Since the 18^th TPT Meeting, several important policy meetings have taken place, namely the 8^th APEC Economic Leaders Meeting (AELM) and the 12^th APEC Ministerial Meeting in November 2000 in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, and the 1^st Senior Officials Meeting for 2001 (SOM 1/2001) in February 2001 in Beijing, the People¡¦s Republic of China.

A matrix of the AELM/AMM Tasking Statements may be reviewed in full on the APEC Secretariat virtual library at its website (www.apecsec.org.sg) under SOM 1/2001 documents. The tasking statements relevant to the TPT could be summarized as follows.

• Sectoral Ministerial Meetings: Ministers requested officials to undertake a review on the implementation of initiatives that were endorsed in APEC Sectoral Ministerial Meetings.
• APEC Road Map on Strengthening Markets: Ministers commended progress made in implementing the Road Map, particularly efforts to develop seamless and safe transportation systems. Leaders and Ministers welcomed progress in implementing the recommendations for more competitive air services on a voluntary basis, including the proposals on widening and deepening the measures within APEC as well as a plurilateral arrangement among five like-minded economies to liberalise air services. Ministers noted that increasingly APEC¡¦s work on strengthening markets needs to address the challenges of building relevant market infrastructure and institutions as well as strengthening human capacity. Ministers therefore instructed officials to report further progress on the Road Map in 2001, concentrating on these challenges.
• Trade Facilitation: Leaders urged further progress on the reduction of non-tariff measures as called for at their last meeting in Auckland and as reiterated by ABAC in its report.
• Electronic Commerce: A High Level Symposium on E-Commerce and Paperless Trading has been convened in February in Beijing. Ministers emphasized the need to make progress on capacity building, consumer protection, network security, favorable and compatible legal framework, and the role of e-commerce in trade facilitation. Ministers instructed updating of the Inventory on E-commerce Activities in APEC, while at the same time to consider widening the scope of APEC¡¦s e-commerce work program, with relevant recommendations by the Electronic Commerce Steering Group (ECSG).
• The New Economy: Leaders gave instructions to develop and expand the New Economy Action Agenda. Ministers endorsed the following initiatives: Readiness Evaluation Action Partnership; Transforming the Digital Divide into a Digital Opportunity; APEC Guide to Enact Legal Framework for Electronic Commerce; Cyber Education Cooperation; Human Capacity Building in APEC ¡V Meeting the Needs of the 21^st Century; Use of Information Technology in a Learning Society; Network of Skills Development Centers; and, the Knowledge-Based Economy Project. Ministers also instructed senior officials to prepare a human capacity building strategy that would define the objectives, priorities and principles for APEC to respond to the challenges of the new economy. A Human Capacity Building Coordinating Group has been established under the SOM Sub-Committee on ECOTECH for this purpose. An invitation for participation has been sent to APEC fora.
• ECOTECH: Ministers stressed that ECOTECH should be more focused and properly prioritized. A review of the Joint Activities/Dialogue sections of the Osaka Action Agenda will take place in 2001. (The SOM Sub-committee on ECOTECH will seek the assistance of relevant APEC fora.) The possibility of establishing IAPs on ECOTECH will also be considered. Ministers also encouraged APEC fora to utilize the ECOTECH Clearing House and instructed fora to communicate and publicize the benefits that APEC projects have brought to the quality of life of the people in the region.
• APEC Interaction: Ministers instructed enhanced interaction with the business community and other relevant stakeholders. In this context, an Ad-hoc Study Group of Officials on APEC Interaction has been established to consider how best to benefit from the interests, expertise and insight of stakeholders. APEC is also developing a communication and outreach strategy.
• Framework for the Integration of Women in APEC: Ministers tasked APEC fora to implement the Framework.

At SOM 1/2001, China proposed the following theme for APEC 2001, ¡§Meeting New Challenges in the New Century: Achieving Common Prosperity through Participation and Cooperation¡¨, which embodies the following sub-themes:

1. Sharing the Benefits of Globalization and the New Economy;

2. Advancing Trade and Investment; and,

3. Promoting Sustainable Economic Growth.

Regarding the future work program in relation to electronic commerce, SOM agreed that capacity building and HRD remain the focus of APEC¡¦s future efforts. SOM also took note of the ECSG¡¦s proposal to expand into policy-oriented actions and suggestions for enhancing research work.

In reviewing the mandate of the ECSG, which was established two years ago at SOM 1/1999, SOM agreed to extend its term for another two years. In this context, SOM noted the value of the ECSG¡¦s role in coordination of e-commerce issues in APEC. It is SOM¡¦s intention for the ECSG to continue to do so in the context of work on the New Economy.

SOM welcomed the following recommendations on follow-up actions from the APEC High-Level Symposium on Electronic Commerce and Paperless Trading:

• undertaking pilot projects, on a voluntary basis, to demonstrate the feasibility of meeting the APEC goals of paperless trading by 2005 or 2010;
• developing Individual Action Plans to achieve the paperless trading target;
• establishing an alliance among businesses engaged in e-commerce; and
• adopting a more systematic and comprehensive approach to cooperation efforts undertaken by APEC fora on issues such as legislation, security and certification, authentication and infrastructure.

SOM tasked the ECSG and other relevant fora to evaluate, and where appropriate, incorporate the above recommendations in their work programs on electronic commerce to be developed this year. SOM also requested relevant APEC fora to report back to SOM II the results of their evaluation of the above recommendations and via SOM, to the meeting of Ministers Responsible for Trade in June.

In discussing the issue of follow-up on the New Economy Action Agenda, SOM decided to establish an Ad hoc Task Force for e-APEC. The Task Force will work closely with relevant APEC fora.

SOM requested the Human Capacity Building Coordinating Group under the SOM Sub-committee on ECOTECH to report to SOM 3/2001 on the outcome of its work in developing a human capacity building strategy. In carrying out this task, the Coordinating Group should also take into account the outcomes of the High Level Meeting on Human Capacity Building in May 2001 in China on ¡§New Economy, New Strategy: Cooperation and Innovation to Build Human Capacity for Common Prosperity¡¨.

On other issues, Korea advised SOM that North Korea had yet to respond to its proposal to participate in APEC activities subject to relevant guidelines. Brunei Darussalam informed SOM that Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar had indicated at the recent ASEAN Summit their interest in participating in APEC working group activities with guest status.

The Summary Conclusions of SOM 1/2001 may be reviewed in full on the APEC Secretariat virtual library at its website (www.apecsec.org.sg) under SOM 1/2001 documents.

1. The challenge of coordinating of New Economy, e-commerce and human capacity building issues in APEC will be very real in 2001. The APEC Secretariat will endeavor to play a strong supportive role to the coordination efforts of the designated APEC fora (permanent and ad hoc).

2. The TPT has several opportunities to push forward its work in 2001 under the overarching theme of the New Economy and other taskings by the AELM and AMM:

• follow-up action/s to the APEC High-Level Symposium on Electronic Commerce and Paperless Trading
• responding to the New Economy Action Agenda under the Task Force on e-APEC
• input into the High Level Meeting on Human Capacity Building in May 2001 in China on ¡§New Economy, New Strategy: Cooperation and Innovation to Build Human Capacity for Common Prosperity
• input into delivering an APEC Human Capacity Building Strategy under the Human Capacity Building Coordinating Group
• responding to the New Economy Action Agenda under the Task Force on e-APEC
• The Third Transportation Ministerial Meeting also provides a direct input into the Ninth AELM and the Thirteenth AMM in October 2001 in Shanghai.

contact details: Chutintorn Gongsakdi
Director (Program)
APEC Secretariat
e-mail: cg@mail.apecsec.org.sg

This page was last updated on 27 Mar., 2001