In October 2001, APEC Leaders in Shanghai issued a Leaders Statement on Counter-Terrorism. They underlined that terrorism was a direct challenge to APEC's vision of free, open and prosperous economies, and to the fundamental values that APEC members hold. Leaders built on their commitments in a further Statement on Fighting Terrorism and Promoting Growth in 2002 in Los Cabos, as well as in every subsequent Leaders Statement. Leaders agreed to take appropriate individual and joint actions to follow up on the commitments in line with their respective circumstances and in accordance with APEC principles.
Bearing in mind Leaders' instructions to monitor progress and build capacity in counter-terrorism, the APEC Counter-Terrorism Task Force was established in May 2003 to:
coordinate the implementation of Leaders' Statements and commitments on fighting terrorism and enhancing human security
assist members to identify and assess counter-terrorism needs
coordinate capacity building and technical assistance programs
cooperate with relevant international and regional organizations
facilitate cooperation between APEC fora on counter-terrorism issues
The mandate of the task force is in place until the end of 2008.
Counter Terrorism Action Plans were developed in 2003 as a tool for tracking the progress of economies in implementing Leaders' directions on APEC's security and counter-terrorism related work program, and for identifying the capacity building assistance required by member economies to implement these measures.
One of APEC's key counter-terrorism priorities is the Secure Trade in the APEC Region (STAR) initiative which aims to secure and enhance the flow of goods and people through measures that protect cargo, ships, international aviation and people in transit. STAR programs are designed to include the private sector, in recognition of the fact that the engagement and active participation of business is fundamental to the success of APEC's secure trade agenda.
The APEC Capacity Building Workshop on the Trade Recovery Program workshop was held in Singapore on 23-24 July, 2008. It focused on the importance of having a TRP, explored possible cooperation areas between APEC economies and developed possible approaches for the conduct of a TRP pilot project. Singapore will lead a Pilot Trade Recovery Exercise in 2009.
APEC Seminar on Protection of Cyberspace from Terrorist Use and Attack (Seoul, Korea, 26-27 June, 2008) The seminar encouraged cooperative and effective efforts to combat various cyber threats, building trust and confidence to allow for continued information-sharing, the exchange of best practices and experiences in fostering a culture of cyber security, and enhancing cooperation among different APEC sub-fora.
Fifth Secure Trade in the APEC Region (STAR V) Conference (Sydney, 27-28 June) Under the theme "Mitigating Risks: Containing Costs," participants discussed and recognized that enhancing safety and security for people and cargo between APEC economies brings with it increased costs. The challenge is to design security systems which are based on appropriate risk management strategies, that are cost-effective and which deliver trade efficiencies. The conference underlined the need for governments to work with industry in public-private partnerships if this challenge is to be met. STAR V's key conclusion was that there was scope to further harmonize identity and supply chain security measures across APEC economies and this could contribute to broader international efforts.
Cyber Security Training (Seoul, Korea, 15-30 November, 2007) Endorsed as a CTTF-TEL joint project, this training provided courses on effective measures to strengthen cyber security in the Asia-Pacific region, including know-how on the establishment of CERTS, and enactment and implementation of laws relating to cyber security as instructed by Leaders in Los Cabos. It also raised awareness both in the public and private sectors of the danger of cyber-terrorism, as well as to help reinforce APEC member economies' capacity to respond to other threats in cyberspace.
APEC Best Practices in Post-Blast Scene Management Workshop Taking place in Bangkok, Thailand on 7-11 January, 2008, this workshop provided police officers with the necessary skills to coordinate a post-blast scene. Emphasis was placed on organizing a team approach to the investigation of the scene. APEC Seminar on Protection of Cyberspace from Terrorist Use and Attack The seminar encouraged cooperative and effective efforts to combat various cyber threats, building trust and confidence to allow for continued information-sharing, the exchange of best practices and experiences in fostering a culture of cyber security, and enhancing cooperation among different APEC sub-fora. The seminar was held in Seoul on 26-27 June.
APEC Counter-Terrorism Review 2001-2006 A summary of APEC's counter-terrorism achievements and of the work done by the CTTF up until 2006 is available in the APEC Counter-Terrorism Review 2001-2006, prepared by the Philippines, and presented in November 2006.
