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2008/SOM1/HWG/020

Agenda Item: II

2008APEC Secretariat Report on APEC Developments

Purpose: Information

Submitted by: APEC Secretariat

/ First Health Working Group MeetingLima, Peru
21 – 22February2008

1

I. APEC 2008 Theme

APEC in 2008 will boost APEC’s technical cooperation framework to better engage member economies in the globalization process by highlighting the regional goals of free trade, liberal investment policy and enhanced business facilitation.Thisnew commitment encompasses:

●Public-Private Sector Partnership

●Heightened relationships with international financial institutions and

● Increased cooperation with international organizations and civil society.

II. BMC Timeline

Agreed provisionally at thesecond BMC meeting held in August 2007, BMC meetings would be held on 2-3 April and 15-16 October 2008 respectively. There was also discussion on holding two planning meetings at SOM1 and SOM3 to enhance the BMC’s strategic and policy role.

Following consultation with the BMC Chair, it is proposed for members’ consideration –

  1. Dates of meeting of BMC
  2. BMC1 – 29 February 2008, Lima, Peru
  3. BMC2 – 17-18 April 2008, Singapore
  4. review process intersessionally in the lead up to SOM 3
  5. BMC3 – 22-23 October 2008, Singapore
  1. Project submission deadlines
  2. Submission of projects for funding approval at BMC2 (17-18 April)

7 March / Deadline for submission of project proposals to the Secretariat
21 March / Secretariat Project Assessment Panel completes assessment. Comments to be sent to proponents for improvement, if necessary
28 March / Deadline for final submission of revised projects. Project proposals be uploaded for BMC consideration
3 April / Secretariat’s recommendation be circulated
17-18 April / BMC meets and considers funding applications
  1. Submission of projects for funding approval at BMC 4 (22-23 October)

4 September / Deadline for submission of project proposals to the Secretariat
23September / Secretariat Project Assessment Panel completes assessment. Comments to be sent to proponents for improvement, if necessary
1 October / Deadline for final submission of revised projects. Project proposals be uploaded for BMC consideration
8October / Secretariat’s recommendation be circulated
22-23 October / BMC meets and considers funding applications

The above timelines are proposed to allow sufficient time for quality assessment as well as to provideadvice to project proponents to improve their submission. The Secretariat also undertakes to upload the project proposals three weeks in advance for members’ consideration and circulate the Secretariat’s recommendations two weeks in advance of the BMC meeting.

Important points to note

Progress for improving current budgeting practices was made at BMC 2 in August 2007, with SOM endorsing the following measures:

  • the budget of the Administrative Account is to be prepared and reported on an actual instead of net basis
  • the Secretariat is to provide quarterly financial reports of the accounts it manages to the BMC and Senior Officials to strengthen oversight of the accounts by member economies.

III. APEC-ASEAN Cooperation Initiative

In 2008, implementation of reforms within the Secretariat will include:

●following up on initiatives to increase APEC-ASEAN cooperation.

APEC-ASEAN Cooperation – In 2007, Senior Officials tasked the Executive Director to explore broadening cooperation with the ASEAN Secretariat. The Secretariat will follow up on the measures initiated last year in order to get concrete results and proposed joint activities. Health, Small and Medium Business, and Industry, Science and Technology were chosenworking groups of areas of potential collaboration in projects. ASEAN is officially an observer in APEC and is already participating in some Working Group activities. Special permission in accordance with APEC’s Guidelines for Non-Member participation is therefore not required, but a formal invitation should be extended to encourage participation.

2008 APEC SECRETARIAT REPORT ON APEC DEVELOPMENTS

ANNEX

Key outcomes from 2007

In 2007 the Sydney Leaders and Ministerial meetings achieved key outcomes in the following areas:

adoption of the Sydney APEC Leaders' Declaration on Climate Change, Energy Security and Clean Development, with the 21 member economies agreeing to work to achieve a common understanding on a long-term aspirational global emissions reduction goal for an effective post-2012 international arrangement. A range of practical measures were also agreed in an APEC action agenda;

endorsement of a report on Strengthening Regional Economic Integration. The report outlines a wide range of practical actions that APEC member economies can take, including examination of the options and prospects for a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP).

agreement to improving economic efficiency and the business environment, including a new emphasis on structural reform and greater attention to ‘behind-the-border’ issues that impact on trade and commerce; and

endorsement of the complementary Anti-Corruption Principles for the Public and Private Sectors and codes of conduct and urged full implementation of these practical

measures to combat corruption.

implementation of the SCE Fora Review recommendations.

2008 APEC priorities

Peru will continue to foster APEC permanent agenda as well as the set priorities as determined by Leaders and Ministers in 2007. APEC Peru theme for 2008, “A new commitment to the Asia Pacific Development”, is regarded as a frame that gives us the opportunity to work on the social dimension of the APEC agenda, meaning to encourage and present initiatives on the social issues having a substantial influence in advancing towards the goals of trade and investment facilitation. This includes new areas of emphasis such as:

Highlighting the educational programs role on the social and economic development of the member economies.

Supporting the development and modernization of the small and medium enterprises, recognizing them as a dynamic sector in creating new jobs.

Supporting technological cooperation programs oriented to bridge the digital gap

Stressing the impact of corruption of public and private representatives on the business environment and economic performance of the economies.

Introducing the issue of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on APEC relevant activities.

I- Trade and Investment Liberalization and Facilitation (TILF)

  1. World Trade Organisation-Doha Development Agenda (WTO-DDA)

Support for the Multilateral Trading System and a successful conclusion of the DDA Round remain the highest priority for APEC in 2007. While it was recognised that there was a limit to the specific actions that could be taken to advance the negotiations, members were urged to remain alert to opportunities to work individually and collectively to support the Negotiations. APEC fora, in particular CTI and its sub-fora will continue to support that process through technical and education work.

In Sydney, APEC Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the multilateral trading system and continued resolve to achieve a successful conclusion in the DDA negotiations. They issued a separate Statement on the WTO Negotiations endorsing the view of the MRT in Cairns that there has never been a more urgent need to make progress. They also pledged their commitment to work with renewed energy to deliver an ambitious and balanced result.

  1. Implementation of the Busan Roadmap

The Hanoi Action Plan to implement the Busan Roadmap to the Bogor Goals was one of the key outcomes of 2006. The Ha Noi Action Plan elaborates concrete actions that APEC member economies should take by adopting specific timelines in five key areas, including: support for the multilateral trading system, strengthening IAPs/CAPs, promotion of high-quality RTAs/FTAs, the Busan Business agenda and ECOTECH. These actions are being implemented in the relevant fora.

  1. Regional Economic Integration

In Hanoi, Leaders “reiterated APEC’s commitment to greater economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region and pledged to strengthen its efforts towards this end”. Leaders also instructed officials to “undertake further studies on ways and means to promote regional economic integration, including a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific as a long-term prospect and to report to the 2007 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Australia”.

In Sydney, APEC Leaders endorsed a report on strengthening regional economic integration. The report outlines a wide range of practical actions that APEC member economies can take to promote and reinforce the integration taking place in the region. Leaders also agreed to accelerate their efforts by:

further reducing barriers to trade and investment including through free trade agreements and regional trading arrangements;

improving economic efficiency and the regional business environment including capital markets;

facilitating integration in sectors such as transportation, telecommunications, mining and energy.

APEC Leaders have asked Ministers and officials to carry forward this work and report back to them in 2008 with a summary of steps taken to promote regional economic integration.

At their first meeting for the year in Lima, Senior Officials will discuss how they could best progress the agreed actions in the REI report and develop a work program for preparing the progress report to Leaders in November.

  1. Regional Trading Arrangements/Free Trade Agreements (RTAs/FTAs)

In 2006, Ministers reaffirmed that high quality, transparency, broad consistency, and comprehensiveness in FTAs are important avenues to achieving the Bogor Goals of free and open trade and investment in the region and agreed on a set of 6 model measures for commonly accepted chapters of FTAs: trade in goods; technical barriers to trade; transparency; government procurement; dispute settlement and cooperation.

In 2007, Ministers reaffirmed the importance of the model measures for RTA/FTA chapters as a capacity-building tool and non-binding reference, and endorsed model measures for three additional RTA/FTA chapters: electronic commerce; rules of origin and origin procedures; and sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures. Ministers aim to complete this work in 2008 as mandated by the Busan Roadmap.

In 2008, CTI will review and update its work plan on RTAs/FTAs, with particular reference to progressing work on RTA/FTA model measures and agreed actions in REI report. CTI and its sub-fora will also continue to exchange information and best practices on RTAs/FTAs, possibly through workshops, dialogues or other capacity building activities.

  1. Individual Action Plans and Collective Action Plans(IAP-CAP)

Ministers reaffirmed the importance of member economies’ continued commitment to trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation (TILF). They also recognised the importance of Collective Action Plans (CAPs) as a useful channel to implement APEC commitments on TILF, which complement the Individual Action Plans (IAPs). CTI and its sub-fora will review the implementation of CAPs and consider establishing an annual review mechanism for CAPs, as encouraged by Ministers, and incorporating pathfinder initiatives with capacity building elements in the development of CAPs.

APEC Ministers endorsed the 2007 CTI Annual Report to Ministers which provides an overview of CTI's work program in pursuit of advancing the Bogor Goals of free and open trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region.

A Trade Policy Dialogue on aspects of the relationship between investment, trade in services and trade in goods relationship will be jointly organized by the IEG, GOS and MAG to be held in margins of CTI1 on 25 February 2008 in Lima.

The IAPs will be made more transparent and accessible to business and the IAP Peer Review process more robust, inclusive, forward-looking and policy relevant to include a greater focus on what APEC members are doing individually and collectively to implement specific APEC commitments and priorities. Ministers welcomed efforts to enhance the peer review process through active engagement of ABAC, CTI and relevant sub-fora.

  1. Investment

Investment continued to be a priority area for robust action in 2007. Following its expanded work program to facilitate and strengthen investment work in the region, the Investment Experts Group (IEG) has undertaken a number of projects, based on the achievement to date and in collaboration with other fora.

In 2007, IEG conducted a survey and organized a symposium to identify and prioritise issues for IEG to be tackled. The comprehensive study on the behind-the-border barriers to investment was completed in June and the policy recommendations were made for further actions. Workshop on the state-investor dispute under international investment agreements and a high-level public-private policy dialogue on the Policy Framework for Investment were conducted in April. The Investment Guidebook (6th edition) and the Study of the Core Elements in Existing RTAs/FTAs and BITs were complete. A chapter of model measures for investment is being worked on at the CTI.

In Sydney, the APEC Ministers instructed officials to prepare an Investment Facilitation Action Plan for 2008-2010 for consideration at the 2008 MRT meeting. The Ministerial Joint Statement stated that the plan would provide greater coherence to APEC’s investment work, promote better understanding of the elements of a sound investment policy regime, address identified building needs and recognise the importance of further public-private sector dialogue.

  1. Trade Facilitation

In Sydney, APEC Leaders welcomed APEC’s Second Trade Facilitation Action Plan (II) which seeks to reduce trade transaction costs by a further five percent by 2010. TFAP II was earlier endorsed by MRT in Cairns in July. TFAP II places greater emphasis on collective actions and pathfinders which economies will undertake collectively to meet the trade facilitation of a further 5% reduction in transaction costs by 2010. CTI and its sub-fora will be developing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to monitor progress in delivering the collective actions and measures through to 2010.

8.Pathfinder Initiatives

In 2007, CTI completed a review of the implementation of its existing TILF-related Pathfinder initiatives and revised Annex A to the 2004 Pathfinder Initiatives Guidelines to clarify the two ways in which a pathfinder could be developed. The Committee also launched a Pathfinder on Data Privacy, which will improve the protection of private information in the APEC region and increase trust in electronic commerce.

9.CapacityBuilding

CTI established an informal capacity building steering group (CBSG) that would help over the more strategic approach it had adopted to capacity building. The CBSG will play an important ongoing role in ensuring that capacity building strategies are better integrated into the formulation of new CTI initiatives.

10.Automotive Dialogue

In 2007, theAutomotive Dialogue agreed that the future market access work program should focus on three key priorities: monitor and review the implications of efforts to reinvigorate WTO DDA negotiations; re-examine the implications of different rules of origin regimes in RTAs/FTAs for the automotive industry in the Asia Pacific region and consider the prospects and potential advantages of increased harmonization of these arrangements; and all participating economies were encouraged to submit up-to-date automotive industry profiles for presentation on the APEC website; using the template provided by the Working Group.

The Automotive Dialogue also discussed proposed priorities for 2008 including the following key themes: consideration and development of FTA model measures for the automotive industry, including opportunities for increased harmonization of preferential Rules of Origin (ROOs); support for SME development and opportunities for increased regional economic integration; environmental imperatives facing the automotive industry, including the development of harmonized standards for fuel quality and the implications of increased use of biofuels; and, the importance of protection of intellectual property rights through promotion of best practices in the automotive sector.

11.Chemical Dialogue

In 2007, the Chemical Dialogue (CD) continued its work as a public-private sector forum for finding solutions to challenges facing the chemical industry in the Asia-Pacific region. The CD further developed a framework for chemical regulatory best practices, pursued collective advocacy to the European Commission (EC) about potential barriers to trade in REACH (Registration, Evaluation, and Authorisation of Chemicals) implementation, and continued information sharing on GHS (Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals) implementation.

12.Intellectual Property Rights

Intellectual Property Rights Experts' Group (IPEG) continued its efforts in 2007 to deepen the dialogue on intellectual property policy, survey and exchange information on the current status of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) protection and administrative systems, and study measures for the effective enforcement of IPR. The IPEG workshop on "Using Market Research to develop effective IPR campaigns" held in 2007 aimed at helping APEC economies to improve research on public awareness and attitudes to IPR issues and to help to ensure that innovation is protected through the development of enhanced local awareness strategies.

II- Economic and Technical Cooperation

  1. Economic and Technical Cooperation (ECOTECH) and SOM Steering Committee on ECOTECH (SCE)

In 2007, the SCE focused on implementing the SCE Fora Review outcomes. As a result of the implementation of these recommendations, APEC's ECOTECH agenda will be more focused, will reduce duplication and will strategically align expertise and skills to ensure better outcomes for APEC.

Key outcomes include:

The transformation of the Health Task Force (HTF) into a working group

The creation of the Mining Taskforce through combining the NFMD and GEMEED

The transferral of the Electronic Commerce Steering Group (ECSG) from SCE to the Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI)

Improvements to APEC's procedures and processes to enhance the effectiveness and quality of APEC activities, including new Guidelines for Lead Shepherds and Chairs and new Guidelines for the Establishment of new fora.

SOM2 delegated the approval of SOM Taskforce projects to the SCE. All SOM Taskforce projects from now on, are to be approved first by the Taskforce then submitted online directly to the Secretariat for assessment prior to submission to SCE with all other ECOTECH projects.

In Sydney, Ministers commended the achievements of the SOM Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation (SCE) and endorsed the 2007 Senior Officials' Report on Economic and Technical Cooperation. Ministers also welcome the achievements of the Working Groups and SOM Taskforces and the ongoing improvement that will be achieved through the Program of Independent Assessments.

In 2007, an independent assessment commenced to consider how to revitalised the Agriculture Cooperation Working Group (ACTWG) and consider whether there would be value in merging it with the High Level Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Biotechnology (HLPDAB). The independent assessment for the Marine Resource Conservation Working Group (MRCWG) will help identify how the MRCWG and Fisheries Working Group collaborate on areas of mutual interest, and how MRCWG might become more closely linked with broader APEC priorities. An independent assessment is also being conducted on the Gender Focal Point Network (GFPN) to ensure substantive outcomes related to gender integration in APEC. From 2008, three to four Working Group and Taskforces will be independently assessed every year to ensure their work remains effective and focused and helps APEC meet its goals.