III. ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES

APEC Secretariat

42. Ministers expressed appreciation for the excellent work done by Executive Director Ambassador Shojiro Imanishi and the Secretariat staff in supporting the various APEC Committees and Working Groups and the APEC process as a whole. Recognizing the necessity to augment the strength of the Secretariat in connection with the implementation of the Action Agenda, Ministers endorsed the recommendations of the Task Force for the Review of the APEC Secretariat, and instructed the Senior Officials to begin implementing these recommendations as soon as possible.
43. Ministers expressed satisfaction with the progress of the APEC Communications and Database System (ACDS) and urged APEC members to utilize the system fully. Ministers noted that the Secretariat had produced a range of publications and had increased its efforts to circulate them to a wider audience.

Participation Issues

44. Ministers discussed the issue of non-member participation in APEC Working Group activities, and adopted the proposal on criteria and principles relating to this matter which was submitted by the Senior Officials, as amended.
45. Ministers instructed the Senior Officials to continue their consideration of APEC's policy on new membership and observer status and to provide recommendations to the 1996 APEC Ministerial Meeting.

Eminent Persons Group (EPG)

46. Ministers recognized with appreciation the valuable contribution the EPG has made during the past three years to furthering the development of APEC activities and commended the successful accomplishment of its mission.

47. Ministers acknowledged the value of receiving advice and recommendations from knowledgeable and independent personalities from time to time on specific matters, and agreed that the EPG mechanism or similar advisory group may be constituted at any time as necessary with new membership for this purpose.

Establishment of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC)

48. Reaffirming that close cooperation between governments and the business/private sector is critical to enhancing the effectiveness of APEC activities, Ministers expressed appreciation for the valuable contributions the Pacific Business Forum has provided during the last two years.

49. Ministers agreed to establish the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) in 1996, recognizing the importance of continued cooperation and active involvement of the business/private sector in all APEC activities. Ministers decided on a set of guidelines on the structure, funding and activities of the ABAC with a view to its early inauguration. They noted that the guidelines would be reviewed the following year.

Budget Issues

50. Ministers commended the Budget and Administrative Committee (BAC) for its work during the year in scrutinizing budget requests, streamlining procedures and improving administrative and operational efficiency. Ministers approved a 1996 budget of US$3,094,160 as proposed by the BAC and recommended by the Senior Officials. Ministers also endorsed a 1996 contribution totaling US$2,838,000, and constituent individual contribution levels, as proposed by the BAC and recommended by the Senior Officials.

|I. THE ACTION AGENDA | II. DEVELOPMENT OF APEC ACTIVITIES | IV. OTHER MATTERS |

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