Members Economies, will do her utmost to lead this process to further success."

An experienced diplomat, Ambassador Toan has served in the Viet Nam Foreign Service for thirty years in senior positions in Ha Noi, New Delhi and Kuala Lumpur.

Ambassador Toan will succeed Ambassador Choi Seok Young from Korea whose tenure at the APEC Secretariat will expire on the 31 December 2005.

Ambassador Colin Heseltine from Australia will be the next Deputy Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat from January 1, 2006 and will serve as the Executive Director when Australia assumes host responsibilities for the APEC process in 2007.

Key dates for the 2006 APEC Year include the Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Trade in Ho Chi Minh City on June 1-2, the APEC Finance Ministers Meeting in Ha Noi on September 7-8 and the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in Ha Noi on November 18-19.

Additional information on Ambassador Toan is available here.

News Photographs can be downloaded here.



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With pandemic health threats and terrorism threatening regional economic security, Chinese Taipei has announced that it will generously donate US$ 1 million to APEC institutions to promote cooperation on emergency and disaster preparedness and response.

The US$1 million package includes US$500,000 for the APEC Support Fund. The funding will be used to promote cooperation on emergency and disaster preparedness and response.

US$500,000 will be directed to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)'s Cooperation Fund for Regional Trade and Financial Security Initiative. This contribution will effectively reinforce counter-terrorism action among APEC members.

John Chen, the Senior Official of Chinese Taipei says, "Chinese Taipei is concerned about the threat of avian flu and other new strands that pose potential pandemic threats as top-priority public health concerns.

"Based on Chinese Taipei's experience in disease control during the 2003 SARS outbreak, we are committed to sharing information about the useful mechanisms we implemented to combat an outbreak, especially as it applies to avian influenza.

"Chinese Taipei has made every effort to integrate the resources of different ministries and departments for disease control. Fighting such a pandemic requires the close cooperation of every organ of the government.

Chinese Taipei's contribution brings the APEC Support Fund total to US$4 million. It supplements Australia's contribution which was made earlier this year when the ASF was formally approved during the APEC Senior Officials Meeting in Jeju, Korea, held in June 2005.

The APEC Support Fund supports capacity building projects for developing economies in the APEC community.

"ASF Projects are targeted and should meet the priorities of economic and technical cooperation.



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An APEC conference on biosafety policy options is taking place this week in Makati City, the Philippines. Attended by more than 80 participants, the conference will serve as a forum for addressing the myriad factors that must be taken into account in developing and implementing biosafety laws and regulations, at both the national and international level.

The conference, being held from January 16 to 18, is in preparation for the APEC High-Level Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Biotechnology to be held in Ha Noi, from 25 to 27 February.

Government policy makers and experts who are participating in the scheduled three-day conference hope to improve the ability of APEC economies to develop biosafety systems, enhance regional cooperation and promote more cohesive approaches to the regulation of agricultural biotechnology within the APEC.

Julian Adams, Science and Technology Adviser of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which co-sponsored the conference together with the Philippine's Department of Agriculture (DA) said they hope the outcomes of the three-day conference will help to tackle emerging issues on biotechnology.

He said the findings of the participants will serve as a guide when senior members of APEC economies meet in Ha Noi.

Agriculture Secretary Domingo Panganiban, who delivered the welcome remarks, stressed the significance of the conference to developing countries like the Philippines in learning from each other's experience on biotechnology.

He said the Philippines has had its share of benefits from modern technology, attributing the success of the economy's rice production program in the 1970s or the "Masagana 99" through international assistance and cooperation.

Secretary Panganiban said the Philippines' food security is anchored on new agricultural technologies and modern biotechnology offers the country its best hope.

"There are now over 85 million Filipinos. At the end of this year alone, another 2 million more will have been born. And because of dwindling farmlands, a vast number of our farmers are counted among the poorest people in the Asia-Pacific region," he said.

Speaking of the Philippine experience, Secretary Panganiban said carefully applied biotechnology could lessen the use of costly and often dangerous chemical pesticides in farms. He also said that through biotechnology, there could be substantial increase in crop yields per unit of land cultivated.

Secretary Panganiban said the Philippines is among the top 12 nations in the world where over 85% of the land is already under intense use for agriculture, housing and industry.

He said poor farmers have a better chance of increasing income without necessarily expanding the area devoted to agriculture, which is one of the problems confronting the Philippine government.



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Senior business executives that have been hand-picked by the Leaders of APEC Member Economies will meet in Singapore over the following week to address major economic issues of concern to regional business.

The first APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) meeting of 2006 will cover issues including the business implications of a potential Avian Influenza Pandemic, the outcomes of the recent WTO Ministerial Meeting and issues affecting energy markets.

The meeting will also be the first under the leadership of the new ABAC Chair, Hoang Van Dung, from Viet Nam.

The schedule will begin with a seminar on Avian Influenza today before the formal ABAC meeting next week. This seminar will consider actions to help mitigate a possible pandemic and is expected to draw on the successful responses to epidemics in the past including Singapore's response to SARS.

The meetings will take place in the Shangri-La Hotel on Orange Grove Road and will be officially opened on Monday, January 23 by Mr. Lim Hng Kiang, Singapore's Minister for Trade & Industry and conclude on Wednesday, January 25. The program includes a Gala Dinner hosted by Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, the Prime Minister of Singapore on Tuesday, January 24.

The meeting will also include a seminar with local Singapore businesses to examine business opportunities in Singapore as well as a briefing on business opportunities in Latin America.

A concluding News Conference will be held at 5:00pm on Wednesday, January 25, in the Shangri-La Hotel Lotus Room for all media to attend.

This is the first of four ABAC Meetings that will take place around the Asia-Pacific in 2006 with other meetings planned for Canada, the Philippines and Viet Nam.

At the final meeting in Viet Nam in November ABAC will present a series of recommendations to APEC Leaders.

ABAC consists of three representative business executives from each APEC economy that are selected by their respective Leaders.



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Business leaders from APEC have re-affirmed in a meeting in Singapore on 22-25 January of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) the commitment of APEC Leaders in Busan last November to press for a strong outcome from the Doha Round trade negotiations in the WTO.

"A vital concern for regional business is keeping the pressure on negotiators to ensure a successful outcome to the WTO negotiations", said ABAC 2006 Chair Hoang Van Dung, First Vice Chairman & Executive Vice President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

ABAC has announced that a delegation from ABAC will travel to Geneva in April to build support for the successful resolution of the Doha Development Agenda.

Dung said "We believe that our business leaders, who represent a region that constitutes 70% of the world's economic growth since the inception of APEC, will attract serious attention from the World Trade Organization."

"We plan to meet with CEOs from major European companies and from European business associations to draw out what we believe is a growing support base for multilateral liberalization in trade in goods and services and investment", added Dung. "We hope also to meet with representatives from Brazil and India in Geneva to discuss ways to secure a strong outcome in the WTO negotiations."

ABAC members also considered, in this first ABAC meeting of 2006, other vital business concerns, such as energy prices, strengthening regional financial markets and ameliorating volatile capital flows, and strengthening intellectual property right protections. During the year, they will meet with and advise APEC Ministers and develop recommendations that they will present to APEC Leaders at their annual meeting, which this year will be held in Ha Noi, Viet Nam in November.



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Business Leaders from APEC participated in a conference in Singapore from 20-25 January that discussed business preparedness against an Avian Influenza pandemic and other future health crises that could threaten critical business services.

The conference in Singapore, organised by the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and the Singapore Business Federation, provided an opportunity for public health experts, government officials and business leaders to discuss both the possible economic impacts of a pandemic and practical steps for businesses to manage in the case of an avian influenza pandemic.

ABAC 2006 Chair Hoang Van Dung, First Vice Chairman & Executive Vice President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said "While we don't know if this disease will become the pandemic we fear, we do know it is inevitable that there will be future health crises to strike the region."

"We cannot rely on government alone to do our planning for us. Our populations rely on many critical business services and functions that must be maintained in a crisis."

Dung stressed "People need to be able to count on the continuity of critical private sector services and infrastructure, such as communications, transportation, power, health care, financial systems and other sectors, even in a crisis."

"Preparing emergency response plans for future crises are of critical importance to business, and the exercise can also provide valuable lessons for businesses about the vitality and even efficiency of their key business processes", said Dung.

ABAC members concluded that they must work closely with governments and other business groups to encourage greater private sector readiness, especially among smaller and medium-sized businesses that may not know how to begin preparing a business continuity plan.

"Business can also play an important role in getting accurate information to both employees and customers, as well as in early detection of any potential outbreak."

ABAC further called for a meeting of APEC Agriculture Ministers to discuss issues related to safe and hygienic farming and food handling practices, as this could help to address the underlying causes of health threats like avian influenza and SARS.

ABAC will also continue to cooperate with the APEC Forum, in which the Health Task Force and other groups are sharing information and encouraging greater regional inter-governmental cooperation.

ABAC members also considered, in this first ABAC meeting of 2006, other vital business concerns, such as energy prices, strengthening regional financial markets and ameliorating volatile capital flows, and strengthening intellectual property right protections. During the year, they will meet with and advise APEC Ministers and develop recommendations that they will present to APEC Leaders at their annual meeting, which this year will be held in Ha Noi, Viet Nam in November.



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Ambassador Colin S. Heseltine assumed the position of Deputy Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat this week.

A career diplomat from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ambassador Heseltine will serve as the Deputy Executive Director for the 2006 APEC Year hosted by Viet Nam become the 15th Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat when Australia hosts APEC in 2007.

Ambassador Heseltine was born in 1947 and has served in several senior overseas postings for the Australian Government including as Australian Ambassador to the Republic of Korea and Head of Mission to Australia's Commerce and Industry Office in Taipei. Ambassador Heseltine has also served in other Australian diplomatic missions in Beijing, Santiago and Madrid.

Ambassador Heseltine holds a Bachelor of Economics with honours from Monash University in Australia and speaks Mandarin and Spanish. He is married with two daughters.

The 2006 APEC Secretariat Executive Director is Ambassador Tran Trong Toan from Viet Nam.

The APEC Secretariat is based in Singapore and operates as the core support mechanism for the APEC process. It provides coordination, technical and advisory support as well as information management, communications and public outreach services.

The APEC Secretariat performs a central project management role, assisting APEC Member Economies and APEC fora with overseeing more than 230 APEC-funded projects. APEC's annual budget is also administered by the APEC Secretariat.

Additional biodata and news photographs of Ambassadors Toan and Heseltine are available at: http://www.apec.org/content/apec/news___media/fact_sheets.html
Details on APEC Viet Nam 2006 are available at: www.apec2006.vn



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Issued by APEC Electronic Commerce Steering Group

The first formal meetings of APEC Viet Nam 2006 have begun with a series of seminars and workshops in Ha Noi.

The Symposium on Information Privacy Protection in E-Government and E-Commerce as well as several other meetings commenced today in the lead up to the First APEC Senior Officials Meeting of 2006 on March 1-2.

Viet Nam's Vice Minister of Trade, Dr. Le Danh Vinh, welcomed delegates to the "APEC Symposium on Information Privacy Protection in E-Government and E-Commerce" by highlighting the value of the following two weeks of APEC meetings.

"I am hopeful that this Symposium and the APEC Senior Official Meeting will be the opportunity to strengthen our partnership and exchange ideas to set specific goals for our activities," Dr. Vinh said in his opening address.

Dr. Vinh discussed advances in information technology and how this contributes to the social and economic benefits for individuals, businesses and governments in the region. He also noted the importance of protecting the integrity of this resource.

"Information and communication technologies, including mobile technology, link the Internet to other information networks and make it possible to collect, store and access information from anywhere in the world at the lowest price," Dr. Vinh said.

"Misused personal information may affect democracy and personal privacy pointing out the need for cross-border cooperation among APEC economies to launch the common privacy policy and legal framework, as well as technical supports."

The Symposium on Information Privacy Protection in E-Government and E-Commerce also included presentations from Nguyen Khoa Son, President of the Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology and a keynote address by Mr. Malcolm Crompton, Managing Director of Information Integrity Solutions Pty Ltd and the former Federal Privacy Commissioner of Australia.

The three day symposium will cover issues relating to information privacy in e-government and e-commerce, the legal and regulatory environment for protecting personal information of customers and citizens, the role of technology in information privacy protection and lessons learned from implementing the APEC Privacy Framework.

Webcasts and podcasts of today's presentations are available for download.

Webcast:

[https://www]

Opening address by Dr. Le Danh Vinh, Deputy Minister of Trade of Viet Nam 

 

Welcome remarks by Mr. Nguyen Khoa Son, President of Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology 

 

[https://www]

Welcome remarks by Mr Jesus Orta Martinez, Chair of the APEC Economic Commerce Steering Group 

Keynote speech by Mr. Malcolm Crompton, Managing Director of Information Integrity Solutions Pty Ltd and Former Federal Privacy Commissioner of Australia discussing "APEC Information Privacy Framework (review, impact, and progress)."

The text of the presentation by Mr Crompton and the associated PowerPoint slides and APEC Privacy Framework are also available for download.

[https://www]

- Word Document: APEC Information Privacy Framework (review, impact and progress) [1MB]
- Powerpoint Presentation: APEC Information Privacy Framework (review, impact and progress) [1.9MB] 
 



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Representatives from some of the world's most influential international organizations, including the International Financial Institutions(IFIs) and the OECD, will meet with APEC officials today to help small and micro enterprises gain better access to market economy.

The 'APEC/IFIs Policy Dialogue on Economic and Technical Cooperation' will share regional experience and seek new policy proposals to be implemented in APEC Member Economies.

To be held in Gyeongju, Korea, the dialogue will meet under the theme of 'Towards Equitable and Shared Prosperity.'

Chair of the meeting, Ambassador Juan Carlos Capuñay, said the dialogue will identify areas where these organisations' experience and expertise can help small and micro enterprises in APEC to gain better access to market economy.

"The dialogue will develop practical solutions for empowering and promoting Small and Medium Enterprise and Micro-Enterprise innovation through increasing access to formal sector finance," Ambassador Capuñay said.

"Too often we find that small businesses do not have the capacity to prepare a proposal to obtain finance from a bank. At the same time banks are often not in a position to lend money because they do not have an understanding of the activities or potential of these small businesses.

"We want to help both banks and small businesses to better understand how the other works and then start doing more business together.

"We hope this Policy Dialogue will repeat the success of the First Dialogue in 2003 that established a working relationship between APEC and the World Bank's Global Development Learning Network. Following the first dialogue initiatives were launched in areas such as counter-terrorism capacity building and addressing the social dimensions of globalization."

Ambassador Capuñay said the Second Dialogue, hosted by the SOM Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation (ESC) will include representatives from the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The ESC assists the APEC agenda Economic and Technical Cooperation (ECOTECH) through the development of capacity building projects that are implemented in Member Economies. These projects cover a range of research and teaching areas to impart skills that are in demand in developing areas.



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The Plenary Session of the Third APEC Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) was opened by SOM Chair, Ambassador Kim Jong Hoon, in Gyeongju.

In his address to Senior Officials and delegates Ambassador Kim discussed the progress of the current APEC year and priorities for the remainder of the year.

These include preparations for the APEC Leaders' Meeting and support for the upcoming WTO Ministerial Meeting.

Video and audio webcasts of Ambassador Kim's Remarks are available:

[https://www]

SOM III Plenary

(Dail-up, WMV, 1MB)

[https://www]

SOM III Plenary

(Broadband, WMV, 4MB)



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Issued by APEC Finance Ministers' Process

APEC Finance Ministers have concluded their 12th annual meeting by releasing a Joint Ministerial Statement.

Ministers also released three separate issue statements:

Jeju Declaration on Enhancing Regional Cooperation against the Challenges of Population Ageing

Policy Initiatives Review

APEC Finance Minister's Statement on Remittances

The Finance Ministers' Meeting was held on September 9-10 in Jeju, Korea, and was attended by representatives from APEC's 21 Member Economies.

The next APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting will be held in Viet Nam in 2006.



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The APEC Anti-Corruption and Transparency Experts Task Force (ACT) is now operational and preparing its work agenda for the following year.

Following endorsement at the third APEC Senior Officials Meeting for 2005 today in Gyeongju, the task force has confirmed the core operational principles that will guide activities and set its meeting schedule for 2006.

ACT Chair, Dr. Sung-ho Kim, welcomed the high level of officials attending the first meeting and highlighted the challenges they now face.

"The delegates representing APEC Member Economies at the ACT are the heart and soul of the anti-corruption community," Dr Kim said in Gyeongju.

"These people have all been involved in the global combat against corruption and have made substantial contributions to APEC's efforts to fight corruption and ensure transparency.

"In the face of increased sophistication and globalization of corruption, the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Experts Task Force will undertake strong measures to eliminate the evils of corruption.

"Our task force meets with the aim of sharing insights and wisdom to tackle corruption at the source."

The core operational principles set by the task force include ensuring that: leadership is provided by Member Economies in guiding the ACT agenda, stakeholders are consulted on significant issues, activities should be enhanced through the development of regional information networks, and examples of anti-corruption activities in Member Economies are to be shared between ACT Members.

The ACT will initially share information on anti-corruption strategies currently underway in the region and then initiate capacity-building measures to strengthen anti-corruption policies. These are expected to cover areas such as measures to deny safe haven to corrupt individuals and to facilitate asset recovery and extradition. Officials at the ACT meeting also expressed the need to use information technology and undertake educational campaigns to pursue the objectives of the task force.

The Task Force will now meet twice yearly beginning in February to approve the ACT 2006 work schedule and then in September to report on the progress before a final report is presented to APEC Leaders and Ministers in November.

The ACT meeting was held following the 2005 APEC Anti-Corruption & Transparency Symposium in Seoul on September 1-2. This was attended by more than 400 delegates and experts from APEC Member Economies and international organizations.



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An APEC Symposium has called on APEC Member Economies to consider specific recommendations to minimize the health and economic consequences of a potential human influenza pandemic.

These measures include improving information sharing between economies and fostering greater cooperation with the business sector to deal with potential threats. Other recommendations included responding to the Global Strategy for the Progressive Control of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, encouraging adequate compensation for farmers with potentially infected birds and animals and basing disease-related trade restrictions on recommendations of international organizations.

The recommendations were prepared by the APEC Health Task Force 'Symposium on Response to Outbreaks of Avian Influenza and Preparedness for a Human Health Emergency' that was held recently in San Francisco.

The report was presented to APEC Senior Officials meeting yesterday in Gyeongju, Korea, by Dr. Amar Bhat, the Chair of the APEC Health Task Force. Dr Bhat said the recommendations were well received by Senior Officials who acknowledged the seriousness of the potential threat posed by avian influenza.

"If an avian influenza strain was to develop into a human influenza strain that could be efficiently transmitted between humans the potential damage caused by a resulting human influenza pandemic would be enormous," Dr. Bhat said after the meeting.

"Conservative estimates suggest that predictions of what would be described as an average pandemic could result in around over 5 million hospital admissions and possibly 7 million deaths.

"The social and economic implications of an avian influenza pandemic are staggering and would touch people in all corners of the world," Dr. Bhat continued, "The Health Task Force is committed to working with APEC officials to ensure that the region is prepared for such an eventuality."

The symposium was convened in San Francisco, on 28-29 July and called for APEC member economies to play a strong leadership role to avoid a human influenza pandemic by focusing on prevention through preparedness and then having a response plan ready in case there is an outbreak.

Attendees included health care professionals, veterinary scientists and representatives of Member Economies, other affected Asian economies and international organizations. The recommendations that are available for download.



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The Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, H.E. Muhammad Jusuf Kalla, will open the 2nd APEC Ocean-Related Ministerial Meeting (AOMM2) in Bali on Friday, September 16.

Over two days of meetings, APEC Ministers will seek agreement on a series of measures to enhance environmental protection and strengthen marine-related industries including fisheries, tourism and energy.

The ministerial meeting will also seek cooperation from APEC Member Economies to take strong domestic action to overcome illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities in their jurisdictions.

This is the second meeting of Ministers responsible for oceans-related issues in the APEC region following the first meeting in Seoul, Korea, in 2002. At the first meeting Ministers adopted the 'Seoul Oceans Declaration' that outlined priorities for managing environmental concerns while ensuring sustainable oceans-related industries. At the second meeting this week Ministers will assess progress made in the implementation of the declaration and agree on future plans to meet oceans-related objectives.

With oceans-related issues covering a wide range of issues and sectors, the meeting will contribute to the work programs of several APEC fora and provide input to the Leaders' and Ministers' Meetings in November.

The meeting will be co-chaired by Indonesia's Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, H.E. Freddy Numberi, and Canada's Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Hon. Geoff Regan.

A news conference will be held on Saturday at 16:30 (Central Indonesia time). Media organizations are invited to submit questions online and these will be put to ministers at the news conference. 
A Webcast of the news conference will be made available following the news conference.



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Issued by the Second APEC Ocean-Related Ministerial Meeting

The Second Ocean-Related Ministerial Meeting was held on September 16-17. At the conclusion of the meeting ministers gave a joint news conference in which ministers gave their views on what has been achieved.

Remarks by H.E. Freddy Numberi, Minister for Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Indonesia

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Remarks by Hon Geoff Regan, Minister for Fisheries and Oceans, Canada 



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The Second APEC Ocean-Related Ministerial Meeting was officially opened by Indonesia's Vice President, H.E. Muhammad Jusuf Kalla, in Bali today.

Video and audio Webcasts of the opening remarks by Vice President Kalla, and the Minister for Marine Affairs and Fisheries, H.E. Freddy Numberi, are now available.

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H.E. Muhammad Jusuf Kalla, Vice President, Indonesia

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H.E. Freddy Numberi, Minister for Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Indonesia

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Issued by the EqTAP Seminar on Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster Reduction

Communities at risk of earthquakes and tsunamis will benefit from a seminar in Jakarta today that will disseminate disaster reduction technologies.

The two-day seminar will focus on earthquake and tsunami disaster reduction technologies developed under a multi-lateral research EqTAP (Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster Mitigation Technologies and their Integration to the Asia-Pacific) project.

One of the event organizers, Dr. Hiroyuki Kameda, said the seminar will deliver practical information such as output from the EqTAP project on disaster reduction technologies.

"This APEC seminar will make a valuable contribution to both disaster management capacity building and the enhancement of preparedness for natural disasters in APEC Member Economies," Dr. Kameda said on the eve of the seminar.

"The experiences of the Sumatra earthquake & tsunami disaster on 26 December 2004 and the subsequent earthquake disaster on 28 March 2005 have demonstrated the urgent need to put the outputs of the EqTAP project to practice.

"This includes the dissemination of information such as greenbelt technology for tsunami disaster reduction and seismic strengthening technology for brick masonry houses."

The seminar will discuss disaster reduction technologies that are particularly useful for developing areas including:

Disaster management technologies

Tsunami disaster reduction technologies

Seismic enhancement of masonry buildings and houses

Information dissemination technologies

Initially proposed by Japan, the seminar is being co-sponsored by Indonesia, Korea and Chinese Taipei. The seminar is taking place at the Hotel Nikko Jakarta, on 27-28 September. Participants are expected to include local government representatives, community leaders, engineers and disaster mitigation experts.

The APEC Industrial Science and Technology Working Group carried out the EqTAP project from 1999 to 2004. The project sought to intensify efforts to enhance disaster management capacity building, educate local communities on natural disaster reduction and salvation skills and increase public awareness on disaster preparedness.

Dr. Hiroyuki Kameda is Professor Emeritus, Kyoto University and Visiting Researcher, National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED), Japan.



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Issued by the Government of Indonesia, Host of the 2nd APEC Ocean-Related Ministerial Meeting

The Ministers responsible for oceans from APEC member economies, and their designates, today adopted the Bali Plan of Action.

The plan seeks to balance conservation and management of marine resources with regional economic growth. It was adopted at the close of the 2nd APEC Ocean-Related Ministerial Meeting that was co-chaired by Indonesia's Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, H.E. Freddy Numberi, and Canada's Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Hon. Geoff Regan.

"The Bali Plan of Action will ensure oceans and their resources provide a permanent and sustainable foundation to the economic and social well-being of the region's economies and people," said Minister Numberi. 
"We look forward to seeing concrete, tangible outcomes for the Asia-Pacific region as a follow up to the activities outlined in this plan."

"Oceans are a key asset to the Asia-Pacific region, and they need to be managed sustainably," said Minister Regan.

"The actions outlined in the Bali plan are a comprehensive way to do just that. I am especially pleased that we have committed to address the main threats to these resources - illegal fishing, fishing overcapacity, discards and bycatch - by moving from words to actions."

Based on the commitment made by Ministers in 2002 Seoul Ocean Declaration, the Bali Plan of Action contains practical commitments to work Towards Healthy Oceans and Coasts for the Sustainable Growth and Prosperity of the Asia-Pacific Community. This new plan is intended to guide the work of APEC ocean-related working groups for the rest of the decade through domestic and regional actions in three key areas:

1. To ensure the sustainable management of the marine environment and its resources, Ministers stressed the critical need for adequate science and economic information, data, and earth observations on which to base their decisions. They also emphasized the importance of taking an ecosystem-based approach to management to address pollution threats, marine invasive species, marine debris and derelict fishing gear, as well as unsustainable farming and harvesting of ocean resources. Furthermore, Ministers resolved to increase their efforts to strengthen and update fisheries governance and management, including through reform of, and co-operation in, regional fisheries management organizations.

2. To provide for sustainable economic benefits from the oceans, Ministers emphasized the need to realize the full economic potential of oceans for communities, alongside strengthened conservation and resource management. Safe seafood and sustainable aquaculture products also play an essential role in this objective. Ministers underscored the APEC goal of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, including efforts to enhance trade facilitation and market access for fisheries and fish products. They also pointed to the need for institutional and human capacity building and technical assistance to ensure that all economies in the region share in the benefits of oceans resources.

3. To enable sustainable development of coastal communities, Ministers resolved to raise awareness and engagement of these communities in integrated oceans and coastal management. They also outlined actions to reduce the vulnerability of Asia-Pacific communities to future natural disasters and climatic change, recognizing, in particular, the importance of swift reconstruction of those communities affected by the 2004 Tsunami. Ministers also underscored the importance of coastal hazard detection and early warning systems.

"Oceans Ministers in this region recognize the increasing vulnerability of our oceans, fisheries, and coasts," said Minister Numberi.

"Today, we have declared our intention to collectively act on measures that will contribute to the sustainable management of our region's marine environment as a foundation to the economic and social well-being of communities and people in the Asia-Pacific region."

The 2nd APEC Ocean-Related Ministerial Meeting took place in Bali, Indonesia on September 16 and 17, 2005. The results of the meeting will be brought to the attention of APEC Leaders at the APEC Summit in Busan, Korea in November 2005. The 3rd meeting of ocean-related Ministers will be hosted in Peru.

The Joint Ministerial Statement and the Bali Plan of Action are available.



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Issued by the Agricultural Technical Cooperation Working Group (ATCWG)

With the intention of improving market access for fresh produce exporters in the Asia-Pacific, an APEC seminar, to be held this week, to assist producers to increase awareness about quality standards prevailing in international markets.

The training course, 'Quality Management of Fresh Produce for Export Markets' will be held from October 3-12 at the Center of Excellence in Post-harvest Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) in Bangkok, Thailand.

Head of the Division of Post-harvest Technology and Associate Dean for Research and International Relations at KMUTT, Dr. Sirichai Kanlayanarat, said improving quality standards was key to exporting more fresh produce.

"If international quality standards were met it's likely that at least 20% more fresh produce could be exported from the region," Dr. Sirichai Kanlayanarat said.

"These increased exports offer greater economic benefits to both producers and consumers.

"Producers, especially those in the less developed APEC economies, could enjoy access to open markets while consumers in the importing economies enjoy quality fresh produce, especially out of season.

"With food production accounting for a significant portion of the Thai economy, we are hopeful that producers who meet international standards will have greater opportunity to access new markets.

"This seminar will impart the knowledge and skills participants need to respond better to current and future demands of the post-harvest industry, especially at the international level."

The seminar will focus on:

Information on quality standards to ensure that food products meet WTO sanitary and phytosanitary requirements

Developing and strengthening existing linkages between government, academe and industry

Circulating information referring to quality standards of fresh produce

Delegates to the symposium include representatives from APEC Member Economies and international forums including processors and food exporters as well as specialists from research and academic institutions.

The symposium will be jointly hosted by the Centre of Excellence in Postharvest Technology and the Continuous Education Centre, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok with guest lecturers from the University of Western Sydney and the University of New South Wales.



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Senior Asia-Pacific business executives have called on APEC Member Economies to take the lead in ensuring the success of the crucial upcoming World Trade Organization meeting in Hong Kong.

In their 2005 report to Leaders, the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) also called for further reforms to pursue APEC's own economic integration and development goals, strengthen financial systems and bond markets, improve emergency preparedness and respond effectively to volatile energy prices.

ABAC Chair, Mr Jae-Hyun Hyun, said he believes that the time has come for APEC Member Economies to take a leading role in bringing the Doha Round to a successful conclusion.

"We call on APEC Leaders to instruct their negotiators to exercise flexibility so as to reach agreement on all modalities of the negotiations by the WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong," Mr Hyun said.

"Among our recommendations ABAC calls on economies to eliminate agricultural export subsidies within five years, eliminate or at least substantially reduce trade barriers for non-agricultural products, and offer meaningful new services liberalisation.

"ABAC has also proposed the adoption of check-lists for Member Economies to advance WTO negotiations in financial services and to promote foreign direct investment in the region's financial services sectors.

"APEC Member Economies represent around half of total global trade flows, so this places Leaders in a unique situation to demonstrate leadership in WTO negotiations."

Mr Hyun said the ABAC recommendations seek reform in areas that have a direct impact on APEC's capacity to reach its core free trade and investment goals.

"ABAC calls for increased measures to assist economies to be more resilient in the face of volatile capital flows. This includes the strengthening of bond markets to ensure financial stability and broaden sources of financing for infrastructure and corporate expansion. ABAC also advocates the promotion of private pension schemes to strengthen budgets and to respond to the problems of ageing communities.

"Energy sources need to be conserved and diversified and ABAC recommends policy and reform that focuses on conservation and provides preferential treatment to energy efficient products.
Mr Hyun presented an advance copy of ABAC's report to Korean President, Roh Moo-hyun on Friday. President Roh will chair the APEC Leaders' Meeting in Busan this November where the report will be formally presented.

The report will be available from October 14 at www.abaconline.org.



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APEC Mining Ministers will meet to confront several challenges relating to current global minerals' demand and the environmental sustainability of the mining sector.

The Second Meeting of APEC Ministers Responsible for Mining will be held in Gyeongju, Korea, on 20 October.

Dr Bong-Hyeon Joo, Director General for Energy Resources Policy, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said the meeting will give Ministers from each of APEC's 21 Member Economies the opportunity to make a contribution to the future direction of the regional mining sector.

"Minerals and metal mining is relevant to the citizens of the Asia-Pacific as almost every person in our region uses products provided by the mining industry," Dr. Joo said.

"Current demand pressure on mined resources is affecting people in the region from higher fuel bills through to increasingly expensive consumer goods."

"Ministers will look at options to enhance supply stability in order to strengthen the regional economy to withstand further price-induced shocks. Ministers will also discuss a range of individual measures including incentives to encourage additional exploration and avenues for strengthening reliable stockpiling measures."

Dr. Joo said another significant issue that Ministers will discuss will be the environmental sustainability of the mining sector.

"APEC Member Economies seek to obtain the optimum benefit from our mining sector while at the same time ensuring the environmental integrity of the areas where mining takes place," Dr. Joo said.

"This means Ministers from the diverse range of APEC Member Economies must consult and work together to ensure that environmental protection measures are relevant and workable in all economies.

"If we do not work to protect the environment now, it is not only the mining industry but human welfare that will suffer over time."

"As one of the major outcomes of the meeting, APEC member economies will establish an APEC Mining Industry Forum after the meeting," Dr. Joo said.

The Ministerial Meeting will be attended by Ministers and delegates from Member Economies with official presentations made to Ministers by a range of industry researchers and experts.

The meeting will be chaired by Hee-Beom Lee, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea. A Joint Ministerial News Conference will be held at the conclusion of the meeting that will be webcast via the APEC website: www.apec.org

The Meeting of APEC Ministers Responsible for Mining will be held the day following the 7th APEC Energy Ministers' Meeting which will be held on October 19 in Gyeongju, Korea.



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APEC Energy Ministers will seek solutions to alleviate pressure on the regional economy caused by sustained high energy prices when they meet tomorrow in Korea.

While APEC Energy Ministers usually meet every two years this second consecutive meeting has been called to address ongoing concerns relating specifically to regional energy supply and demand.

The meeting in Gyenongju, Korea, on October 19 will take place under the theme of "Securing APEC's Energy Future: Responding to Today's Challenges for Energy Supply and Demand."

Dr Bong-Hyeon Joo, Director General for Energy Resources Policy, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said the meeting will discuss a number of issues relating to energy supply and demand as well as ways of promoting energy efficiency and conservation.

"Expanding oil field exploration and development, increased infrastructure investment and the removal of barriers to trade in oil are a few of the issues that will be covered by Ministers," Dr. Joo said.

"At the conclusion of this meeting Ministers will issue a declaration that is intended for implementation at a local level in Member Economies and by APEC fora.

"This meeting will involve Ministers identifying relevant factors relating to their specific circumstances and then seeking practical solutions that will work at home."

Dr. Joo said that Ministers will also look at opportunities to accelerate the development of more efficient energy technologies.

"Improving regional energy efficiency is a significant factor in bringing about a more affordable price balance between energy supply and demand in the long-term," Dr Joo said.

"APEC Member Economies are leaders in energy technology development. Through increased technological collaboration our region can reduce vulnerability to high energy prices while at the same time lessening environmental impacts."

The 7th Meeting of APEC Energy Ministers will also receive input from the Acting Secretary General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and leading researchers and experts on energy economic issues.

The meeting will conclude with a Joint Ministerial News Conference that will be webcast via the APEC website: www.apec.org

The Energy Ministers' Meeting will be followed by the 2nd Meeting of APEC Ministers Responsible for Mining that will also take place in Gyeongju on October 20.



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Issued by the 7th Meeting of APEC Energy Ministers

APEC Energy Ministers have concluded their 7th meeting by issuing a Joint Declaration.

The Declaration is now available on the APEC Website and covers the following areas:

Message from APEC Energy Ministers

Responding to the Impact of High Oil Prices and Oil Dependency

Responding to the APEC Region's Broader Energy Supply and Demand Challenges

Promoting Energy Efficiency and Conservation

Expanding Cross-Border Energy Trade

Attracting Energy Investment

Accelerating Energy Technology Development

Harnessing all expertise available to the EWG

The APEC Energy Ministers' Meeting took place one day before the 2nd Meeting of APEC Ministers Responsible for Mining in Gyeongju on October 20.



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The development and implementation of international standards with a focus on plant and animal health will be the subject of an APEC workshop taking place at Fort Collins, Colorado, until October 22.

The workshop is being organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) and Australia's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry (DAFF), co-shepherds of the ATCWG's Animal and Plant Quarantine and Pest Management Working Group. It is hosted by the USDA/APHIS Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health.

The workshop will provide over 50 animal and plant health specialists from Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, and Vietnam with an opportunity to learn how international standards are developed and adopted in both the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).

"The development of a common set of accepted international science-based standards is essential for promoting agricultural trade within the APEC community," said USDA Deputy Under Secretary, Dr. Chuck Lambert.

"Increasing awareness and understanding within the APEC region of the OIE and IPPC and their respective standard setting processes will help ensure that member economies use a common set of criteria to promulgate animal and plant health regulations."

Two current international standards are being used as case studies for the workshop: (1) OIE's recently amended Avian Influenza (AI) standard and (2) IPPC's standard on wood packing material (WPM) commonly referred to as ISPM 15. Regulatory issues associated with AI and WPM are both high priorities for many APEC economies. The ATCWG's contribution to addressing these priorities will be an interactive roundtable discussion led by government officials from the United States, Australia, China, and Malaysia. Industry representatives from the U.S. and Australia are also participants.

The U.S.A. Poultry and Egg Export Council and Timber Products Inspection, Inc., have organized field activities to observe first hand the application of international standards guiding safeguards in poultry production and solid wood packing materials. Other participants will include the Australian company Tanda International Pty Ltd. and Colorado State University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.



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Leaders, Ministers, Senior Officials and thousands of delegates from APEC's 21 Member Economies will begin a week of high level meetings in Korea this Saturday that will conclude with the Annual Economic Leaders' Meeting on November 18-19.

Agenda items for the meetings are likely to include the formulation of a regional response to a potential Avian Influenza pandemic and establishing a common position in relation to the upcoming WTO ministerial negotiations. Meetings are also expected to cover regional concerns relating to terrorism, energy prices and ongoing regional economic development.

The Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, Ambassador Choi Seok Young, said the social and economic consequences of an outbreak of Avian Influenza are seen as a particularly crucial issue in the APEC process.

"An Avian Influenza pandemic has the potential to cause extreme harm to the people of our region not only through illness and death, but would also undermine businesses and cost jobs," Ambassador Choi said before the start of the meetings.

"If economies do not work together to share information and preparation strategies, the consequences could be dire for the region.

"Leaders, Ministers and Senior Officials will look at the challenges posed by a potential pandemic and seek a unified regional response."

Recommendations from the recent Symposium on Avian Influenza in Brisbane, Australia, will be presented to Leaders, Ministers and Senior Officials to aid in their discussions.

Ambassador Choi said the upcoming meeting of World Trade Organization Ministers in Hong Kong will also be an issue for the APEC meetings.

"APEC Member Economies account for around half of global trade and so have a significant collective voice in WTO discussions. Our Members will build on decisions by APEC Trade Ministers earlier in the year to provide substantial momentum to progress the current round of WTO negotiations."

The week of APEC meetings will begin with the Concluding 2005 meeting of APEC Senior Officials on November 12-13. Senior Officials from APEC's 21 Member Economies will cover issues that will then be advanced to Leaders and Ministers. The Meeting of APEC Ministers will take place on November 15-16 before the start of the Leaders' Meeting on November 18. Other meetings taking place in Busan include the meeting of the APEC Business Advisory Council on November 14-16 and the APEC CEO Summit on November 17-19.



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Strengthening regulatory capacity and exchanging technical information for the safe introduction and use of agricultural biotechnology products will be the topic of an APEC annual meeting in Santiago, Chile from November 14 to 22.

The meeting is a forum for APEC agricultural experts from Member Economies to cover biotechnology research applications in aquaculture and food, the global status of transgenic crops, and applications for animal health and production. Economies will also report on the current status of their agricultural biotechnology programs.

"Chile recognizes the important contribution agricultural biotechnology makes to the agricultural sectors of APEC economies and welcomes the opportunity to host this meeting of APEC experts," said Dr Carlos Munoz, the conference organizer.

"Particular priorities for the workshop include promoting transparent, science-based approaches to risk assessment and risk management, including interactions with stakeholders and encouraging effective communications approaches to enhance public awareness and understanding of agricultural biotechnology."

"Participants will also seek to link APEC Economies with the work of other international and regional organizations, such as the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the Codex Alimentarius and other Inter-Governmental Agencies."

The meeting is being organized by APEC's Agricultural Technical Cooperation Working Group's (ATCWG) Sub-Group on Research, Development, and Extension of Agricultural Biotechnology (RDEAB)and hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Mr. Bart Bilmer from the Canadian Food and Inspection Agency and Shepherd of the RDEAB said the special two-day session will focus on capacity building in the area of communications and combining 'best practices' along with theory in a hands on-style workshop.

"RDEAB's revised communications guide 'Communicating About Agricultural Biotechnology in APEC Economies: A Best Practices Guide' is an essential tool to help APEC Economies effectively communicate these issues to the public, producers and stakeholders", Mr. Bilmer said

"RDEAB's work this year also includes a report on an Agricultural Biotechnology Crops in Centres of Origin workshop and an evaluation of RDEAB's work during the last six years.

"The future work of the group will be based on the results of the evaluation and take into account the latest scientific and international developments in agricultural biotechnology as well as the work of other APEC bodies whose work touches upon agricultural biotechnology.

"We are looking forward to a productive week that will benefit both farmers and the food consumers of our region."



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Members of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) will meet with APEC Economic Leaders on November 18 as part of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Busan, Korea.

Foremost business concerns are expected to include: a successful WTO Ministerial Meeting in Hong Kong and rapid conclusion of the WTO Doha Development Agenda negotiations, effective measures to deal with a possible bird flu pandemic, and the impact on the region of protracted high energy prices.

ABAC Chair, Mr Jae-Hyun Hyun, said: "There is no other priority of such sustained concern to business as the rapid and successful conclusion of this WTO round, and we expect APEC Leaders and Ministers to step forward in show leadership at this critical time."

These and other private sector priorities were detailed further in the 2005 ABAC report to Leaders: "Networking Asia-Pacific Economic: A Pathway to Common Prosperity."

This report is prepared annually by ABAC, which consists of three representative business executives from each APEC economy, hand-picked by their respective Leaders to serve on this advisory body.

ABAC members will meet collectively with Leaders, in a private, face-to-face dialogue, to offer their views on concerns and opportunities facing Leaders and the region.

Mr Hyun said: "We feel a tremendous opportunity and responsibility to offer our best private-sector advice, and to reflect business perspectives to Leaders, as they wrestle with the region's weightiest issues."

The ABAC report to Leaders is available at www.abaconline.org.



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Issued by the Concluding Senior Officials' Meeting

The Plenary Session of the Concluding Senior Officials' Meeting (CSOM) for 2005 was opened by SOM Chair, Ambassador Kim Jong Hoon.

The CSOM is the final meeting of Senior Officials before the 17th APEC Ministerial Meeting on November 15-16 and the 13th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting that will take place on November 18-19.

Video and audio webcasts of Ambassador Kim's Remarks are available:

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Issued by the Consultative Meeting for the Preparation of the Second APEC Ocean-Related Ministerial Meeting

Harnessing the economic value of fisheries and other marine resources while ensuring environmental sustainability, will be among the key issues for APEC Oceans Ministers' consideration when they meet in Bali, Indonesia, on September 16 and 17.

The Second APEC Ocean-Related Ministerial Meeting (AOMM2) will bring together Ministers responsible for maritime-related issues to provide guidance on a plan of action for implementation in APEC Member Economies.

Working to the theme of "Our Coasts, our Ocean ... An Action Plan for Sustainability," AOMM2 will be co-chaired by Indonesia and Canada.

Indonesia's Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, H.E. Freddy Numberi, highlighted the importance of ensuring the sustainability of our ocean and coasts. He said that fisheries and other marine industries are important assets for economic growth and prosperity in the region and that action is needed today to protect ocean resources in the future.

"Our ocean resources have become the basic source of food and sustenance for millions of people with billions of dollars of investment," Mr. Numberi said.

"The fisheries and ocean-related sector is one of the biggest employers in Indonesia,

"Failure to protect ocean resources would lead to serious economic consequences and remove a major source of protein for most of the global population. This would have a damaging impact on other industries such as energy and tourism.

"At this ministerial meeting APEC members will set an example for the global community by agreeing to measures that will enhance future ocean resource potential."

Canada's Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Hon. Geoff Regan, said he anticipated the meeting would produce tangible benefits for people around the Asia-Pacific region.

"All APEC Member Economies have marine industries and so have valuable contributions to bring to the table," Mr Regan said.

"I look forward to the exchange of ideas, so we can collectively better address the marine resource challenges, including the global problem of illegal fishing activities, that are facing the region today.

"I am pleased to be co-chairing such an important meeting of Oceans Ministers. Sustainable development is at the heart of Canada's Oceans Action Plan and our strategy to improve international fisheries and oceans governance."

AOMM2 is expected to look at efforts to conserve marine biodiversity, prevent pollution and protect important ecosystems such as coral reefs. It will also focus on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and ecosystem-based management in the context of the management of high seas fish stocks.

Delegates from APEC's 21 Member Economies will meet in Jakarta on July 26-27 to finalize the agenda and prepare inputs for the Ministerial Meeting. This preparatory meeting will assess submissions from APEC Member Economies and industry stakeholders in preparing the agenda and inputs to the Ministerial Meeting.



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Bipartisan political commitment will ensure APEC's success during Australia's tenure as host economy in 2007, according to Mr. Simon Crean, Australia's Shadow Minister for Regional Development.

During a visit to the APEC Secretariat in Singapore today Mr. Crean said there is broad support across the Australian political spectrum for the success of APEC 2007, which will be hosted by Australia.

"Australia was involved in the foundation of APEC in 1989, and we continue to hold great expectations for APEC's on-going trade and community-building roles in the region," Mr. Crean said.

"APEC has been significant in facilitating free and open trade in the Asia-Pacific region for the last 16 years and will continue to be relevant through actions such as the recent political support shown by Trade Ministers for a favorable resolution of the WTO Doha Development Round.

"Both sides of the House of Representatives in Australia are strongly committed to the success of APEC. Being hosts in 2007 will demonstrate, once again, that Australia has the human resources, flair and energy to stage a leading international event."

APEC Secretariat Executive Director, Ambassador Choi Seok-Young of Korea, provided strong words of encouragement for Australia's ongoing involvement and leadership within the APEC forum.

"Australia is one of the founding fathers of APEC and to this day continues to play a leadership role through chairmanship of a number of APEC sub-fora and Working Groups," Ambassador Choi said.

"As APEC focuses on issues such as the reform of APEC functions in order to enable the forum to be more effective, we are pleased that Australia continues to play an active part in discussions. We look forward to Australia's stewardship in 2007, which should see the culmination of a number of reform measures throughout the forum."

Korea is the 2005 host of the APEC process with the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting Scheduled for Busan in November. Viet Nam will host APEC in 2006 and hold the Leaders' Meeting in Ha Noi in November. For 2007 Australia has already selected Sydney as host city of the Leaders' Meeting that will take place in September. In the lead-up to the Sydney meeting a range of ministerial and other official meetings will take place around Australia.



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More than 100 officials from 21 APEC economies will meet in San Francisco, California, July 28-29, to discuss how to build the capacity and marshal the resources to control Avian Influenza and to respond to any related human health emergency.

The United States is sponsoring the APEC Health Task Force Symposium on Response to Outbreaks of Avian Influenza (AI) and Preparedness for a Human Health Emergency along with APEC Member Economies Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Dr. Chuck Lambert and APEC Health Task Force Chair Dr. Amar Bhat, Office of Global Health Affairs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will open the conference.

The symposium will explore how AI can affect agriculture, human health, finance and trade in the APEC region, and provide an opportunity for Member Economy representatives to discuss domestic policies that might ease those effects.

Participants will also identify resources needed to address AI; learn about the work of international standard-setting bodies and international organizations; and discuss barriers to controlling animal and human disease.

They will review international recommendations on AI and pandemic influenza preparedness to identify what would work in the APEC economies and analyze their capacity to implement those recommendations.

The symposium is expected to result in proposals for marshalling resources to respond to AI and the risks of a human health emergency, including action plans on a sector-by-sector and economy-by-economy basis.

Participants will include government and private sector policy makers in the agriculture, human health, trade and foreign affairs sectors. In addition to the 21 APEC economies, representatives from Cambodia, Laos and international organizations are expected to attend.



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