Consensus mechanism of APEC forum questioned

Consensus mechanism of APEC forum questioned

JAKARTA (JP): The consensus mechanism of the Asia Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum has come under much scrutiny,
with member countries suggesting several interpretations of the
heralded decision making process.

Thailand's Deputy Foreign Minister, Supachai Panitchpakdi,
yesterday questioned whether the forum could progress if it held
strongly to the purest form of consensus, in which every single
member would have to agree before a decision could be reached.

"I don't think we can go by consensus basis in that every one
of the 18 countries would have to agree on particular dates or
particular work programs," Supachai told journalists.

The consensus decision making procedure has been given much
attention lately, with agreements becoming more difficult to
reach as the forum embarks on increasingly ambitious programs.

APEC groups Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong,
Japan, South Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan
and the United States along with members of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) -- Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand,
the Philippines, Brunei and Indonesia.

Early this week the forum was at odds in concluding an
investment code due to the objection of just one member of the
group.

With the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting (AELM) in Bogor looming
just three days away, questions are beginning to be raised as to
whether they can reach an agreement on a free trade deadline
under the current consensus mechanism.

Supachai said that the two-day Ministerial Meeting which ends
today is a watershed meeting since it will have to do a lot of
soul searching.

"A lot of soul searching on the consensus basis. Can we move
ahead with a few countries not agreeing on certain principles?"
he asked.

"I think we are moving towards what I would call a pragmatic
consensus," Supachai remarked.

He explained that issues should be defined according to
certain classifications, with the general ones, which do not
infringe on the principles of the General Agreement on Tariffs
and Trade (GATT), being accepted.

Indonesia

Indonesia's MinisterState Secretary Moerdiono, after a
meeting between President Soeharto and Brunei's Sultan Hassanal
Bolkiah here on Thursday, revealed that the President expressed
his own perception of consensus.

Moerdiono explained that due to the varying interests of
member countries, the President considers the best way to reach a
decision would be one based on a broad consensus.

"This means that the decision would as much as possible become
a general consent, with those countries ready to implement it
doing so immediately, while those which are less prepared can
follow later on," he said.

Many have interpreted these remarks as referring to the trade
liberalization deadline to be proposed during the AELM.

"This is the kind of spirit to be fostered in the AELM,"
Moerdiono added.

Indonesia's Mari Pangestu, an observer of the Pacific Economic
Cooperation Council (PECC) at yesterday's meeting, said that a
number of countries are of the opinion that the forum might be
more efficient if consensus was dropped.

"But I believe that the region, especially ASEAN, would be
more inclined to consensus," she said.

Mari was of the opinion that the developing countries would
prefer consensus because this would prevent them from being
pressured by the developed ones. (pwn/fhp/mds)