You Are Here: Home > APEC Groups > Counter Terrorism Task Force
The Leaders' Statement on Fighting Terrorism and Promoting Growth of October 2002 expresses the threat that terrorism poses to the region and states, "terrorism is a direct challenge to APEC's vision of free, open and prosperous economies and to the fundamental values that APEC members hold".
Accordingly, the Counter-Terrorism Task Force (CTTF) was established in February 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.
APEC Trade Recovery Program (TRP) Leaders and Ministers endorsed the APEC's trade recovery program which addressed the importance of establishing measures and processes by APEC economies to minimize disruption to trade flows in the event of a major terrorist attack on the supply chain. They also encouraged economies to undertake pilot projects. Aviation Security Quality Control Program. The program encourages APEC economies to develop and implement national aviation security quality control programs and to develop and operate an effective compliance and enforcement regime for these quality standards.
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 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.
