Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
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2007/SOMI/IEGBM/xx
Agenda Item: 11
APEC BUSINESS MOBILITY GROUP
PROPOSED BUSINESS MOBILITY GOALS FOR 2007
Purpose: Consideration
Submitted by: Australia
Informal Experts Group on Business MobilityCanberra, Australia24 January 2007
PROPOSED BUSINESS MOBILITY GOALS FOR 2007
Consistent with APEC Leaders’ and Ministers’ 2006 directives, the Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI) priorities and directives, the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) recommendations, the Osaka Action Agenda, and the Business Mobility agreed Terms of Reference and Collective Action Plan, the following work goals for 2007 (and beyond) are proposed for agreement and implementation on a best endeavours basis.
ENHANCE TRADE FACILITATION, through examining the scope to further improve temporary entry arrangements to reduce trade transaction costs. The BMG will collectively and individually promote the APEC Business Travel Card and seek to improve the scheme’s operation. Economies will continue to share information to assist economies with their implementation of agreed trade facilitation actions and measures relating to business mobility. The BMG will consider any business mobility related issues as may be directed by the CTI in relation to any proposed APEC Regional Trade Agreement. In addition, the BMG will continue, through exchanging information, to assist in building economies’ capacity to implement agreed standards, including for:
· Short and long term temporary entry for business people;
· e-commerce arrangements; and
· Immigration legal infrastructure.
ENHANCE HUMAN AND TRADE SECURITY by implementing the Secure Trade in the APEC Region (STAR) initiatives to ‘protect people in transit’, advancing other Leaders’ directives and participating in agreed actions, including:
· unilateral Advance Passenger Information (API) systems, as agreed under the API Pathfinder Initiative;
· Travel Document Security and Examination standards, including Machine Readable Travel Documents and Biometrics Technology by 2008;
· Professional Service standards;
· Immigration Liaison Officer cooperation;
· the Regional Movement Alert System (RMAS), through the agreed Multi Lateral Framework (MLF); and
· Contributing lost and stolen passport data to Interpol’s International Criminal and Police Organisation (ICPO) database.
IMPLEMENT ANTI-CORRUPTION AND TRANSPARENCY objectives through agreed capacity building initiatives, including agreed actions in respect of the 2005 Review of Temporary Entry and any agreed BMG Professional Service Working Group recommendations, to assist implementation of agreed Professional Service and Transparency standards. Economies will review and maintain comprehensive information on rules and procedures governing temporary entry, processing standards and contact points, in the on-line APEC Business Travel Handbook. Economies will cooperate to share information and best practice on immigration legislation, free trade and other trade agreements, policies and technologies, utilising the Business Mobility Group website.
INTERACT WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR to enhance dialogue and cooperation with business, and through active consultation with ABAC. Engage other APEC fora as necessary and private business organisations as appropriate. Promote Business Mobility trade facilitation initiatives, in particular, the APEC Business Travel Card, to the business community in close cooperation with the APEC Secretariat and ABAC.
REVIEW THE BUSINESS MOBILITY COLLECTIVE ACTION PLAN, in accordance with CTI directives, to reflect priorities and ensure it is outcome-oriented.
APEC Directives and the BMG’s Proposed Work Goals for 2007
1. Introduction
1.1 This paper identifies current APEC directives and priorities relevant to the Business Mobility Group; considers the BMG’s existing work program against these directives; and proposes goals for 2006.
2. APEC Directives
2.1 The 2006 APEC Economic Leaders’ Declaration and Trade Ministers’ Eighteenth Joint Ministerial Meeting Statement contain a number of directives directly relevant to the BMG, towards achieving the following key APEC goals:
· Support Multilateral Trade and Trade Facilitation;
· Enhancing Human Security; Counter Terrorism and Secure Trade;
· Advancing Anti-Corruption and Transparency standards; and
· Interaction with the Business Community.
3. Trade Facilitation
Support for the Multilateral Trading System, trade facilitation
3.1 APEC Leaders’ directives relevant to the Business Mobility Group include providing enhanced support for the WTO process and the Bogor Goals through facilitating trade and investment. In 2006, Leaders and Ministers reaffirmed the goal of a further 5% reduction in business transaction costs by 2010, recognizing that the former target of 5% reduction in costs had been achieved. Ministers specifically ‘encouraged all member economies to join the APEC Business Travel Card scheme’.
3.2 The BMG supports the WTO process and Bogor Goals through various trade facilitation capacity building initiatives which are aimed at improving temporary business entry arrangements and reducing costs to business, and include agreements to implement on a best endeavours basis:
· the APEC Business Travel Card scheme, or visa waiver, or 3 year multiple entry visa arrangements for short term business entry;
· the agreed 30 day service standard for intra company transferees (executives, managers and specialists (the latter as defined by each economy);
· agreement to consider streamlining access for spouses of intra company transferees to work rights;
· agreed standards for e-commerce arrangements; and
· its capacity building strategy in respect of implementing standards in travel document security, professional service, immigration legal infrastructure, travel document examination and advance passenger information.
3.3 The majority of economies have reported they are implementing these agreed BMG standards and actions progressively, as their individual circumstances allow. All the abovementioned activities are consistent with the BMG’s current Collective Action Plan (Attachment B).
3.4 It is also proposed that the BMG continue to exchange information on progress in implementing trade facilitation plan actions and measures to reduce business transaction costs. The agreed BMG list of options of Trade Facilitation Actions and Measures is at Attachment A.
3.5 Individual economies are required to identify and report separately through their Senior Officials on progress in implementing their selected Actions and Measures from this list. The BMG is collectively assisting economies implement their chosen Actions and Measures through its Capacity Building Strategy and various agreements on standards development and implementation, including in travel documentation examination, professional service, travel document security, immigration legislation, arrangements for intra-company transferees and short term entry, e-commerce and API.
3.6 In its 2006 Report to Leaders, ABAC recommended the promotion and expanded use of the APEC Business Travel Card, and the need to address remaining operational problems with the card. This directive is reflected in the proposed goals.
3.7 In 2005-06, on behalf of ABTC participating economies, Australia developed a new ABTC processing system which was rolled out to all economies in December 2006. Australia also conducted several training workshops in the region for economy operators. The new system is proving to be successful; more robust and secure than the previous system, and economies should now be able to promote the scheme to the business community with greater confidence in 2007.
3.8 ABAC also called for additional progress in attaining APEC transparency objectives. The BMG conducted a ‘Review of Temporary Entry Conditions’ in 2005 with the assistance of TILF funding. It is proposed that in 2007, the BMG continue to build on the significant work undertaken in 2006 to enhance the information available on their economy and BMG websites to ensure public information is current, comprehensive and transparent, including information on economy ABTC arrangements. The BMG will also continue to consider operational and policy issues raised by ABAC in respect of the ABTC scheme in 2007.
4. Counter Terrorism and Secure Trade
4.1 In their 2006 Ha Noi Declaration, Leaders reaffirmed their commitments to counter terrorism and welcomed the ‘…the expansion of the Regional Movement Alert (RMAS) system and noted the system is open to additional economies to join. ‘
4.2 Ministers’ welcomed the success of the Regional Movement Alert List (RMAL) pilot between the United States, Australia and New Zealand, a world-first in real time multilateral travel
document data exchange, which helps to combat trans-national crime and terrorism by detecting
the use of lost and stolen travel documents while facilitating the safe and efficient movement of
legitimate travellers. They welcomed the completion of a multilateral policy framework to
enable the expansion of RMAL as a fully operational system to be known as the Regional
Movement Alert System (RMAS) and encouraged further members to consider joining when
they are ready’.
4.3 In addition, ‘Ministers welcomed the successful efforts to raise awareness of international standards for biometric travel documents and supported further capacity building to assist adoption of the standards. They noted the importance of Advance Passenger Information Systems to facilitate travel and passenger security and encouraged the further implementation of these systems.’
4.4 It is proposed the BMG continue to advance implementation of the API Pathfinder Initiative in accordance with Ministers’ and Leaders’ directions. The TILF project for the conduct of API feasibility studies was finalized with the conduct of a feasibility study in Peru In November 2006 by Australia. The APEC Secretariat advised Australia earlier in 2006 that no further extensions of the TILF project beyond 2006 were possible.
4.5 A report on the outcomes of the RMAS trilateral pilot was submitted to Leaders in November 2006. The report indicated that the pilot was successful. In line with Leaders’ directives, in 2006 the BMG conducted a successful workshop in August 2006 in Pattaya Thailand, to enhance economies’ understanding of the RMAS system, the supporting MLF and the operational and technical requirements for participation in RMAS. RMAS is now ready for other economies to join. In 2006, the BMG also ratified the Multi Lateral Framework, to address the issues involved in accessing travel document data in a multilateral setting. The MLF will facilitate the participation of other economies in RMAS.
4.6 In 2004, the BMG agreed to introduce Machine Readable Travel Documents, if possible with biometrics, by 2008, and, on a best endeavours basis, to accelerate replacement of non-MRTDs by MRTDs as well as implement ICAO travel document security standards. In 2006, with TILF funding, the BMG conducted a successful seminar and a workshop, to assist economies implement agreed standards for Machine Readable Travel Documents and biometric technologies, in response to the Ministers’ directive for further cooperation on capacity building in this area. The BMG also agreed to secure TILF funding to develop a biometrics reference document. TILF funding was approved in October 2006 to enable the BMG to engage a consultant to draft the document, and for the conduct of an Editorial Working Group workshop and a launch seminar in 2007.
4.7 In respect of the BMG agreement on contributing lost and stolen passport data to the Interpol ICPO database on a best endeavours basis by end 2006, it was agreed by the BMG at SOMIII 2005, that this would be a standing reporting item on the BMG meeting agenda for economies to report any developments.
5. Advancing Anti Corruption and Transparency
5.1 Leaders and Ministers have again highlighted the importance of fulfilling APEC Anti Corruption and Transparency Standards including sub-fora specific standards, and have also called for close coordination between the APEC Anti-Corruption and Transparency Task (ACT) with the CTI and relevant sub-fora.
5.2 The BMG has agreed standards for both Professional Service to ensure the integrity of Immigration officials and processes, and for Transparency; the latter as directed by Leaders in 2003. The BMG had TILF funding, until end March 2006, to assist economies implement the Professional Service standards. Most economies have reported to the BMG they have either implemented all the agreed standards or are implementing progressively. Members agreed at SOMIII 2006 to establish a working group to review the existing standards for currency and to recommend possible future actions to assist economies implement the standards and or otherwise counter corruption. The working group will submit suggested amendments to the standards at SOMI 2007 for consideration by the BMG.
5.3 The BMG’s Transparency standards are currently being addressed by the BMG in respect of those standards relevant to the accessibility and transparency of public information. A review of temporary entry conditions was undertaken with TILF funding in 2005 and findings have been progressively addressed throughout 2006 and reported by Australia. More work could be undertaken to identify any capacity building needs in respect of the remaining agreed BMG Transparency standards later in the year. Again, Members are encouraged to develop proposals for further action in any areas of perceived need, including options for evaluation of progress, for consideration by the BMG.
6. Interaction with the Business Community
6.1 Ministers also encourage APEC fora to enhance interaction with the private business sector, in particular to enhance consultation and cooperation with the ABAC and private sector organizations, to assist in identifying cost reductions relating to Actions selected from the APEC Trade Facilitation Menu of Actions and Measures and in seeking guidance on APEC business community’s needs and priorities. The BMG has always sought to work closely and in consultation with ABAC and the private sector, especially in respect of the APEC Business Travel Card. The BMG will continue to invite the ABAC to its SOM meetings, to provide comment, feedback and input to the BMG agenda. The Convenor will continue to advise ABAC regularly of the outcomes of BMG meetings. Economies are encouraged to maintain their regular contact with their economy ABAC members and business communities in respect of the BMG’s activities, and to actively promote the APEC Business Travel Card within their business community in 2007 and beyond.
7. Review of BMG Collective Action Plan (CAP)
7.1 In respect of its key priorities for 2007, the CTI has requested the assistance of sub-fora to report progress to support trade and investment facilitation, Anti Corruption and Transparency, Secure Trade, Pathfinder Initiatives, and review their CAP on an annual basis.
7.2 The priorities of relevance to the BMG include trade and investment facilitation, Anti Corruption and Transparency, and Secure Trade initiatives. As indicated above, the BMG currently has a number of agreed activities that support and advance these priorities.
7.2 These directives are reflected in the proposed BMG Goals for 2007.
ATTACHMENT A
Trade Facilitation Menu of Actions and Measures
Business Mobility
Objective:
Enhance the mobility of business people who are engaged in the conduct of trade and investment activities in the Asia-Pacific region.