II. DEVELOPMENT OF APEC ACTIVITIES

Economic Issues and Outlook

16. Ministers welcomed the Report of the EC, which reviews its first full year of work and details its Action Program for 1996. They emphasized the Committee苨 role in enhancing APEC苨 capability for analysis of economic trends and studies of specific economic issues, particularly cross-cutting issues, and the importance of this work supporting the policy activities underway in other APEC fora.

17. Ministers thanked Japan for taking the lead in preparing the economic outlook paper entitled "1995 Report on the APEC Regional Economy - Performance, Structure, Outlook, and Challenges", which focuses on the medium-term issues and the generally favorable outlook for the region. Ministers also commended Canada on its paper entitled "Foreign Direct Investment and APEC Economic Integration" which provides a clear picture of the significant role played by investment in bringing about rapid economic growth in the region. Ministers endorsed the EC苨 work plan for 1996.

Trade and Investment Issues

18. Ministers welcomed the CTI苨 Annual Report to Ministers for 1995 and noted with appreciation that the CTI had made a substantive contribution to the process of liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment in the region. Following the Economic Leaders?call in Bogor for action, they also noted that the Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures and the Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance had made substantial contributions to the work of the CTI, with tangible achievements in their respective areas. In addition, Ministers expressed appreciation for the CTI苨 reports on regional impediments to trade and investment, deregulation/liberalization initiatives in the region, and a mapping of members? unilateral/sub-regional/multilateral liberalization measures. Ministers valued the enhanced cooperation with the private sector in conjunction with the activities of the CTI and its subgroups, in particular the Customs and International Economy Symposium and the Investment Symposium.

19. Ministers indicated to the CTI the importance of addressing trade and investment related issues in the Action Agenda including those which had not been fully addressed in the 1995 CTI Work Program.

APEC Work Programs and Initiatives

20. Ministers welcomed the progress made by the various Ministerial Meetings launched as Leaders?Initiatives as well as by the ten Working Groups and other APEC fora with their work programs and initiatives in addition to their contributions to the formulation of the Action Agenda. Ministers noted the Progress Reports of the APEC Working Groups. They encouraged the Working Groups and other APEC fora to continue to work closely with the business/private sector at the grassroots level.

a. Human Resources Development (HRD)

21. Ministers noted with satisfaction that the HRD Working Group had developed a number of programs in the seven priority areas set forth in the Human Resources Development Framework and for the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment. Ministers commended the HRD Working Group for undertaking through its extensive networks a wide range of activities based on key priorities to deal with economic and technical cooperation on issues of a cross-cutting nature. They endorsed the launching of the Business Volunteer Program from 1996 with the establishment of a coordinating office in Bangkok. Ministers also welcomed the decision to hold an HRD Ministerial Meeting in the Republic of the Philippines in 1996. Ministers noted progress on the establishment of APEC Study Centers, as part of the APEC Economic Leaders Education Initiative, and welcomed the establishment of the APEC Education Foundation, which will mobilize additional funding for HRD and education exchange activities.

b. Industrial Science and Technology (IST)

22. Ministers were pleased to note that the IST Working Group had initiated and conducted a number of new projects on IST cooperation based on the following priorities: improved flows of technological information and technology, improved researcher exchanges, facilitation of joint research projects, improved transparency of regulatory frameworks, contribution to sustainable development, and enhanced policy dialogue and review.

23. Ministers thanked the People苨 Republic of China for hosting the first APEC Ministers Conference on Regional Science and Technology Cooperation in Beijing in October 1995, which endorsed a set of non-binding principles for effective IST collaboration and identified priority areas for further cooperation. They welcomed the decision to hold a second Ministerial Conference in the Republic of Korea in 1996. Ministers also welcomed the holding of the first APEC Technomart in the Republic of Korea in 1995.

c. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

24. Ministers noted with satisfaction that the ad hoc SME Policy Level Group had successfully conducted policy dialogue and joint activities focusing on five priority areas, namely, human resources development, information access, technology and technology sharing, financing, and market access.

25. Ministers thanked Australia for hosting the second Small and Medium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting in Adelaide in September 1995, which endorsed the Action Program developed by the ad hoc SME Policy Level Group, and welcomed the decision to hold a third Ministerial Meeting in the Republic of the Philippines in 1996.

26. Ministers praised the Republic of the Philippines? efforts to promote the establishment of the APEC Center for Technology Exchange and Training for SMEs (ACTET SME).

d. Infrastructure

27. Ministers emphasized the importance of infrastructure improvement to the continued growth of APEC economies, and reaffirmed the high priority they accorded to infrastructure-related projects. They thanked Indonesia for hosting a productive dialogue in Jakarta in September 1995 between the public and business/private sectors, at which impediments to infrastructure improvement were identified and proposals for overcoming these problems made. They agreed that work in APEC should continue in this important area.

e. Energy

28. Ministers commended the Energy Working Group苨 efforts to address the simultaneous achievement of the 3Es and its contribution to the development of APEC as a sustainable energy community. They welcomed the decision to establish the Asia-Pacific Energy Research Center. Ministers also welcomed the proposal to hold an APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting in Australia in 1996 to provide support and guidance to the work of APEC in the field of energy.

f. Transportation

29. Ministers were encouraged by the progress made by the Transportation Working Group toward developing and maintaining an integrated, safe, efficient and environmentally sustainable transportation system in the Asia-Pacific region.

30. Ministers thanked the United States of America for hosting the Transportation Ministers Meeting in Washington, D.C., in 1995. They welcomed the formulation by the Transportation Ministers of guiding principles and priorities for cooperation in the transportation sector, which provide a framework for the improvement of the regional transportation system.
g. Telecommunications

31. Ministers appreciated the progress made by the Telecommunications Working Group towards the development of interconnected and interoperable telecommunications and information infrastructure. They applauded the work it has advanced in its identified priority areas, and noted its intention to establish the goal of making telecommunications a model sector for implementing the Bogor Declaration.

32. Ministers thanked the Republic of Korea for hosting the first APEC Ministerial Meeting on Telecommunications and Information Industry in May 1995, which issued the Seoul Declaration setting objectives and principles for enhancing the Asia-Pacific Information Infrastructure (APII). Ministers welcomed the decision to hold the second Ministerial Meeting in Australia in 1996.

h. Tourism

33. Ministers expressed satisfaction that the Tourism Working Group had concentrated its activities in the area of long term environmental and social sustainability of the tourism industry through removing barriers to tourism movements and liberalising trade in services associated with tourism; implementing the concepts of environmental and social sustainability of tourism development; facilitating human resource development; enhancing the role of the private sector in tourism development; developing cooperation in telecommunications, transportation, passenger facilitation, financial and other information-based services related to trade in tourism; and information sharing on the tourism industry.

i. Trade and Investment Data

34. Ministers welcomed progress on the establishment of an APEC near comparable merchandise trade database as part of the Trade and Investment Data Database (TIDDB) and associated system developments. They also commended the Trade and Investment Data Working Group苨 plan to include databases on international trade in services and international investment within the TIDDB.

j. Trade Promotion

35. Ministers valued the Trade Promotion Working Group苨 role in providing trade opportunities and trade-related information to the APEC business community. They noted the work undertaken by the Trade Promotion Working Group in the areas of promoting trade-related activities in goods and services, trade financing, trade skills and training, information sharing to foster a trade-friendly environment, and cooperation between the business sector and government agencies, including trade promotion organizations.

k. Marine Resource Conservation

36. Ministers appreciated the work of the Marine Resource Conservation Working Group in contributing to sustainable development, enhancing trade and investment while protecting the marine environment, and ensuring continuing socioeconomic benefits through maintenance of marine environmental quality. They noted in particular its activities in the areas of marine algal toxins (red tides), regional implementation of the Oceans Chapter of UNCED苨 Agenda 21, and coastal zone planning and management.

l. Fisheries

37. Ministers commended the Fisheries Working Group for advancing work in the management of the production base of the fisheries and aquaculture sector, and promoting further work on trade and investment issues in the fisheries sector, through, inter alia, alignment of rules and regulations on product standards concerning fish and fisheries products, including food safety and quality assurance.

m. Agricultural Technology

38. Ministers noted the identification of the following priorities for cooperation in agricultural technology: exchange of plant and animal germplasm; agricultural biotechnology; processing and marketing of agricultural products; plant and animal quarantine and pest management; information sharing in the development of agricultural finance systems; and technology transfer and technical training.

39. They thanked Chinese Taipei for hosting the first Experts Meeting on Agricultural Technical Cooperation, and welcomed the decision to hold a second Experts Meeting in Chile in 1996.

n. Finance

40. Ministers noted that the second APEC Finance Ministers Meeting was held in Indonesia in 1995 and that the meeting had discussed various issues such as capital flows, exchange rate movements and funding for infrastructure development and, amongst other issues, anti-money laundering efforts. Ministers welcomed the decision to hold a third Ministerial Meeting in Japan in 1996.

o. Sustainable Development

41. Ministers noted with satisfaction progress in the integration of environmental issues into the ongoing activities of relevant APEC fora, to help ensure sustainable development. They welcomed the proposal to hold a Ministerial Meeting on sustainable development in the Republic of the Philippines in 1996.

|I. THE ACTION AGENDA |
| III. ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES | IV. OTHER MATTERS |

--　返回　--