The United States is very pleased with the way the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum meeting in Santiago turned out, according to a senior administration official.
During a press briefing November 21, the official, who spoke on background, said: "APEC can be a powerful mechanism of addressing issues, both in the area of security and economy and trade in a way that are mutually reinforcing and complementary. ...[W]e were very pleased that the APEC leaders and the APEC process were able to come together on a number of very important initiatives that are very, sort of, concrete and will help advance the broader goal of promoting prosperity and security."
On the economic side, the official said the leaders reiterated their commitment to the World Trade Organization (WTO) process. "[T]oday's meeting resulted in a recommitment by the leaders to try to move the WTO negotiations further, in particular with an eye toward advancing significantly those negotiations by the time of the Hong Kong ministerial meeting of the WTO scheduled for the end of 2006."
The leaders also launched the "Santiago Initiative," agreeing to undertake additional measures to try to eliminate barriers to regional trade that have arisen as a result of inconsistent rules from the proliferation of free trade agreements (FTAs). The leaders also agreed to explore the idea of an FTA best practices commitment so that FTAs don't end up being a hindrance to the regional economic integration.
The official said the leaders agreed to strengthen enforcement of intellectual property protections and to undertake a number of concrete actions to fight corruption, improve transparency, including toughening sanctions against corrupt behavior, denying safe haven to corrupt officials and other measures.
The leaders announced a number of initiatives designed to enhance the security of the people of the APEC member economies, the official said, including:
-- adopting strict regional controls on Man-Portable Air Defense System (MANPADS);
-- a commitment by all APEC members to implement, conclude, or aim to conclude an Additional Protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) by the end of 2005;
-- an agreement to secure international shipping and ports by working toward implementation of the International Maritime Organization's International Ship and Port Facility Security Code;
-- a U.S.-Australia initiative to develop a Regional Movement Alert List to check immediately (before or during flights) against records of lost and stolen passports;
-- actions to improve cooperation to combat transnational terrorist networks by agreeing to take measurable steps toward the ratification and implementation of all basic United Nations counterterrorism conventions, including actions to cut off terrorist financing; and
-- and a U.S.-Singapore effort to establish a Regional Emerging Disease Intervention (REDI) Center to provide training and research to build regional capacity to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks and bioterror attacks.
