CSOM opens in Da Nang

The CSOM was chaired by Vietnamese Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, Chairman of APEC Senior Officials’ Meetings in two days from November 6-7.

Addressing the meeting, Deputy FM Son welcomed officials of 21 APEC economies.

Mr. Son said that APEC officials acknowledged that the year of 2017 has brought about both challenges and opportunities for APEC cooperation. 

In spite of numerous difficulties, APEC member economies have spared no effort to attain important outcomes; maintained their cooperative impetus;  reached agreements on a string of important issues; promoted cooperation priority; and support each other for mutual development. 

*The first Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM-1) and related meetings took place in Nha Trang city, the central province of Khanh Hoa after two weeks of sitting – a good start for the APEC Year 2017 in Viet Nam. The event attracted more than 1,900 delegates from 21 member economies, representatives from the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, the APEC Business Advisory Council, regional and global organizations, and businesses. 

It was the first plenary meeting of APEC in 2017 with nearly 60 sessions, seminars and dialogues of 38 APEC committees and working groups.

Participants agreed to maintain APEC’s leading role in connecting economies and addressing global challenges via accelerating the fulfillment of the Bogor Goals by 2020, increasing open trade and investment in the region, and continuing to implement APEC’s long-term cooperation strategies and plans. 

They were highly unanimous on four priorities of the APEC Year 2017, namely promoting sustainable, innovative and inclusive growth; deepening regional economic integration; strengthening micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)’ competitiveness and innovation in the digital age; and enhancing food security and sustainable agriculture in response to climate change.

They reviewed the progress and efficiency of cooperation initiatives and projects and proposed a series of new measures training young scientists, promoting technological transfer and application to mitigate disaster risks, facilitating entrepreneurs’ travel in the region and legal trade in wood products, and strengthening supply chain connectivity toward sustainable growth. 

On the occasion, four APEC committees and 38 out of 53 APEC working groups adopted their respective focuses of cooperation. 

Delegates also approved the APEC Year 2017 agenda, including SOMs, ministerial meetings and the APEC High-Level Week slated for November in the central city of Da Nang. 

*The second Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM-2) was held on May in Ha Noi.  Comprising nearly 50 meetings and workshops, SOM 2 drew about 2,300 delegates from 21 member economies, the business community, scholars as well as representatives from international organizations and ministries and sectors of host Viet Nam. 

The SOM 2 and related meetings played a key role in speeding up the implementation of the theme and four priorities of the APEC Year 2017 that were approved at SOM 1 in NhaTrang in March.

Major outcomes of the meeting include member economies’ strong support for APEC’s role as a motivation for regional economic growth and connection and a cradle of cooperation and linkage ideas for common prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region.

APEC member economies showed determination to complete the Bogor Goal on trade and investment following the set roadmap in 2020 in combination with creating equal opportunities for all people and enterprises to join and benefit from regional economic growth and connection achievements, thus contributing to the global efforts for sustainable development.

Meanwhile, participants at the Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on APEC Towards 2020 and the Future concurred that the post-2020 APEC Vision is a significant issue that needs to be discussed during 2017. They also proposed schedules of implementation, targets and contents of cooperation as well as specific steps to build the vision.

At the same time, the High-Level Policy Dialogue on Human Resources Development in the Digital Age approved a framework on human resources development in the digital age, which will be submitted to APEC leaders. As an initiative proposed by the host country, the framework is expected to support APEC efforts to develop skilled human resources to meet new demands of the digital era and implement strategies on quality and inclusive growth.

The meetings also reviewed and accelerated the implementation of long-term programs of the forum, especially the action programs of member economies to realize the new APEC Agenda on structural reform, the APEC Connectivity Blueprint, the APEC roadmap on improving services competitiveness, and the Lima Declaration on the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP).

Many new ideas were also given in four priorities of the 2017 APEC Year, especially the proposal on designing an action plan to promote economic, financial and social inclusion in the APEC region with the aim of giving all people equal opportunities to benefit from regional growth and connection./. 

By Khanh Phuong