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APEC Secretariat Report on Key Developments ___________________________________________________________________________ 2014/SOM2/OFWG/018 Agenda: II D APEC Secretariat Report on Key Developments Purpose: Information Submitted by: APEC Secretariat 3rd Ocean and Fisheries Working Group Meeting Qingdao, China 9-12 May 2014 APEC Secretariat Report on Key Developments February 2014 Contents 1. APEC 2014 Priorities (2) 2. Key Outcomes of Senior Officials and Committee Meetings (2) - Second Senior Officials’ Meeting - Committee of Trade and Investment (CTI) - Economic Committee (EC) - Budget and Management Committee (BMC) - APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) 3. Developments within the Secretariat and Policy Support Unit (5) - Key Staff Movements and Appointments - Project Management Unit (PMU) - Policy Support Unit (PSU) - Communications and Public Affairs - APEC Technical Assistance and Training Facility 1 APEC Secretariat Report on Key Developments May 2014 1. APEC 2014 PRIORITIES In 2014, APEC’s theme is “Shaping the Future through Asia-Pacific Partnership.” The priority areas include: Advancing regional economic integration; Promoting innovative development, economic reform and growth; and Strengthening comprehensive connectivity and infrastructure development. 2. KEY OUTCOMES OF SENIOR OFFICIALS AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS First Senior Officials’ Meeting – Ningbo, China 27-28 February 2014 Under the priority area of Advancing Regional Economic Integration, SOM affirmed initiatives to strengthen regional economic cooperation by advancing the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) process through a CTI-established FotC; support for a strong and firm signal to the multilateral trading system; and agreement to establish a RTAs/FTAs information sharing mechanism. The Meeting also had fruitful discussions on global value chains, supply chains, ECOTECH and capacity building. Under the priority area of Promoting Innovative Development, Economic Reform and Growth, member economies supported proposals aimed at tangible outcomes around economic reform, new economy, innovative growth, inclusive support and urbanisation. Work would also be done to explore new growth areas, reform and innovation by promoting information sharing, policy dialogue, capacity building and practical cooperation. Discussions on structural reform, regulatory coherence, green economy, blue economy, internet economy, food security, SMEs, anti-corruption, women, health, sustainable energy, environment, urbanization, forestry and disaster management would be included in the work program for the year. Under the third priority of Strengthening Comprehensive Connectivity and Infrastructure Development, SOM endorsed a draft outline of the APEC Blueprint on Connectivity and the Workplan to Develop the Blueprint, and the establishment of a FotC on Connectivity. The FotC on Connectivity had conducted substantive discussions on ways and means to facilitate infrastructure financing, strengthen public- private partnership, and promote institutional connectivity and cooperation on cross-border education and travel facilitation among other issues. Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI) An overview of the work and achievements of the APEC Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI) and its 11 sub-fora and industry dialogues in 2013 can be found in the 2013 CTI Annual Report to Ministers. At its first meeting for 2014 in Ningbo, China from 24-25 February, CTI discussed and agreed on a work program that centred around five key areas that would contribute to APEC 2014 Priorities; namely: support for the multilateral trading system/World Trade Organisation (WTO); advancing regional economic integration (REI); strengthening connectivity and infrastructure development; expanding regulatory cooperation and advancing regulatory coherence; and contributions to APEC growth strategy and cross-cutting mandates. 2 CTI developed work plans in three areas: strengthening REI and advancing Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP); next generation trade and investment issues (NGeTI) and supply-chain connectivity through the Friends of the Chair (FoTC) groups for these three areas. The main outcomes from the meeting can be found in the CTI Chair’s Report (Document 2014/SOM1/037). The CTI will next meet in Qingdao, China from 10-11 May to progress its work program. Several CTI- related events have been scheduled around the meeting. These include: 6-7 May: APEC Capacity Building Workshop on Preparing for FTA Negotiations: Research, Analysis, Consultation, Development of Negotiating Positions and Team Building 7 May: 3rd APEC Regulatory Cooperation Advancement Mechanism (ARCAM) Dialogue on Electric Vehicle Standards 8 May: APEC Dialogue on Information Sharing on RTAs/FTAs in the Asia-Pacific Region 9 May: APEC Capacity Building Workshop on Global Data Standards 12 May : APEC Public-Private Dialogue on Building Asia Pacific Partnership through Global Value Chains Collaboration Economic Committee (EC) The first EC meeting, held in Ningbo, China, in February 2014 included two policy discussions on Ease of Doing Business and State of the Regional Economy and Its Policy Implications. The EC discussed the APEC New Strategy on Structural Reform (ANSSR), including the ANSSR mid-term progress report and various on-going capacity building activities to assist member economies with implementation of their ANSSR plans. The EC also conducted a 2014 APEC Economic Policy Report (AEPR) planning session. This year’s topic is Good Regulatory Practices. The EC considered the work plans of the Competition Policy and Law Group (CPLG) and its five FotCs including: competition policy, regulatory reform, corporate law and governance, public sector governance and ease of doing business. The next EC meeting will be held in Beijing, China on the margins of SOM3, and will be accompanied by several workshops. SOM Steering Committee on ECOTECH (SCE) The SCE met in Ningbo, China on 26 February 2014 and was preceded by the annual SCE-COW (Committee of the Whole) Meeting on 25 February. The matters considered at the meetings included: reviewing and agreeing terms of reference for the next two years; commencing a review of the ECOTECH Medium-term Priorities by undertaking a survey of developing economy members, with a view to finalising the revised priorities by SCE3; amending the fora annual workplan template to include a section covering capacity building activities; noting progress on the conduct of the 2014 independent assessments on the Human Resource Development Working Group; Health Working Group; Tourism Working Group and the Mining Task Force; and receiving the APEC Secretariat Executive Director’s report on the Alignment of SCE Fora Work Plans with APEC’s Overall Vision and Objectives. The next SCE meeting will be held in the margins of SOM2 in Qingdao, China on 11 May 2014. Budget and Management Committee (BMC) In the first quarter of 2014, the Secretariat received a total of US$3.8 million in voluntary contributions for APEC projects from four Member Economies, including: 3 APEC Support Fund (ASF) (General Fund): A$1,500,000 (equivalent to US$1,312,950) from Australia; ASF Energy Efficiency and Low-Carbon Measures Sub-fund: JPY230,248,000 (equivalent to US$2,244,133) from Japan; and ASF Supply Chain Connectivity Sub-fund: US$150,000 from Hong Kong, China; and US$100,000 from Singapore. During the same period, the Secretariat received fixed members’ contributions for 2014 totaling S$2,868,700 and US$411,600 to the Administrative Account and Operational Account respectively from 12 Member Economies. BMC1 The BMC held its first meeting of 2014 on 23 February in Ningbo, China. BMC supported and noted the establishment of the new ASF Sub-fund on Supply Chain Connectivity. It also endorsed the aspirational target of voluntary contributions of US$6.3 million for 2014 computed by the Secretariat and the cap on the value of project funding for disbursement this year. Noting the general need for further untied APEC project funding to address the funding availability issue identified, BMC tasked the Secretariat to start the process of engaging member economies individually to garner their support in making voluntary contributions for APEC project funding. The Executive Director of the Secretariat has started the process of approaching member economies informally for advice on the possible approaches which may work on an economy-by-economy basis for voluntary contributions. The next BMC meeting will be held in the Secretariat in Singapore in the week starting on 21 July 2014 before SOM3. APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) First ABAC Meeting ABAC held its first meeting of the year in Auckland, New Zealand (Feb. 11-14). ABAC adopted its Work Plan for 2014, which identified Regional Economic Integration as the overarching framework. In 2014, the work of ABAC will focus on strengthening connectivity and infrastructure development in addition to promoting realization of an FTAAP. An ABAC-SOM Dialogue was held on 12 February 2014, the topics of the Dialogue were aligned with APEC 2014 priorities, namely: Advancing Regional Economic Integration Promoting Innovative Development, Economic Reform and Growth Strengthening Comprehensive Connectivity and Infrastructure Second ABAC Meeting ABAC held its second meeting of the year in Santiago de Chile from May 4th to 7th. During the plenary, ABAC members heard an analysis of the regional economic outlook, how APEC can help the World Trade Organization reduce trade barriers and identified pathways to a Free Trade
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