APEC SOM Steering Committee on ECOTECH convenes

Participants talk on the sidelines of SOM 2 and related meetings (Photo: VNA)

At the one-day meeting, delegates from 21 APEC member economies noted the update on the implementation of the decision by the SCE on Fora Assessment and discussed how to encourage more gender-related planning by the SCE fora using the current work plan template.

The SCE also deliberated a draft APEC Guidelines on Cross-Fora Collaboration and considered any Strategic Plans of the SCE fora, including the Emergency Preparedness Working Group (EPWG) Strategic Plan.

The outstanding annual Work Plans of the Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy (PPWE) and the APEC Group of Friends on Disability (GOFD) and the Human Resources Development Working Group (HRDWG)’s response to the recommendations of the Independent Assessment were also tabled during the meeting.

In addition, the SCE is scheduled to consider Russia’s revised proposal on convening the High Level Policy Dialogue on Bridging Gap in Economic Development and Integration of Remote Areas for Sustainable Growth in the APEC Region during the third Senior Officials Meeting (SOM 3).

The SCE coordinates and manages APEC members' economic and technical cooperation (ECOTECH) agenda, which was outlined in the Osaka Action Agenda. In 1996, an APEC Framework for Strengthening Economic Cooperation and Development was adopted to guide members in implementing the Osaka Action Agenda.

The objectives of the SCE are to support implementation of APEC's ECOTECH activities by prioritising work based on the commitments made by Leaders' and Ministers, and overseeing the work of APEC fora; provide policy guidance on ways to contribute to APEC's ECOTECH goals; and coordinate ECOTECH objectives and priorities between the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and APEC ministerial meetings.

The SCE was first established as the SOM Sub-Committee for Economic and Technical Cooperation in 1998. In 2002, it was elevated to the SOM Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation. In 2005, the ESC was strengthened and transformed into the SOM Steering Committee on ECOTECH.-VNA