THE SIXTH APEC MINISTERIAL MEETING ON THE
TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION INDUSTRY (TELMIN6)
(1-3 June, 2005 Lima, Peru)
Annex A
APEC Telecommunications and Information Working Group
Program of Action
This Program of Action outlines a forward agenda for the APEC
Telecommunications and Information Working Group (TEL) to implement pursuant to
the Lima Declaration. It reflects our commitment to achieving sustainable and
equitable growth and reducing economic disparities for the well-being of our
people by meeting the Bogor Goals of trade and investment liberalization and
facilitation, enhancing human security, and promoting good governance and a
knowledge-based society.
To achieve these goals and maintain our commitments, Ministers endorse and
instruct the TEL to direct its attention towards the following activities and
thematic areas.
I. Advancing Information and Communications Infrastructure
Ministers recognize that the advancement of information and communication
infrastructure is a key factor in expanding digital opportunities. Ministers
also reaffirm their commitment to the five objectives and ten core principles in
the Seoul Declaration endorsed at the first meeting of APEC Ministers
responsible for the Telecommunications and Information Industry (TELMIN 1, 1995)
as essential for the construction and the expansion of the Asia Pacific
Information Infrastructure (APII) and the realization of the vision of the Asia
Pacific Information Society (APIS). In recognition of this, Ministers instruct
the TEL to undertake activities that:
a) Encourage investment and capitalization in expanding Internet access and
infrastructure construction particularly in developing economies;
b) Promote the use of information and communication technologies and
related services to create digital opportunities;
c) Strengthen and encourage information sharing, exchange of best practices
and co-operation with other APEC fora and international and regional
organizations on advancing information infrastructure and the information
society;
d) Encourage the development of policy approaches to enable the
implementation and application of advanced technologies and services to expand
access to unserved and underserved areas;
e) Encourage APEC economies to implement the Key Principles for
Broadband Development as each economy gains capabilities, and continue to
work on broadband policies, emergent themes and issues such as broadband for
small and medium enterprises; emergency response and disaster mitigation;
universal service and access policies; and other policy issues related to
broadband;
f) Explore innovative next generation network (NGN) approaches arising from
new technologies and services, consistent with the topic areas put forward in
the Lima Declaration;
g) Consider developing a clearer vision of the APIS and the new
knowledge-based economy on which it is built, and identifying those areas in
which the TEL could contribute most effectively;
h) Consider undertaking an assessment in early 2006 of progress towards the
Brunei Goal of tripling Internet access by the end of 2005.
II. Enabling Digital Opportunities through Effective Policy and Regulation
Recognizing the challenges and opportunities posed by the
rapid technological advancement and convergence of telecommunications services,
as well as the importance of responding to the constantly changing environment
by promoting effective policy and regulatory frameworks within APEC economies,
Ministers instruct the TEL to:
a) Undertake a review of the current APEC Principles of Interconnection
in light of issues raised by the transition to NGN, including the
interoperability of services and networks;
b) Continue to hold regulatory roundtables as an effective means to
exchange views on a wide range of regulatory issues;
c) Create information resources for consumers to increase consumer
awareness and confidence in a changing technical environment; and consider the
development of information to address the definition of service
characteristics and their communication to consumers;
d) Consider the regulatory challenges posed by the increasing supply of
services across the boundaries of member economies;
e) Encourage each economy to implement the APEC Effective Compliance and
Enforcement Principles;
f) Explore work on the emerging challenges to numbering and addressing,
especially in the context of NGN and transitional environments;
g) Continue work on the TEL Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA)
implementation project; undertake a stocktake of progress by economies in
implementing all facets of the MRA; continue work on the MRA Management
System; commence development of a new MRA on the technical requirements of
telecommunications equipment; encourage each APEC economy to implement the
Guidelines for the Use of Conformity Assessment Procedures for
Telecommunications Equipment by APEC Economies to promote the streamlining
of conformity assessment procedures employed by APEC economies and further
expedite the trade of telecommunications equipment with the APEC region; and
support further work on a stocktake by regulators, designating authorities and
conformity assessment bodies of the impact of the MRA;
h) Encourage use of the APEC Best Practices for Implementing the WTO
Reference Paper as a guide; continue the annual update of the TEL study on
Progress Towards Adopting and Implementing the WTO Reference Paper;
update relevant member economies' progress on implementing World Trade Organisation General Agreement on Trade in Services (WTO GATS) Reference Paper
commitments; and encourage capacity building and other efforts to assist
developing members to participate in the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) round;
i) Consider how the APEC Best Practice Guide for RTAs/FTAs, welcomed
by APEC Economic Leaders in Santiago, 2004, may apply to the
telecommunications and information sector;
j) Explore policies to promote innovation and competition in the use of
spectrum, including for legacy networks, transitional situations and NGNs -
taking into account work in other international organizations; share
information on experiences regarding the efficient use of spectrum; build on
member economies' understanding of spectrum policy and regulatory frameworks
and their implications for trade and competition; and consider potential
training activities on spectrum policy and regulatory issues;
k) Support policy and regulatory frameworks for standards that promote
innovation and competition, including the development of NGNs; participate in
mutual recognition arrangements with respect to one another's
standards-related measures; and continue work on the Comparison of the
Equivalence of Selected Telecommunications Standards Project;
l) Undertake the proposed project on Evaluation of Access to Domestic
and International Leased Lines in the APEC Region; and
m) Complete the current Survey Project on Virtual Private Networks,
with the maximum possible participation by member economies in this work.
Ministers also note that individual economies may consider the outcomes of
the review of Stocktake of Progress Towards the Key Elements of a Fully
Liberalised Telecommunications Sector in the APEC Region in their progress
towards liberalisation of the telecommunications sector.
III. Strengthening Security and Prosperity through the Use of
Information and Communication Technologies
Ministers confirm the importance of information and
communication technologies (ICT) in advancing economic and social development.
They reaffirm the necessity of ensuring the protection and security of
information infrastructures and recognize the importance of safeguarding of the
integrity of the Internet. Ministers recognize the importance of TEL leadership
in these areas and commend the work of the TEL. Ministers also note the
importance of continuously exploring new areas of work on the challenges which
arise from the information society.
In the area of the security of networks and
infrastructure, Ministers instruct the TEL to:
a) Continue work on fulfilling the 2002 APEC
Cybersecurity Strategy and develop a strategy to complement it to guide
further APEC work to promote a trustworthy, secure and sustainable online
environment;
b) Strengthen effective response capabilities among APEC
economies, including improving the ability to respond and cooperate rapidly
and accurately in response to security incidents; and where needed, conduct
training courses to improve the effectiveness of the computer emergency
response teams (CERTs) and computer security incident response teams (CSIRTS)
of APEC members;
c) Continue its efforts to combat cybercrime, including
malicious activities that attack the network infrastructure and the misuse of
that infrastructure; and to promote capacity building to counter the threat of
cybercrime;
d) Continue its work on information security aimed at
ensuring a trusted, secure, and sustainable online environment, including
examination of the security implications of emerging technologies;
e) Develop a set of guidelines which assist economies to
protect from unwanted external attack on the electronic information systems of
essential infrastructure and services; and
f) Pursue cooperative work with other organizations on
security issues; and strengthen work on creating a safe on-line environment in
the information society, dealing with such issues as spam, to counter threats
to the networks, including follow up actions on APEC Principles for Action
Against Spam and the APEC Implementation Guidelines for Action Against
Spam and cooperation with international and regional organizations such as
the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Association of South East Asian
Nations (ASEAN).
Economic Leaders, in their Santiago Declaration, welcomed the inputs from the
business community. Economic Leaders further underscored the need to deepen
capacity building initiatives in the region through private/public partnerships.
Business is a key owner, developer and innovator in the area of
telecommunications, and through partnerships the efforts of governments in
regulatory and policy areas can best be targeted.
To broaden and deepen business facilitation, Ministers call upon the
TEL to:
a) Strengthen existing work and explore new work on
information applications for business facilitation such as open
standards-based interoperability;
b) Continue work on user issues, mindful of the need to
balance provider and user needs, and aware that e-enabled businesses thrive in
an environment where users have the tools necessary to create confidence and
trust;
c) Continue to seek ways to facilitate the use of
technology by users, especially small and medium enterprises. In this regard,
open new channels of cooperation with other APEC forums as appropriate, such
as the Small and Medium Enterprises Working Group;
d) Explore the possibility of developing a work program for
the ubiquitous network society, including in relation to content development;
e) Continue exploring the use of information and
communication technologies (ICTs) to lower trade costs, promote wider use of
available information for business, link with universities and other
institutions for business education, and provide other types of linkages for
business advantages;
f) Continue work to fulfill the e-APEC Strategy and,
as appropriate, expand and adjust the strategy to reflect and respond to the
changing communications and information environment and to foster greater
global information policy coherence; and
g) Strengthen work on the development of an APEC
Informatization Strategy and an APEC Telematics Strategy.
In the rapidly evolving environment which faces the TEL, it
will be important for the TEL to continuously cooperate with other relevant
international and regional organizations to ensure that its work remains
effective and relevant.
IV. Advancing the Information Society through Human Capacity Building
Ministers recognize that building human capacity through life-long learning
for people of both genders within the region is essential in achieving the
benefits and the realization of a digital society and in narrowing the digital
divide. Ministers note the importance of the work currently carried out by the
TEL in this regard and instruct the TEL to:
a) Continue training and development for policy makers, regulators, service
providers, chief information officers and users, in the areas of policy
development, NGN, e-government, promoting digital opportunities, and good
regulatory practices;
b) Continue development and training to accelerate the TEL MRA;
c) Continue capacity building initiatives to continue momentum towards the
Asia-Pacific Information Society; and
d) Explore different approaches to human resource development, such as a
possible e-university to assist e-government, and the possible use of
telecenters; and continue TEL e-Learning initiatives for capacity building by
utilizing ICT and emerging NGN technologies.
V. Communication Networks for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operation
Ministers welcomed the APEC Strategy on Response to and Preparedness for
Emergency and Natural Disasters endorsed by the APEC Senior Officials at
SOM1, 2005, recognizing the importance of effectively preparing for and
responding to emergency and natural disasters. In this light, Ministers instruct
the TEL to:
a) Encourage the application of ICT for disaster/emergency detection,
mitigation, response, and recovery including the delivery of medical and
humanitarian assistance;
b) Consider areas in which the TEL can support human capacity building
related to emergency response and disaster relief initiatives within APEC as a
whole;
c) Continue work on ICT-based disaster early warning systems as part of the
TEL's input to APEC-wide work on disaster and emergency response systems,
including APEC i-DWS (Disaster Warning Systems) Development Strategy and APEC
Guide(s) on i-DWS;
d) Strengthen effective response capabilities among APEC economies as well
as in each economy and recognize that work related to emergency preparedness
is being conducted in other APEC fora and that the TEL should cooperate and
coordinate with these efforts; and
e) Explore means to exchange experiences and promote collaboration on
crisis management procedures, identifying planning methods to ensure network
integrity and information dissemination, including deployment of the
infrastructure in cases of disasters and emergencies; and examine the
application of existing and advanced information and communications
technologies and services for disaster and emergency detection, mitigation,
response, and recovery.
Road to the Future
Recognizing the need for the TEL to enhance its effectiveness, better respond
to challenges and accommodate the different needs of economies, Ministers hereby
direct the TEL to consider ways and means to further improve its working methods
and structure to bring more focus into its work.
Ministers also direct the TEL to strengthen cooperation with other APEC fora
and with relevant international and regional organizations and consider ways to
encourage participation and contribution by the private sector in TEL activities
in order to improve its outreach within APEC, as well as at global level.
Ministers congratulate the TEL on its considerable successes to date, and
urge it to strive for continued success in the future.
