Printer FriendlyI. Gender Focal Point Networks
Members of APEC are rich and diverse in culture. Particularly, the role and status of women have been different in each country. It is important to recognize that members of this organization respect each other’s cultural practices while continuing to strive for the progress of women in individual countries.
APEC members must form a consensus on the role of women, specifically on women’s rights in the global economic sphere. Gender Focal Point Networks can be used to support gender equality and to achieve full and equal participation of women and men, and to provide policy advice when necessary. It must be kept in mind that each member state in APEC will need to devise policies that are aimed at empowering women. Women are a vital part of the economy of each member state. They give birth to, raise, and educate future generations. It is important to protect their economic well being, and to improve wage equality that will help promote the economic security of both families and the state.
In several states, females have limited opportunity or access to education and healthcare. When access to education is denied and health needs are not met, the economic consequences can be significant.
Among developing countries, women frequently work in low paying jobs with limited rights and unsafe working conditions. These women may not be offered proper protection against potential hazards, including industrial safety concerns and personal safety. It is important that these conditions be addressed. Engaging in International trade will help improve the status of the female workforce.
The Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation has taken steps to address women’s equality. In 1998 APEC leaders endorsed the recommendations of the First Ministerial Meeting on Women, which resulted in a Senior Officials Meeting (SOM), an ad hoc advisory group. The SOM was charged with implementing the Framework for the Integration of Women in APEC.
On the 28-29th of June 2003 in Australia, the 5th Gender Focal Point Network was held. The two central issues discussed were the possibility of a Gender Analysis Training for governmental officials and Member Economy Focal Points for APEC members to meet with APEC officials to effectively implement APEC policy towards the advancement of women.
II. Health Task Force
The global community experiences health scares every day, The emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in the Asia Pacific Region during 2003 and avian influenza in 2004 have shown the impact that health challenges can have across a broad range of sectors, including public health, agriculture, trade, tourism, transportation, and business. APEC’s leadership in the region and its wide-ranging economic work program make it uniquely suited to address the multi-sectoral impact of today’s health threats.
Senior officials responded to calls in 2003 from both health ministers and delegates from APEC’s Industrial Science and Technology Working Group to establish a mechanism to address health concerns and disease prevention within APEC more efficiently and effectively. In October 2003, a Health Task Force was created to address health related threats to trade and security, focusing mainly on emerging infectious diseases, including both natural and man-made diseases. This task force implements APEC’s health related activities as directed by the Ministers and senior officials.
In 2005, a co-sponsored initiative entitled Enhancement of APEC Work on Preventing, Preparing and Mitigating the Effects of Avian Influenza and the Influenza Pandemic was delivered to the Health Task Force to undertake necessary action for implementation.
In 2006, several symposiums were held regarding issues of international health. A symposium on functioning economies was aimed at assisting APEC members to maintain economic activities and reduce business disruption in the event of a pandemic. A capacity building seminar was aimed at minimizing disease outbreaks and discussing the tools and resources to design and implement programs that will eradicate trans-boundary diseases. The APEC Action Plan on the Prevention and Response to Avian and Influenza Pandemics allowed countries to develop practical approaches to prepare and mitigate the effects of diseases.
Perhaps the most important was the symposium on emerging infectious diseases. Senior officials, medical and public health experts met in Beijing, China to discuss ongoing technical aspects and work being undertaken to combat the threat of emerging infectious disease. Within the Asia Pacific region there are many challenges to address weaknesses and close gaps in the areas of surveillance and response, communication and coordination, mutual assistance and cooperation among member economies. The members endorsed the Beijing Consensus (BC), which is aimed to address existing members’ problems and enhance their efforts to minimize threats posed to public health.
In January 2007, senior ministers met to discuss proposals to ensure that economies continued to function in times of pandemic. Guidelines were created to help create a supportive workplace environment for workers living with HIV/AIDS. These were further endorsed in the statement of the 2007 APEC Economic Leaders Meeting.
Three project proposals were endorsed at this meeting:
- Implementation of the APEC Action Plan on the Prevention and Response to Avian and Influenza Pandemic
- Pandemic risk communications through building capacity in international media and stakeholder relations
- APEC training for officials on tuberculosis and HIV
Most recently, in September 2007 at the second APEC health ministers meeting, member states agreed to support the sharing of influenza specimens in a timely manner and to promote transparent, fair and equitable access to vaccines and other benefits.
III. Strengthening Economic Legal Infrastructure
Promoting governmental and financial transparency is a task each nation in the global community must address. Developing innovative ways to fight against corruption is important in maintaining a legitimate functioning government that retains popular support. Transparency within the government is the first step in achieving this goal. The Strengthening Economic Legal Infrastructure Coordinating Group (SELI), was formed to encourage continuing regulatory and institutional reform, particularly by building the capacity and skills of individuals in the area of economic legal infrastructure. This includes regulatory and institutional reforms and corporate governance. This body is important because it also works to improve the capacity of legal institutions and governmental agencies to apply and enforce rules regarding corporations and competition. This group was formed as a direct result of the financial crisis of 1997. In 2000, a symposium on economic legal infrastructure was held in Indonesia and formally established as a group in 2001.
As part of the regulatory reforms, an annual voluntary progress report was implemented. Each country will report upon their annual progress and any future ideas for strengthening any weak economic and legal areas. Some of these areas may include corporate law reform and legal institution-building.
Between 2005 and 2006 multiple interactive seminars were held to address challenges in the area of policy implementation, These countries may not have the knowledge base or the resources to implement broad policy changes one their own. This issue was addressed by the Sharing Experiences in APEC Economies on Strengthening the Economic Legal Infrastructure Seminar. Using the model of Viet Nam, countries were able to learn about market-oriented economic reform and policy tools such as laws and training programs.
In Bangkok, workshops were held to offer advices to governmental officials on dispute avoidance and solution through arbitration or other legal measures. Seminars were conducted in Ha Noi to help devise methods of preventing corruption and ascertaining governmental transparency.
Most recently, a Training Course on Competition Policy was held in August 2007. The course designed to ensure fair competition between small and large business enterprises as well as to effectively implement any policy on market competition.
Recent works on the strengthening of international economic and legal reform have accomplished many of APEC’s goals. There remains much action that still needs to be taken and many ideas which need to be discussed. Japan has proposed a survey and workshop to be held in 2008 on how to strengthen economic legal infrastructure, particularly on commercial and corporate law, bankruptcy law and corporate accounting systems. The challenge of this committee is to propose reforms and policy to be implemented at the 2008 seminar.