The Philippine APEC Meetings
- Schedule
- 22-23November APEC Ministerial Meeting (Manila)
- 25 November APEC Leaders' Meeting (Subic)
- Documents Expected to be Announced
Manila Action Plan for APEC '96 (MAPA)
- Summary
- Individual Action Plans
- Collective Action Plan
- Achievements of Activities in Economic and Technical Cooperation Sectors
Leaders' Declaration
Joint Ministerial Statement
Declaration on an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Framework for Strengthening Economic Cooperation and Development
- What Will Be Achieved?
The First Year for Action Towards Liberalization and Facilitation of Trade and Investment
Having created a vision in Seattle, goals in Bogor, and the Action Agenda in Osaka, APEC is now getting ready to fully initiate its activities. Each of the eighteen APEC member economies will describe their current respective states of liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment and will submit their Individual Action Plans (IAPs). Furthermore, a Collective Action Plan (CAP) will be formulated to outline a plan for actions which all members are to undertake collectively. Both the IAPs and the CAP will be reviewed and revised next year in an ongoing process. This will also be of significant benefit to the business community as well.
Trends in Economic and Technical Cooperation
APEC aims to promote economic and technical cooperation based on a spirit of mutual assistance and voluntarism, without focusing on the traditional donor-recipient relationship between countries. At the Osaka APEC Meetings of 1995, based on Japan's proposal, member economies agreed on the creation of Partners for Progress (PFP) as a mechanism for promoting more efficient economic and technical cooperation within APEC. This year it is expected that a Declaration on an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Framework for Strengthening Economic Cooperation and Development will be announced. This will take place against the background of last year's focus on the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment. The aim this year is to further activate economic and technical cooperation as the other wheel of the same axle.
Message to the World Trade Organization (WTO)
It is essential that APEC send out a significant forward-looking message to the December Singapore Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization. Specifically, the message should cover:
- Reaffirmation of the commitment to full implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreements
- Reaffirmation of the commitment to the multilateral free trading system under the WTO system (open regional cooperation)
- Expansion of participation by APEC members in the Information and Technology Agreement (ITA) (mutual elimination of tariffs on information technology products) and achievement of a compromise prior to the Singapore Ministerial Conference
- A positive approach to new issues on trade and investment in the WTO
- Promotion of WTO membership for APEC members who are currently negotiating for admission
Expanding Coordination Between the APEC Process and the Private Sector
In order to promote further liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment within APEC, it is important to bear in mind the interests of the business community, which is the principle beneficiary of liberalization and facilitation. This year, the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) submitted its Report to the APEC Economic Leaders 1996 on 24 October 1996 to President Fidel Ramos, including ten proposals in five sectors. In addition, the ABAC and the APEC Business Forum (ABF) are expected to exchange views with the APEC Leaders and Ministers during the Philippine Meetings at dinners and on other occasions.
Future Modalities for APEC Responding to the Issue of New Membership
There is a divergence of opinions, with some members feeling that new memberships should be postponed from the view point that "now is the time to strengthen APEC from within," and some in favor of allowing new members from the perspective that "openness is an important principle of APEC." There is a need to come up with some kind of conclusion at the Ministerial Meeting.
- How Will Japan Contribute?
As the Chair of the 1995 Osaka Meetings
As the member economy which presided as Chair over the drafting of the Osaka Action Agenda, Japan has contributed significantly to the drafting process of the Individual Action Plans, and to the IAP consultation process. Specifically, Japan drafted and submitted an IAP with significant content, particularly in terms of deregulation, telecommunications, investment, and standards and conformance sectors. Furthermore, Japan has made written comments on all of the other member economies' IAPs and has provided opportunities for dialogue and consultations with the major member economies, and based on those consultations, has revised its IAP three times this year.
Disbursements for Cooperative Projects to Promote the Liberalization and Facilitation of Trade and Investment
At the 1995 Osaka APEC Meetings, Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama announced Japan's readiness to contribute to cooperative projects for the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment. These included a proposal to disburse up to ¥10 billion to the APEC Central Fund over the next several years in support of such cooperative projects. The Trade and Investment Liberalization and Facilitation (TILF) Special Account was established in the APEC Central Fund this year, and thirty projects are expected to be adopted fo implementation in 1997, the first year of implementation.
Beginning of Action under the Partners for Progress (PFP) Mechanism
At the Osaka APEC Meetings of 1995, Japan's proposed Partners for Progress (PFP) mechanism for promoting more efficient economic and technical cooperation within APEC was adopted. This year, a decision was made to begin activities on three projects: training on 1) industrial property rights; 2) standards and conformance; and 3) competition policy. These training activities are scheduled to begin in 1997 and to continue for a five-year period, in cooperation with Thailand and Malaysia.
Approach to Long-term Issues such as Food Supply, the Environment and Energy
At the Osaka Leaders Meeting, then-Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama proposed that APEC address the long-term issues of population and economic growth which are closely related to food supply, energy and the environment. The leaders voiced their approval to this proposal and agreed upon a framework for such efforts. Initial consultations have already begun. On the issues of energy and the environment, the results of existing fora (the Energy Working Group, the Energy Ministers' Meeting and the Environment Ministers' Meeting) are to be utilized. Overall, the analytical work will be handled by the Economic Committee. On the issue of food supply, a task force jointly chaired by Japan and Australia has been established. Analytical work will be conducted in 1997 (and, if necessary, in 1998) on four sectors: 1) supply and demand; 2) distribution and processing; 3) food-related environmental issues; and 4) future trends, and it is expected that collective work will be undertaken to seek options for action beginning in 1998.
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