ASIA PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION
TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP
FOURTEENTH MEETING – SEOUL, KOREA
OCTOBER 1998

APEC ELECTRONIC COMMERCE TASK FORCE
Submitted by Australia

 Agenda Item

To report on developments with the SOM Electronic Commerce Task Force work program.

BACKGROUND

At the 13th APEC Transportation Working Group (TPT-WG) in Mexico, it was agreed that the TPT-WG make a contribution to the APEC Electronic Commerce Task Force and that Australia represent the TPT-WG at the Task Force. Following the meeting Australia submitted the statement of contribution including an issues paper on paperless trading. Since then the Task Force has met twice.

2^ND TASK FORCE MEETING

The first stage of the Task Force work program concentrated on improving member economies’ understanding of the key issues arising from the increasing use of electronic commerce and its impact on the trade and economic interests of APEC economies. This was primarily through an exchange of views on five key themes:

1. access to the information infrastructure
2. trust in information systems and electronic transactions
3. electronic commerce promotion and facilitation
4. the international regulatory environment, and
5. government and business relationships.

An APEC Electronic Commerce Task Force website www.dfat.gov.au/apec/ecom has been established to assist in the dissemination of discussion papers and to provide a contact point for information about electronic commerce initiatives being undertaken in APEC and in other international organisations, governments and businesses. The website contains issues papers prepared by economies and APEC sub-fora for the first stage.

The first stage of the work program culminated in a roundtable meeting in Kuching, East Malaysia on 12-13 June. The Roundtable was attended by APEC officials, business representatives and representatives from TEL, TPT-WG and PECC. The meeting was organised around the five themes and a substantial exchange of views took place. APEC officials also discussed the second stage of the work program.

The Task Force reiterated the importance of continued information exchange and agreed to:

1. consider development of possible APEC principles for future work on electronic commerce;
2. exchange information to promote greater public sector use of electronic commerce as a catalyst to wider uptake;
3. identify impediments to electronic commerce in cooperation with relevant APEC sub-fora and other international organisations
4. identify areas for technical cooperation and capacity-building between APEC economies
5. consider the potential for development of joint government-business outreach and training programs, particularly for SMEs
6. identify other areas for further cooperation on electronic commerce in APEC to be pursued by relevant APEC sub-fora.

Other outputs of the meeting included a matrix identifying current electronic commerce work being undertaken by APEC sub-fora as well as potential new areas of work. It was agreed that the work matrix would be finalised at the third Task Force meeting. The meeting also agreed that the US developed a paper on impediments to electronic commerce for consideration at the next meeting, and Australia lead a project for exchange of information and possible technical cooperation on the looming Y2K issue.

The report of the Task Force meeting was later endorsed by SOM and Trade Ministers at their respective meetings. Ministers also reiterated the need for the Task Force to continue to take into account the views of the private sector, differing levels of development in member economies, and the need to avoid duplication in both APEC and international fora.

3^rd Meeting of the SOM Electronic Commerce Task Force

The 3^rd meeting of the Task Force was held in Singapore on 4 September. Due to resource issues, and the fact that the meeting was to focus on management of the work program in the lead-up to Ministers/Leaders meetings in November, the meeting was for officials only. The meeting discussed:

1. work in progress (Y2K project, impediments and the electronic commerce work matrix)
2. draft APEC Vision Statement on Electronic Commerce
3. possible APEC principles/guidelines
4. future management of APEC electronic commerce work
5. Next steps including recommendations to Leaders in November

1. Y2K

The Australian initiated survey is under way and economies are urged to complete the survey before 30 September. Already completed surveys suggest much attention is paid to the problem domestically but not to potential impact across borders. The Task Force proposed that Leaders make an announcement about Y2K and cross-border trade, and announce a major regional Y2K contingency planning experts’ summit to be held in early 1999. This proposal was endorsed by SOM 3.

2. Impediments review

A number of reviews are under way and there is a strong desire to reduce or remove impediments to the uptake of electronic commerce in APEC. Issues of trust, security, technical skills, infrastructure and legislation matters have been identified as impediments. A survey was drafted and economies have been asked to identify any gaps and provide comments by 30 September. The meeting also agreed to take account of a similar OECD impediments survey to ensure comparability of survey results.

3. Review of APEC electronic commerce work

The attached matrix was prepared on all APEC work under way as well as capacity of groups to carry forward future work. This matrix is a development of that produced at the second meeting in June. It demonstrates the need for coordination on electronic commerce issues within APEC, and highlights areas of overlapping work as well as potential gaps.

1. Outreach and training (SME focus)

Obstacles and outreach problems for SMEs were identified and a framework for discussing these issues were developed. The meeting agreed to develop a series of SME case studies to encourage SME uptake of electronic commerce. APEC economies were urged to identify and prepare one/two case study example(s) from within their economies preferably by 30 September. The Task Force will consider putting the framework and case studies together in a report as part of the final Task Force product to SOM, Ministers and Leaders.

2. Public Sector Use of Electronic Commerce

The meeting agreed that APEC governments and public sectors should be encouraged to demonstrate the effectiveness and value of electronic commerce by becoming leading edge users of electronic commerce. It was suggested that APEC’s role is perhaps to foster better practice in inter-government activity and government activity affecting cross-border flows (customs, transport, and telecommunications activity are examples).

The meeting also identified the potential for APEC economies to agree to work towards a paperless trading goal within APEC in the interests of more efficient trade operations. One proposal for consideration is for Leaders to endorse work underway to develop paperless systems and agree that in order to capture greater efficiencies for regional trade, APEC economies will work towards adoption of region-wide paperless trading [by 2005]. This proposal was noted by SOM 3.

3. Technical Cooperation and Capacity Building

The meeting identified the importance of human resource and skills development activity and agreed to follow up with the HRD Working Group to further develop possible APEC training related to electronic commerce, including consideration of virtual seminars. It also agreed to examine the feasibility of a ‘virtual centre’ as a reference base and an extension of the Task Force website.

4. The Task Force noted presentations or written reports from or on behalf of TEL, TPT-WG, SCCP, IPEG and HRD. It also took note of work in progress in ABAC, PECC and PBEC.

The meeting agreed that an APEC Vision Statement and accompanying background report on the work done by the Task Force will be developed for consideration by Ministers and Leaders. The vision statement would incorporate some broad statements and a program for carrying forward work on electronic commerce. Options for the management of future work were also canvassed and will be discussed further with the APEC Secretariat in the context of its work on APEC reform.

The final Task Force meeting is scheduled for mid to late October. ABAC electronic commerce task force representatives will be invited to the meeting.

COMMENT

It is pleasing to note that the Task Force has taken on board some of the TPT-WG's concerns, in particular, the paperless trading issue. The attached Task Force Co-Chair's work matrix may have implications for TPT-WG's electronic commerce work program. The Task Force has requested economy and APEC sub-fora input by 7 October. Economies were requested to convey comments on the matrix, if any, to Australia via the E-Commerce list or fax, by 6 October. Australia will keep abreast of further developments in the Task Force work program and keep economies informed of any impact on the TPT-WG.

RECOMMENDATION

• TPT-WG note the developments.

This page was last updated on 10 Aug, 2006