3rd APEC Transportation Ministerial Meeting
(Overview and Evaluation)
May 16, 2002
1. Overview
(1) From 8 to 9 May 2002, in Lima, Peru, the 3rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Transportation Ministerial Meeting was held, with approximately 180 participants from 19 member economies in attendance. (From Japan, Vice-Minister for Technical Affairs Ryuichiro Tanino of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport acted as the head of the delegation, and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport also attended.)
(2) This meeting is the first time in five years for an APEC Transportation Ministerial Meeting to be held, the previous one having taken place in 1997 in Victoria, Canada. Prior to the ministerial meetings, on 6 May a Senior Officials Meeting was held, and on 7 May a symposium was convened with representatives from the transport industry also in attendance.
(3) At the Ministerial Meeting there was a review of the activities of the APEC Transportation Working Group to date, and after discussion on the future priority areas for action for the Working Group, a Joint Statement was adopted on the final day of the meeting, 9 May, incorporating directions for future activities in various fields and regional cooperation within APEC.
(4) The fourth APEC Transportation Ministerial Meeting will be held in Bali, Indonesia in 2004.
2. Evaluation and Challenges
(1) In accordance with the APEC Leaders Statement on Counter-Terrorism made in Shanghai, all member economies participating stated that the largest challenge was vigorous efforts to strengthen transportation security. To restore confidence in transportation systems, in line with efforts being made to implement new transportation security standards by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Maritime Organization (IMO), it was agreed that each APEC economy should promote cooperation in this area.
(2) Concerning the activity of the Working Group on transportation security, of great interest to all member economies were plans for new projects, which were submitted to the Budget and Management Committee (BMC) in the spring of 2002 in order to disseminate and promote transportation security technologies. It was reported and agreed that these projects are to be placed in line for implementation. Prompt implementation of those projects will be the subject of much attention.
(3) The representative of the United States of America, the country that was the direct target of the series of terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, called for a rapid implementation earlier than the agreed deadline of international transportation security standards to enhance aviation and maritime security by such international transportation-related organizations as the ICAO and IMO. However, since the capacity to respond to such calls by each economy is limited, the tone of the joint statement was confined to an encouragement for the rapid implementation of such new international rules.
(4) Japan actively supported the above-mentioned international efforts towards enhancing transportation security, and also pointed out the importance of future efforts to tackle issues of transportation and the environment. Similar statements were also made by some other Asian economies, which are facing transportation and environment-related issues.
(5) Concerning the development of liberalization in the air service sector of APEC member economies, ministers commended progressive liberalization while taking consideration of the domestic industrial situation in each member economy as the way to proceed with implementation. They confirmed that such an approach be promoted in the future and requested that an annual progress report be compiled.
Some member economies maintained their position that the plurilateral agreement approach containing, what is called, the "open sky" policies as initiated by the United States should be encouraged, in order to promote liberalization.
(6) Ministers supported the launching of a new project from 2002 in order to formulate an implementation model that will be a guideline for the elimination and relaxation of barriers as well as to identify non-tariff measures for trade in transportation sectors.
(7) Concerning human resources development in transportation sectors, developing economies stated that they hoped private sector participation in human resources development-related projects would be promoted in the future, as would the promotion of the advancement of women in this sector and that a system of mutual recognition for transportation-related qualifications would be facilitated.
(8) At the symposium convened with representatives from the transport industry prior to the ministerial meeting, there were a number of interesting presentations, including the following: the development of airlines is contributing to economic development (Hong Kong, China: Cathay Pacific); the improvement of advanced passenger information systems and the deployment of air marshals (Chinese Taipei: EVA Airways); utilization of a geological information system to prevent and recover from natural disasters in port and harbor areas (Japan); and a new transport system to relieve urban traffic congestion (Canada: Bombardier). Participants pointed out the importance of participation by the industrial sector in the resolution of regional issues pertaining to transportation.
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