APEC ministers' joint statement<\/p>\n
Following is the joint statement issued on Saturday, Nov. 12,
\n1994, at the conclusion of the two-day ministerial meeting of the
\n18 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation members in Jakarta. The
\nstatement comprises 72 points addressing various programs and
\nplans for the five-year-old forum.<\/p>\n
JOINT STATEMENT<\/p>\n
1. Ministers from Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada,
\nChile, the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Indonesia,
\nJapan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand,
\nPapua New Guinea, the Republic of the Philippines, Singapore,
\nChinese Taipei, Thailand, and the United States of America
\nparticipated in the Sixth Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
\n(APEC) Ministerial Meeting convened in Jakarta, Indonesia, Nov.
\n11-12, 1994. Members of the APEC Secretariat were also present.
\nThe ASEAN Secretariat, the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council
\n(PECC), and the South Pacific Forum (SPF) attended as observers.<\/p>\n
2. The President of the Republic of Indonesia, His
\nExcellency, Mr. Soeharto, opened the Meeting by extending the
\nwarmest welcome to all delegates attending the Sixth APEC
\nMinisterial Meeting. He stated that the world situation now
\nprovides opportunities to all nations to work together in
\ndeveloping a new world order that is more equitable, stable,
\nsecure, and peaceful, in order to enhance the prosperity and
\nwelfare of the peoples. In this regard, the Asia- Pacific region
\nhas achieved remarkable progress due to appropriate economic
\npolicies.<\/p>\n
3. In his remarks, he expressed the view that APEC
\ncooperation should be further developed in the future. He stated
\nthat the Asia- Pacific region should continue to promote and
\nfacilitate the flow of investment and trade, as well as
\nstrengthen consultation in the field of macroeconomic policies,
\nenhance the quality of economic infrastructure, human resources
\ndevelopment, quality and quantity of small and medium
\nenterprises, and the acquisition and development of appropriate
\ntechnology.<\/p>\n
4. The meeting was chaired by H.E. Mr. Hartarto,
\nCoordinating Minister for Industry and Trade of the Republic of
\nIndonesia. In his speech, Mr. Hartarto underlined that the Sixth
\nAPEC Ministerial Meeting in Indonesia was geared towards the
\npromotion of greater trade and investment. He further stated that
\nthe Meeting was to support economic cooperation on development of
\nhuman resources, improvement of small and medium enterprises,
\nimprovement of infrastructure, involvement of private\/business
\nsector, so that cooperation in APEC will eventually bring about
\nprosperity of the people of the Asia- Pacific Region. U.S.
\nSecretary of State Warren Christopher, speaking as chairman of
\nthe Fifth APEC Ministerial Meeting, expressed his deep
\nappreciation for Indonesia's chairmanship of APEC in 1994 and for
\nhosting the Sixth Ministerial Meeting. He congratulated President
\nSoeharto, Minister Alatas, Minister Hartarto, and their
\ncolleagues for their leadership in sustaining the momentum
\nachieved in APEC and for giving APEC a vitality that reflects and
\nreinforces the dynamic qualities of the Asia-Pacific region.<\/p>\n
5. Ministers looked forward to the meeting of APEC Economic
\nLeaders to be held in Bogor, Indonesia, on Nov. 15, 1994. The
\nMeeting offered a unique opportunity for leaders to give
\nsubstance to the vision enunciated at the Blake Island meeting in
\norder to achieve the objective of sustainable growth and common
\nprosperity of the region.<\/p>\n
6. Ministers held discussions on a range of topics,
\nincluding:<\/p>\n
- Economic Trends and Issues<\/p>\n
- Trade and Investment Issues<\/p>\n
- The Second Report of the Eminent Persons Group<\/p>\n
- The Report of the Pacific Business Forum<\/p>\n
- Human Resources Development<\/p>\n
- Cooperation in Improving Public and Commercial Infrastructure<\/p>\n
- Small and Medium Enterprises<\/p>\n
- Implementation of Leaders' Vision and Initiatives<\/p>\n
- The APEC Work Program<\/p>\n
- Organizational Issues<\/p>\n
- Other Matters<\/p>\n
ECONOMIC TRENDS AND ISSUES<\/p>\n
7. Ministers welcomed the Report of the Ad Hoc Group on
\nEconomic Trends and Issues (ETI) and appreciated its useful work
\nduring the past four years. They reaffirmed the Group's important
\nrole in promoting economic dialog throughout the region and
\nencouraging economic growth and increasing the economic well-
\nbeing of all peoples. Ministers emphasized the necessity for the
\nstrengthening of APEC's capability in the analysis of long-term
\nmacroeconomic trends and studies of microeconomic issues.
\nMinisters agreed to transform the group into an Economic
\nCommittee and endorsed the Terms of Reference of the new
\nCommittee.<\/p>\n
8. Ministers thanked Chinese Taipei for its valuable work on
\nthe economic outlook prepared for the Ministers' review. They
\nagreed that in-depth analyses of the current situation of the
\nthree areas - trade, investment and technology transfer - provide
\na good basis to contribute to further APEC discussions on each of
\nthe three areas.<\/p>\n
9. Ministers discussed the 1995 work plan for the Economic
\nCommittee which, from the outset, will be based on the following
\nongoing activities:<\/p>\n
- preparation of the 1995 APEC Economic Outlook<\/p>\n
- circulation of key economic information<\/p>\n
- analysis of the 3Es project - Economic Growth, Energy and the
\nEnvironment<\/p>\n
- examination of the linkages between privatization and trade
\nliberalization<\/p>\n
- analysis of industrial and technological linkages in the
\nregion.<\/p>\n
- study of the effect of excessive exchange rate movement on
\ntrade and investment in the region<\/p>\n
10. Ministers welcomed Japan's presentation on \"Partners for
\nProgress\" on the promotion of further economic cooperation and
\ndevelopment in the Asia- Pacific region by reinforcing all the
\nmembers' ability to effectively mobilize their human and other
\nresources. Ministers' recognized that cooperation to sustain the
\ngrowth and development of the region for the common good of its
\npeoples is one of the primary objectives in the APEC activities,
\nand noted that the proposal will be further elaborated for
\nconsideration by Senior Officials.<\/p>\n
SECOND REPORT OF THE EMINENT PERSONS GROUP<\/p>\n
11. Ministers expressed their deep appreciation to the
\nEminent Persons Group (EPG) for its second report and commended
\nthe successful fulfillment of its mandate to recommend proposals
\non how to realize a long term vision for APEC. Ministers welcomed
\nthat report of the EPG which sets out a number of fundamental and
\nimportant principles for APEC in three important directions:
\ntrade and investment facilitation, trade liberalization, and
\ntechnical cooperation. Ministers noted that the EPG Report would
\nserve as a valuable reference document for future deliberations
\nincluding at the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in Bogor.<\/p>\n
REPORT OF THE PACIFIC BUSINESS FORUM<\/p>\n
12. Ministers welcomed the report presented by the co-chairs
\nof the Pacific Business Forum (PBF), and commended PBF members
\nfor their valuable input of business\/private sector views.
\nMinisters expressed their appreciation for the many concrete
\nproposals put forward in the PBF report, and noted that these
\nwould serve as valuable reference points for future
\ndeliberations. Ministers further noted that the PBF Report would
\nbe considered by APEC Economic Leaders at their Bogor Meeting.<\/p>\n
13. Ministers reaffirmed the critical role of the private
\nsector in APEC. They endorsed the U.S. proposal to create of an
\nongoing business\/private sector advisory body as recommended
\nunanimously by the PBF.<\/p>\n
TRADE AND INVESTMENT ISSUES<\/p>\n
14. Ministers welcomed the substantial progress achieved by
\nthe CTI in the works related to trade and investment throughout
\nthe year. They reconfirmed trade and investment liberalization as
\na cornerstone of APEC's identity and activity. Ministers agreed
\nto adopt the CTI Annual Report to Ministers, and approved its
\nrecommendations for the work program for 1995.<\/p>\n
15. Ministers endorsed the establishment of the two sub-
\ncommittees under CTI, namely the Sub-Committee on Standards and
\nConformance and the Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures.<\/p>\n
16. Ministers recognized the need to support trade and
\ninvestment programs with appropriate technical assistance to
\nmaximize the effectiveness of APEC activities.<\/p>\n
THE MEETING OF MINISTERS IN CHARGE OF TRADE<\/p>\n
17. Ministers welcomed the outcomes of the Meeting of APEC
\nMinisters in Charge of Trade which was held in Jakarta on Oct. 6,
\n1994. As mandated by the Fifth Ministerial Meeting in Seattle
\nlast year, the main purpose of this Meeting was to review the
\nresults of the Uruguay Round and its implications for the region
\nand consider next steps for regional and global trade
\nliberalization.<\/p>\n
18. Ministers reaffirmed their determination to achieve full
\nimplementation of the results of the Uruguay Round and to
\ndemonstrate leadership by making maximum efforts in each of their
\neconomies to ensure the early ratification of the agreement
\nestablishing the World Trade Organization so that it is
\noperational as of Jan. 1, 1995. In this regard, Ministers
\nexpressed their strong support to non-GATT members of APEC to
\ncomplete the negotiations as soon as possible to enable them to
\nbecome original members of the WTO. Ministers affirmed that these
\nnegotiations should be based on substantive and commercially
\nmeaningful commitments.<\/p>\n
19. Ministers further welcomed other initiatives reached by
\nthe Meeting, inter alia in developing a series of APEC seminars
\nor workshops designed to exchange views on and explore scope for
\ncommon regional approaches on the implementation of the results
\nof the Uruguay Round; and in conducting programs that will be
\nparticularly valuable in helping to implement Uruguay Round
\nresults in the area of among others, anti- dumping, services,
\nintellectual property rights, customs and rules of origin. In
\nthis respect, Ministers took note the recognition of the Meeting
\nto the importance of APEC's contribution to global trade,
\ninvestment and economic growth and the emphasized the importance
\nof maintaining momentum of trade liberalization. Ministers
\nappreciated the support of the Meeting to the efforts in
\nfacilitating trade and investment liberalization in the Asia-
\nPacific region.<\/p>\n
SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES<\/p>\n
20. Ministers commended SME experts for their excellent work
\nduring 1994 and noted the importance of this area of cooperation.
\nThey also commended Chinese Taipei for its report of the APEC
\nSurvey on Small and Medium Enterprises. They welcomed the
\nrecommendations prepared by SME experts and their two meetings
\nand encouraged Senior Officials to implement these
\nrecommendations.<\/p>\n
21. Ministers also endorsed the SME Ministers'
\nrecommendation to upgrade the SME Experts Meeting into an ad hoc
\nSME Policy Level Group.<\/p>\n
HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT<\/p>\n
22. Ministers adopted the \"Declaration on the Human
\nResources Development Framework\". The Declaration identifies the
\nprinciples and elements of human resources development in APEC,
\nwhile establishing a mechanism to plan and manage the
\nimplementation of these principles over time.<\/p>\n
23. Ministers reaffirmed that human resources are the
\ngreatest single asset in achieving economic growth and
\ndevelopment whose goal is the well- being of their peoples. It is
\nimportant that APEC be able to identify changes in the demand for
\nskills in critical sectors which may cause bottlenecks to growth
\nand development if not efficiently resolved. It is also important
\nto develop, through general public education in public and
\nprivate training, a labor force that has the fundamental attitude
\nto permit a flexible response as requirements change.<\/p>\n
24. Certain groups must be especially targeted for
\ninvestment and human resources development on the basis of their
\ncapacity to enhance the development of others. These groups
\ninclude entrepreneurs, managers and technical workers in both
\nbusiness\/private and public sector, educators of primary,
\nsecondary, tertiary and vocational education, trainers in
\ntechnologies needed for the next higher levels of economic
\ndevelopment in member economies, and the future economic leaders
\nof the region.<\/p>\n
25. Ministers affirmed the importance of both public and
\nprivate sector training in small and medium enterprises, in
\nindustrial and infrastructural technology, and a sustainable
\ndevelopment which can mitigate and prevent negative impacts on
\ncurrent growth on future prosperity.<\/p>\n
26. Ministers welcomed the U.S. proposal for establishing a
\nprivate sector funded APEC Education Foundation. Such a
\nFoundation could track all APEC human resources
\ndevelopment\/educational activities, and could provide back-up and
\nserve as a resource to the Human Resources Development Working
\nGroup, the associated Partnership for Education and Education
\nForum, and the APEC Leaders Education Initiatives. The U.S.
\noffered to develop a detailed concept paper on this proposal for
\nthe consideration of Senior Officials and other relevant APEC
\nbodies.<\/p>\n
COOPERATION IN IMPROVING PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL
\nINFRASTRUCTURE<\/p>\n
27. Ministers noted the importance of the infrastructure
\nissue for APEC and its bearing on future economic development.
\nThey commended Indonesia for raising important issues in its
\nuseful paper on Cooperation in the Improvement of Commercial and
\nPublic Infrastructure. They took note with interest of the
\noutcome of the World Infrastructure Forum held in Jakarta in
\nOctober 1994, particularly in encouraging business sector
\ninvolvement in infrastructure development.<\/p>\n
28. Ministers endorsed the recommendations contained in the
\npaper submitted by Indonesia which constitute a basis for further
\nwork in this area, especially in the area of bilateral projects
\nwith region-wide impact.<\/p>\n
29. Recognizing the importance of an adequate, efficient and
\nsafe transportation system and the need for accelerated
\ndevelopment of transportation infrastructure, as well as for
\nbetter use of existing facilities, Ministers welcomed a proposal
\nby the United States to host a meeting of APEC Ministers in-
\ncharge of Transportation in mid 1995. Ministers agreed to ask the
\nWorking Group on Transportation to assist Ministers in
\nelaborating this proposal.<\/p>\n
30. Information and communication will play a major role in
\neconomic growth and development in APEC economies. The
\ndevelopment of international and domestic information
\ninfrastructure is a priority for all APEC economies. Ministers
\nnoted the interest of the Working Group on Telecommunications in
\nthe development of an APEC information infrastructure. Ministers
\nfurther noted the Global Information Infrastructure concept
\nintroduced at the ITU World Telecommunications Development
\nConference. Ministers encouraged the Working Group on
\nTelecommunications and other relevant APEC fora to study the GII
\nconcept in their future work.<\/p>\n
THE APEC WORK PROGRAM<\/p>\n
31. Recognizing the importance of the ten APEC Working
\nGroups to the process of APEC, Ministers stressed that activities
\nundertaken by the ten Working Groups were an integral part of
\nAPEC's efforts to contribute to the region's development and
\nprosperity in specific fields. Ministers noted that in 1994 the
\nWorking Groups had made greater efforts to realize the objectives
\ncontained in the vision and policy issues statements approved
\nlast year. Ministers approved the consolidated report of the APEC
\nWorking Groups.<\/p>\n
TRADE AND INVESTMENT DATA<\/p>\n
32. Ministers welcomed a substantial progress made toward
\nobtaining a near comparable merchandise trade database for APEC
\neconomies. Ministers also noted the steady efforts of the Working
\nGroup to make consistent the published data of service trade and
\nforeign direct investment flows and directed the Group to speed
\nup those efforts.<\/p>\n
TRADE PROMOTION<\/p>\n
33. Ministers noted with satisfaction that the Working Group
\nhas been active in engaging the business\/private sector in their
\nactivities: the Working Group held successfully the 4th
\nSeminar\/3rd Training Course on trade promotion and the first APEC
\nTrade Fair with the full-scale participation of business people;
\nthe Group assisted in the formation of the Asia Pacific Business
\nNetwork (APB-Net); and the Group has been engaged in collecting
\ninformation and data to be used by the business sector.<\/p>\n
INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY<\/p>\n
34. Ministers noted the initiative of the Group to focus
\nmore on the issue of industrial science and technology, having
\nthe name changed to the \"Working Group on Industrial Science and
\nTechnology\". Ministers were also encouraged by a variety of work
\nprojects such as APEC Technomart, to facilitate technology
\ntransfer and to promote information flows of industrial science
\nand technology among members.<\/p>\n
HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT<\/p>\n
35. Ministers, noting the impressive number of projects
\ncompleted by the Working Group in 1994, and 20 new activities -
\neight of them entirely self-funded - planned for 1995, expressed
\nsatisfaction that an increasing number of these projects directly
\naddressed topics of their concern. They also expressed their
\nconfidence that the new planning mechanism for HRD expressed in
\ntheir Ministerial Declaration would provide additional impetus in
\nthe design and implementation of such projects.<\/p>\n
ENERGY COOPERATION<\/p>\n
36. Ministers noted that the Energy Working Group has been
\nactive in implementing programs to encourage the more efficient
\ndelivery and consumption of energy, and to mitigate the
\nenvironmental consequences of energy use. They welcomed the
\ninitiatives of the Group in underpinning technical programs by
\npolicy discussion conducive to a freer flow of information,
\ninvestment and trade, noting that the Group has endorsed 14 non-
\nbinding principles to guide its work.<\/p>\n
MARINE RESOURCES CONSERVATION<\/p>\n
37. Ministers noted that the Working Group had initiated
\nconsultations with other international organizations involved in
\nimplementation of the Oceans Chapter of UNCED Agenda 21, with the
\nobjective of enhancing coordination of these activities in the
\nAsia- Pacific region. They also welcomed the effort of the
\nWorking Group on red tide, and integrated coastal zone management
\nto monitor and control land-based sources of pollution.<\/p>\n
TELECOMMUNICATIONS<\/p>\n
38. Ministers welcomed and endorsed the Guidelines for
\nRegional Harmonization of Equipment Certification and for Trade
\nin International Value-Added Network Services as developed and
\nagreed by the Working Group following the Ministerial
\nrecommendation on the subject in Seattle in November 1993.
\nMinisters also appreciated the Working Group's emphasis on an
\nactive human resources development program and its continuing
\nwork in the field of electronic data interchange.<\/p>\n
FISHERIES<\/p>\n
39. Ministers noted the importance of fisheries to the
\nregion, in particular to many developing member economies and
\nrecognized the benefit of work that is being undertaken by the
\nWorking Group in the areas of cooperation in fish harvesting and
\npost-harvest technologies, seafood trade, health and quality
\ncontrol for fisheries products, and aquaculture training and
\ndevelopment.<\/p>\n
TRANSPORTATION<\/p>\n
40. Ministers noted the importance of efficient
\ntransportation systems as an integral part of regional
\ninfrastructure in promoting growth and development. They welcomed
\nthe completion of the survey of regional transport systems and
\nservices as a stepping stone to further improvements in the
\ntransportation sector, and praised the Working Group's ongoing
\nproject addressing regional transportation congestion points.
\nMinisters expressed their appreciation for the Working Group's
\nreport to Ministers on the effects of deregulation on small and
\nmedium enterprises in the transportation sector.<\/p>\n
TOURISM<\/p>\n
41. Ministers noted the statement submitted to them by the
\nWorking Group on Tourism highlighting the significant role of the
\ntourism sector in the development of the APEC region, and
\npriority areas of future work. Ministers encouraged the Working
\nGroup to continue and develop further its activities in these
\nareas.<\/p>\n
IMPLEMENTATION OF LEADERS VISION AND INITIATIVES
\nAPEC LEADERS ECONOMIC VISION STATEMENT, 1993: PROGRESS ON THEMES<\/p>\n
42. Ministers expressed appreciation for the presentation by
\nCanada of the paper \"APEC 1994 Work Program: Progress on Leaders
\nPriorities and Issues\". Ministers noted that the paper presented
\na useful survey of the breadth and scope of APEC's range of
\nactivities, relating them to the Seattle Leaders' initiatives.
\nMinisters endorsed the release of this report as a contribution
\nto public understanding of APEC activities.<\/p>\n
REMARKS ON THE PROGRESS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LEADERS
\nINITIATIVES ON BLAKE ISLAND<\/p>\n
1. The Establishment of the Pacific Business Forum<\/p>\n
43. Ministers welcomed the work that has been concluded by
\nthe PBF. (A complete Ministers' comment on the PBF is stated at
\nthe item of \"The Report of Pacific Business Forum\".)<\/p>\n
2. Finance Ministers' Meeting<\/p>\n
44. Ministers noted that APEC Finance Ministers had met in
\nHonolulu, Hawaii on March 18-19, 1994 and had agreed to further a
\ndialog in areas of mutual interest, such as recent economic
\ndevelopments, capital flows and financial markets issues, with a
\nfocus on private financing of infrastructure. They welcomed the
\ndecision of the APEC Finance Ministers to hold a second Meeting
\nin Indonesia on April 15-16, 1995.<\/p>\n
3. APEC Education Program<\/p>\n
45. Ministers welcomed progress towards the realization of
\nthe program through the participation of many APEC member
\neconomies, noting the importance of educational links in
\nstrengthening ties among member economies, especially the
\nprogress on APEC Study Centers in members economies.<\/p>\n
46. Ministers welcomed the launching of the APEC Next
\nGenerations' Program which was held in Cheju Island, Korea on
\nSept. 11-16, 1994, under the theme \"Toward a Prosperous Pacific
\nAge\". The U.S. has offered to host the second ANGP Workshop in
\nSeattle in 1995.<\/p>\n
4. APEC Business Volunteer Program<\/p>\n
47. Ministers commended Thailand on organizing a seminar
\nwhich had reached consensus on how to advance the goals of the
\nprogram, notably through the establishment of focal points in
\nmember economies to identify needs for and expertise in each such
\neconomy, to network with other focal points, and to serve as a
\ndissemination point for information on the program.<\/p>\n
5. Non-Binding Investment Principles<\/p>\n
48. Ministers endorsed the set of Non-Binding Investment
\nPrinciples prepared in response to the initiative of APEC
\nEconomic Leaders at their informal meeting in Seattle. These
\nprinciples represent an important aspect of work by APEC on
\ninvestment. Ministers welcomed these principles and directed the
\nCTI to continue work on investment issues, with the active
\ninvolvement of the business community, to enhance investment
\namong member economies.<\/p>\n
6. Energy, Environment and Economic Growth<\/p>\n
49. Ministers commended Japan for its report to the
\nMinisters on the 3Es. They discussed the increasing demand for
\nenergy and the growing significance of environmental issues in
\nthe region, and noted the importance of 3Es and the simultaneous
\nachievement of the 3Es. Ministers noted that the Japanese paper
\nwill prove helpful to the Energy Working Group in defining its
\nfuture efforts.<\/p>\n
50. Ministers also examined the future issue, as pointed out
\nin the report, of improving the regional structure of energy
\ndemand-supply, and discussed APEC's vital role in information
\nexchange, fostering common understanding and policy discussion.<\/p>\n
7. APEC Center for Technology Exchange and Training for Small and
\nMedium Sized Enterprises<\/p>\n
51. Ministers welcomed the progress in elaboration and
\nrealization of the project to make small and medium enterprises
\nmore globally competitive through the two- pronged strategy of
\ntechnology exchange and training for such enterprises.<\/p>\n
8. Small and Medium Enterprises Ministers Meeting<\/p>\n
52. Ministers thanked Japan for hosting the Osaka Small and
\nMedium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting and concurred with the
\nSMEs Ministers' Joint Statement that SMEs were increasingly
\nimportant in terms of heightening economic complementarities and
\ndevelopment in the region. They also agreed that market- oriented
\nSMEs policy on Human Resources Development, information access,
\ntechnology and technology sharing, the availability of finance
\nand market access should be enhanced.<\/p>\n
53. Ministers noted that a sound base had been established
\nfor APEC SME policy dialog and noted the joint meeting between
\nthe business\/private sector and the Ministers in that it had
\nobviously enhanced the practical value of the discussions in the
\nSME Ministerial Meeting.<\/p>\n
54. Ministers endorsed the SME Ministers' recommendation to
\nupgrade the SME Experts Meeting into an Ad Hoc SME Policy-Level
\nGroup, and also the terms of reference for this group, as well as
\nthe further recommendation that APEC commission an industrial
\noutlook study. They welcomed the decision to hold a second SME
\nMinisterial Meeting in Australia in 1995.<\/p>\n
55. Ministers welcomed Japan's voluntary contribution to the
\nfostering of APEC SMEs, such as the establishment of training and
\nsupport programs.<\/p>\n
ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES<\/p>\n
APEC SECRETARIAT<\/p>\n
56. Ministers noted with appreciation the work of Ambassador
\nRusli Noor and his staff at the Secretariat during the second
\nyear of the Secretariat's operation. Ministers stressed the
\nimportance of the Secretariat in facilitating and coordinating
\nAPEC's work programs and in promoting information exchanges among
\nmember economies as well as among various Committees and Working
\nGroups.<\/p>\n
57. Ministers took note that the initial arrangement of the
\nAPEC Secretariat is approaching its end. In this regard,
\nMinisters asked the SOM to review the arrangement and the
\nfunction of the Secretariat to ensure that the Secretariat is
\nmeeting APEC's evolving needs, and submit recommendations for new
\narrangements to the next Ministerial Meeting. Ministers also
\nendorsed the establishment of a Task Force for this purpose, the
\nTerms of Reference of which are contained in the SOM report.<\/p>\n
58. Ministers noted that the Secretariat will have to meet
\nits recurrent expenditure including salaries and allowances of
\nlocally-recruited staff, utility charges, and charges for the
\nmaintenance of buildings and office equipment, which are
\ncurrently being borne by the Singapore Government, effective on
\nJan.1, 1996. Ministers agreed on the need for the current
\narrangements for staffing and funding the Secretariat to be
\nreviewed. Ministers endorsed Senior Officials' recommendations to
\nform a task force to examine this matter and report to the next
\nMinisterial Meeting.<\/p>\n
PARTICIPATION ISSUES<\/p>\n
59. Ministers welcomed the membership of Chile in APEC
\nbeginning with this Ministerial meeting.<\/p>\n
60. Ministers discussed the issue of participation by non-
\nmember economies and organizations in APEC Working Groups.
\nMinisters decided that the matter be referred back to the Senior
\nOfficials for them to work out criteria and principles to be
\nsubmitted to the 1995 APEC Ministerial Meeting.<\/p>\n
61. Ministers noted the progress made to formulate policies
\nthat can promote business activities in the region.<\/p>\n
62. Ministers particularly noted the contributions of the
\nPacific Business Forum and the Eminent Persons Group and the
\nincreased participation of the business\/private sector in APEC at
\nall levels, notably in Working Group activities.<\/p>\n
63. Ministers welcomed the establishment of the Asia Pacific
\nBusiness Network (APB Net). Ministers commended the work of APB-
\nNet as a concrete implementation of business\/private sector
\nengagement in the APEC process and Ministers also expected that
\nthis new forum could be a vital and effective channel for
\npromoting business-to-business networking.<\/p>\n
BUDGET ISSUES<\/p>\n
64. Ministers welcomed the establishment of the Budget and
\nAdministrative Committee and noted with satisfaction its
\nsuccessful operation during 1994. Ministers approved a 1995
\nbudget of US$ 2,227,732 as drawn up by the Committee and
\nrecommended by Senior Officials. Ministers also endorsed the
\ncontribution levels recommended by Senior Officials for 1995, but
\nnoted that the overall approach for assessing members'
\ncontributions would be reviewed next year by the BAC.<\/p>\n
65. Ministers asked that the Budget and Administrative
\nCommittee should continue its useful work in examining and making
\nrecommendations to Senior Officials on budgetary issues and on
\nhow to improve operational and administrative efficiency.<\/p>\n
OTHER MATTERS<\/p>\n
ACDS<\/p>\n
66. Ministers welcomed the report on the completion of the
\nfirst stage of the APEC Communications and Database System (ACDS)
\nproject and noted that the ACDS promises to be the communications
\nhub and information repository of APEC.<\/p>\n
67. Ministers urged full use of ACDS to increase APEC's
\nefficiency and greatly improve communications among the member
\neconomies, Working Groups and Committees and the Secretariat.<\/p>\n
ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS MEETING<\/p>\n
68. Ministers noted the Philippines presentation of the
\nconcept of Debt-for-Nature Swap in relation to sustainable
\ndevelopment.<\/p>\n
69. Ministers welcomed the result of the Meeting of the APEC
\nMinisters concerned with the Environment which was held in
\nVancouver, Canada on March 23-25, 1994. Ministers also welcomed
\nthe suggestions for implementation developed by the Environmental
\nExperts Meeting in Hua Lien, Chinese Taipei, on Aug. 25-27, 1994.
\nThey directed the SOM and the Working Groups to study these
\nsuggestions and directed the SOM to report to the Seventh
\nMinisterial Meeting on its progress in integrating environmental
\nissues into ongoing APEC activities.<\/p>\n
PREPARATION FOR THE SEVENTH MINISTERIAL MEETING<\/p>\n
70. Ministers thanked Japan for the valuable briefing on the
\npreparations of the Seventh APEC Ministerial Meeting in Osaka,
\nJapan, in 1995.<\/p>\n
VENUES FOR FUTURE APEC MEETINGS<\/p>\n
71. As decided at the Fourth Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok,
\nthe Seventh Ministerial Meeting will be held in Japan in 1995.
\nThe Eighth and Ninth Ministerial Meetings will be held in 1996
\nand 1997, hosted respectively by the Republic of the Philippines
\nand Canada. Malaysia will host the Tenth Ministerial Meeting in
\n1998.<\/p>\n
72. Ministers and their delegations expressed their deep and
\nwholehearted appreciation to the Republic of Indonesia for its
\nwarm and generous hospitality towards all the participants and
\nthe excellent facilities and arrangements made available for the
\nMeeting.<\/p>",
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