SOM Steering Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation

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APEC economies undertake economic and technical co-operation in order to attain sustainable growth and equitable development in the Asia-Pacific region, while reducing economic disparities among APEC economies and improving economic and social well being. In 1996, Ministers adopted the APEC Framework for Strengthening Economic Cooperation and Development to guide members in implementing the Osaka Action Agenda.

The SOM Steering Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation (SCE) coordinates and manages APEC's economic and technical cooperation (ECOTECH) agenda, which is outlined in the Osaka Action Agenda.

The objectives of the SCE are:

To strengthen implementation of APEC's ECOTECH activities by prioritizing in accordance with Leaders and Ministers commitments, coordinating and providing oversight of the work of APEC fora.
To provide policy guidance on ways to contribute to APEC's ECOTECH goals
To coordinate ECOTECH objectives and priorities as instructed by the APEC Economic Leaders and Ministers.

In September 2006, the SCE re-affirmed its commitment to the Manila Framework as a living document that provides the basis for the implementation of the ECOTECH activities outlined in the Osaka Action Agenda. Recognizing emerging priorities, the SCE endorsed an updated list of ECOTECH priorities as follows:

Developing human capital
Developing stable and efficient markets through structural reform.
Strengthening economic infrastructure
Facilitating technology flows and harnessing technologies for the future
Safeguarding the quality of life through environmentally sound growth
Developing and strengthening the dynamism of small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
Integration into the Global Economy;
Human Security and Counter-terrorism Capacity Building
Promoting the Development of Knowledge-Based Economies; and
Addressing Social Dimension of Globalization.

The SCE was first established as the SOM Sub-Committee for Economic and Technical Cooperation (ESC) in 1998. In 2002, this was elevated to the SOM Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation. In 2005, as part of the ongoing APEC reform process, the ESC was further strengthened and transformed into the SOM Steering Committee on ECOTECH (SCE). The Terms of Reference for the new Committee was endorsed by SOM in March 2006.

Achievements

In 2007, a total of 79 ECOTECH-related APEC-funded projects (excluding Committee on Trade and Investment and Economic Committee projects) were reported as implemented by APEC working groups and SOM task forces. Capacity building projects (20%) were focused on human security; environmentally sound growth (19%); SMEs (14%) and integration into the global economy (13%).

The extensive review of all Working Groups and SOM taskforces undertaken in 2006, culminated in the Ministerial endorsement of twelve key recommendations. In 2007, the SOM Steering Committee on ECOTECH (SCE) focused on implementing the SCE Fora Review outcomes. As a result of the implementation of these recommendations, APEC's ECOTECH agenda will be more focused, will reduce duplication and will strategically align expertise and skills to ensure better outcomes for APEC.

Key outcomes include:

The transformation of the Health Task Force (HTF) into a Working Group
The creation of a Mining Taskforce
The transferal of the Electronic Commerce Steering Group (ECSG) to the Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI)
The successful implementation of improvements to APEC's procedures and processes. This. will improve the effectiveness and quality of APEC activities, and includes new Guidelines for Lead Shepherds and Chairs and new Guidelines for the Establishment of new fora .

At the AMM in Sydney in 2007, Ministers commended the achievements of the SOM Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation (SCE) and endorsed the 2007 Senior Officials' Report on Economic and Technical Cooperation.

Current Activities

Since 2007, the SCE has been carrying out three independent assessments of the Marine Resource Conservation Working Group (MRCWG); Gender Focal Point Network (GFPN); the Agricultural technical Cooperation Working Group (ATCWG) and High Level Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Biotechnology (HLPDAB).

In 2008, SCE is focusing its work on enhancing APEC?s collaboration with other international organizations, strengthening its policy role for APEC ECOTECH activities and exploring new opportunities for capacity building. SCE also commenced the independent assessment of Anti-Corruption Taskforce (ACT), Energy Working Group (EWG) and Telecommunications and Information Working Group (TELWG).