2018 APEC Ministerial Chair’s Statement

Priority 2: Promoting Sustainable and Inclusive Growth

Emergency Preparedness and Disaster

53. We continue to promote disaster resilience by exchanging information on disaster risk communication methods and strategies to enhance knowledge and improve the efficiency and coverage of multi-hazard risk assessments and early warning systems, search and rescue, as well as encouraging research on the application of technology for disaster early warning and response.

Sustainable and Inclusive Mining

54. We note the outcomes of the 6th Ministers Responsible for Mining Meeting which underscored how transformative technological advances combined with the appropriate structural and regulatory reforms, can help economies manage next generation growth and mitigate emerging challenges in the mining sector. We acknowledge that APEC should continue to be a platform for collaborative work on mining issues, includingwith the private sector.

Sustainable and Inclusive Tourism

55. We support the commitment of the 10th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting (TMM) to harness sustainable and inclusive tourism in the digital age. We recognise the economic significance of tourism, as illustrated in the State of APEC Tourism Report, in terms of regional cooperation, trade, MSME support, job creation, skills enhancement, innovation, and the development of ICT.

56. We note the APEC Guidelines for Tourism Stakeholders endorsed by the 10th TMM and recognise that they are founded on the values of sustainability, inclusivity, respect, responsibility, openness, innovation and partnership.

Forestry and Wildlife  

57. We remain committed to our efforts in combating illegal logging and promoting the trade of legally harvested forest products through capacity building initiatives, development of appropriate policies and digital and other technologies. We acknowledge continued efforts by APEC and relevant stakeholders including the private sector to address illegal logging and strengthen sustainable and legal forest products supply chains and further encourage increased collaborative efforts by all. To this end we support enhancing focused policy discussions and we call on economies to expedite completion of their Timber Legality Guidance document. We also emphasize the importance of strengthening our efforts and increasing cooperation among member economies in combating wildlife trafficking.

Transportation

58. In working towards achieving regional economic integration and the overarching pillars of APEC, our economies will collaborate to develop safe, secure, resilient, efficient and sustainable transport systems. We support work to accelerate innovation in the transport sector to achieve inclusive mobility and global supply chain resilience. We agree to promote comprehensive and seamless connectivity through transport systems, and enriched human resources capacity, including through increasing women’s employment in transport. We welcome the progress made by the APEC Port Services Network (APSN) to strengthen supply chain connectivity and sustainability.

Supporting Persons with Disabilities

59. We acknowledge the vital importance of the contributions persons with disabilities can make to the economy. However, we recognise that their talents often remain untapped and their exclusion from the economy results in significant economic losses. To this end, we reaffirm our commitment to reduce barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from equal access to high quality, inclusive education and employment opportunities. We encourage member economies to assess the effectiveness of their laws, policies and programs to facilitate inclusive and equal opportunities.

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)

60. We welcome the outcomes of the Mid-term Review of the Boracay Action Agenda to Globalize MSMEs and the annual stock take for 2018 and urge further efforts towards its implementation.

61. We acknowledge the importance of MSMEs’ integration into Global Value Chains (GVCs) in services industries and note the Compendium on Methodologies for SMEs Internationalization through the participation of economies. We will continue our efforts in promoting entrepreneurship and innovation amongst MSMEs, fostering MSMEs capacity building and participation in E-commerce and Online-to-Offline business model. We encourage activities and initiatives that promote the implementation of APEC Strategy for Green, Sustainable and Innovative MSMEs and the APEC initiative on Promoting Innovative Start-Ups. We urge third parties to join the effort to promote ethical business practices which are crucial to the sustainable growth of MSMEs.

Circular Economy and Sustainable Materials Management

62. We recognise the importance of exploring and promoting strategies to foster economic growth while ensuring environmental sustainability. We welcome additional APEC work to advance sustainable materials management and work related to the circular economy, and green economy. We invite economies to explore ways to adapt and integrate these innovative economic strategies in order for MSMEs to more effectively participate in GVCs.

Enhancing Food Security and Sustainable Fisheries

63. We will continue to implement the APEC Food Security Roadmap 2020 focusing on sustainable development of the agricultural and fisheries sectors. We further encourage the implementation of the Food Security and Climate Change Multi-Year Action Plan 2018-2020. We encourage sustainable and productive food systems, including sustainable aquaculture, that efficiently utilise resources such as water resources and fisheries waste. Improving resilience, adaptation and productivity of food systems contributes to protecting and conserving the environment and mitigates the effects of natural disasters and climate change.

64. We encourage the promotion of best practices on connectivity for food value chains to increase agricultural productivity and market access. We also support agricultural innovation and technical cooperation, including among others biotechnology, and regulatory cooperation as tools to enhance productivity, raise farm incomes, protect the environment, improve climate resiliency of food systems, benefit consumers, and strengthen food security. We also encourage economies to reduce trade distorting measures, including non-tariff barriers, that can promote unsustainable practices. We attach great importance to reduce food losses and waste for sustainable APEC food system.

65. We recognize the negative impacts on food security and fisheries trade from Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Asia Pacific region, and fisheries subsidies that contribute to IUU fishing, which undermines our efforts towards sustainable management of fisheries and marine resources. We believe it is crucial to strengthen policy and technical cooperation to improve sustainable use of natural resources while securing long term food supply, including taking appropriate actions to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing.

66. We underscore our commitment to increasing the participation and improving the status of women in the agriculture and fisheries sectors and welcome the outcomes of the Dialogue on Women in Agriculture and Fisheries to focus on empowering women and addressing barriers to women’s participation in these sectors.

Marine Debris Management

67. We recognize that marine debris and inadequate sea and land-based management are challenges that have significant environmental, economic and social costs to our region. We call on member economies to take concrete action to improve liquid and solid waste management systems to mitigate and manage the negative impact of marine debris. We also encourage economies to increase regional and international cooperation to comprehensively reduce and prevent marine debris. We value the progress made by member economies to address marine debris with relevant activities, including Marine Sustainable Development Report II, which will be finalized next year.

Energy

68. We recognise the importance of energy connectivity and the contribution of energy-related trade in the Asia Pacific region to enhance energy security and stimulate regional economic growth and development. We encourage member economies to create favourable conditions for energy-related trade and investment, including supporting a diversified, flexible, and integrated natural gas market in the Asia Pacific region.

69. We continue to strive for clean, affordable, sustainable and secure energy systems. We welcome member economies’ efforts to reduce aggregate energy intensity, pursue resilient energy development, and accelerate cleaner energy deployment through renewables, cleaner and more efficient fossil fuels, hydrogen and nuclear energy for interested economies, adhering to nuclear safety, security, and peaceful use.

70. We encourage economies to strengthen coordination and cooperation through analysing energy data, sharing best practices, conducting peer reviews, pursing energy smart and low carbon communities, and fostering innovation.