Major agreements reached in lead-up to 2014 APEC summit(2)

ENERGY SECURITY

On Sept 2, the 11th APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting in Beijing adopted a declaration on taking new far-reaching measures to strengthen security and sustainable development within the energy sector.

The ministers called on APEC economies to step up efforts to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption, and launched an LNG Trade Facilitation Initiative to boost supply through support for public-private partnerships and market-based pricing.

A new multi-million-U.S.-dollar APEC Sustainable Energy Research Center was also inaugurated.

MARITIME COOPERATION

On Aug 29, the 4th APEC Ocean-Related Ministerial Meeting, held in China's southeast city of Xiamen, scored a new regional framework to address oceans-related challenges.

The meeting laid out detailed measures to establish a more integrated and sustainable ocean partnership in the Asia-Pacific region.

The ministers agreed to focus collaborative actions on four priority areas: coastal and marine ecosystem conservation and disaster resilience; the role of oceans on food security and food-related trade; marine science, technology and innovation; and the Blue Economy.

HEALTH COOPERATION

On Aug 15, health ministers from APEC economies met in Beijing and formulated a new set of health management responses to control related threats to people, trade and economic security across the region.

A "Healthy Asia-Pacific 2020" initiative detailing these measures was endorsed by the ministers, calling for approaches of "health in all policies," "whole of government," "whole of society" and "whole of region."

In a statement, the ministers further articulated steps for deepening cooperation in the region to improve the development of the health sector, and reaffirmed the need for APEC economies to strengthen pandemic preparedness in the region to mitigate the impact of outbreaks.

They also agreed to continue joint work to ensure safe medicines by encouraging the adoption of common data standards to enhance tracking of tainted or false drug products in the supply chain.

ANTI-CORRUPTION COOPERATION

On Aug 15, the first APEC Network of Anti-Corruption Authorities and Law Enforcement Agencies (ACT-NET) Meeting was held in Beijing.

The APEC members voiced support for the establishment of the ACT-NET in 2014 and endorsed the ACT-NET Terms of Reference.

The goal of the ACT-NET is to establish and develop an inter-economy network connecting anti-corruption and law enforcement officers to enhance informal cross-border cooperation.

The members adopted the Beijing Declaration on Fighting Corruption. The final version will be submitted to the Concluding Senior Officials Meeting in November for endorsement with the view to incorporate it as part of the 2014 leaders' declaration.

Attendees shared detailed insights into on-going criminal investigations and prosecutions for the first time on an APEC-wide basis during the inaugural meeting of ACT-NET.

A secretariat, to be initially hosted by China, will manage information-sharing in an institutional capacity.