4th APEC TRANSPORTATION MINISTERIAL MEETING
27-29 July 2004
Bali, Indonesia
JOINT MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
We, the Ministers Responsible for Transportation in the APEC
Region, met in Bali, Indonesia, on July 27-29, 2004, to continue progress
towards achieving the goals of free and open trade and investment in
Asia-Pacific by 2010 for developed economies and 2020 for developing economies
set out by our APEC Economic Leaders' Declaration at Bogor. In this regard, we
strive for the highest possible standards of efficiency, safety, security and
environmental sustainability for our transportation systems.
Since September 11, 2001, we have witnessed a number of
terrorist attacks around the world, including in the APEC Region. We condemn, in
the strongest terms possible, such attacks and the targeting of transportation
systems to inflict terror on civilians. We are united in our determination to
enhance regional cooperation on transportation security.
In Bali, we considered ways and means of reducing impediments
to trade and investment, while enhancing security and safety, including
progressively liberalizing transportation services, engaging in economic and
technical cooperation, and building human and institutional capacity. We
recognized that through the Secure Trade in the APEC Region (STAR) initiative,
APEC economies are building a transport and trade system in our Region that
strengthens security while facilitating the movement of people and goods.
Recognizing the rapid increase of road traffic fatalities and
injuries worldwide, especially in the APEC Region, which accounts for over 40
percent of the 1.2 million global fatalities, we commit to working together in
combating this rising transportation, public health and economic problem.
We benefited from an open dialogue with the leaders of the
Region's transportation industry, and we call upon industry and our officials to
continue to work together to promote economic prosperity and a secure, safe,
efficient and integrated transportation system for all member economies.
The Transportation Working Group (TPT-WG) is the instrument
by which both APEC Leaders' and Ministers' goals and directions in the transport
field are implemented collectively. We noted the report of the activities of the TPT-WG, and expressed our satisfaction with the work that it has accomplished
since our meeting in 2002, and endorsed its Operational Plan.
OUR PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE
Reaffirming that a principal aim of cooperation in APEC for
transportation is trade liberalization and facilitation as well as economic and
technical assistance;
According high priority to ensuring a safe, secure,
efficient, integrated and environmentally sustainable transportation system for
the Region;
Recognizing that the capacity constraints of our
transportation systems need to be reduced so that our people, goods and services
can move safely and freely;
Recognizing that transnational organized crimes increasingly
pose serious threats to the security and safety of aviation, land, and maritime
transportation and preservation of environment;
Recognizing that a focus on intermodalism would permit the
possibility of exploring innovative solutions to transportation challenges in
the region; and
Mindful of the priorities established by Chile, as APEC Host
Economy for 2004, with respect to encouraging progress towards a community based
on sustainable development;
We state our priorities for all modes of transportation as
being:
-
Implementing the Bogor Goals on free and open trade and
investment;
-
Harnessing new technologies and best practices to
facilitate travel and trade;
-
Improving transport safety in the region;
-
Implementing the goals of the Leaders' Statement on Counter
Terrorism, including efforts to curb terrorist threats against all modes of
transportation;
-
Implementing the Secure Trade in the APEC Region (STAR) and
other security related initiatives consistent with international law;
-
Improving human capacity and institutional development,
with a particular focus on developing concrete results-oriented actions of
economic and technical assistance and capacity building to ensure the balanced
advancement between economic and technical cooperation and trade and
investment liberalization and facilitation;
-
Cooperating with international organizations with common
goals in accordance with APEC rules, such as the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the
International Labor Organization (ILO) without duplication of the work
undertaken by those organizations; and
-
Supporting the World Trade Organization (WTO) through trade
facilitation measures.
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
In implementing these priorities, we recognize the continuing
work and action being undertaken within the Working Group on all modes of
transport and infrastructure as well as their integration. Without limiting the
initiative of the Working Group, we direct it to give particular focus to the
following concrete actions:
-
Develop a roadmap
consistent with APEC principles, to be reported to Ministers six months
before our next meeting, describing the remaining work required for reaching
the Bogor Goals of trade liberalization and facilitation as well as economic
and technical assistance in all modes of transportation;
-
Implement a road
safety technical assistance initiative to establish a model traffic safety
data collection and evaluation system to better target road safety policies
and strategies and combat road safety hazards;
-
Support the
continuing implementation of maritime and aviation security measures, with
emphasis on
the implementation of the International Ship and
Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code);
working to support international efforts,
including those by multilateral agencies, to control access to MANPADS
and other potential threats to civil aviation;
Implement an intermodal supply chain security initiative over the next two years;
Establish a
web-based learning and technical information exchange system; and establish
a professional exchange program to assist training and education and the
mobility of transport professionals;
Implement a Global
Navigation Satellite System test bed in all areas of the APEC region;
Implement
arrangements for the structured exchange of information among member
economies on safety and security best practices and measures;
Develop a proposal
to support the secure transport of dangerous goods, that would include an
inventory of economies' regimes pertaining to transportation of dangerous
goods and other appropriate actions;
Develop concrete and
specific action plans to carry forward economic and technical cooperation
between APEC developed economies and developing economies to assist in
establishing an efficient, safe, secure and environmentally sustainable
transportation system;
Enhance cooperation
with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, through appropriate APEC
channels, to improve member economies' transport infrastructure and the
capabilities of their transport professionals, including in the area of
international security commitments. We note the existence of the APEC-Asian
Development Bank (ADB) Regional Trade and Financial Security Initiative in
this regard; and
Implement our
Leaders' directives with regard to sustainable development.
We direct the TPT-WG, within the next 12 months, to take
stock of the organization, activities and business practices of the Working
Group to identify approaches and actions that will further support its ability
to provide concrete and productive advice to Ministers in support of the
Leaders' Declarations.
In addition, we instruct the TPT-WG to continue its work in
implementing the attached Operational Plan with all deliberate speed, and to
work with other relevant APEC fora as appropriate in order to implement APEC
Leaders' and Ministers' Declarations.
CLOSING REMARKS
We agreed to meet again in 2006. We instruct the TPT-WG to
provide a comprehensive report on its progress towards implementation of our
priorities six months before our next Meeting.
We expressed appreciation to the Minister of Indonesia for
hosting this 4th APEC Transportation Ministerial Meeting and for the warm
hospitality provided. We also thank the Chair for the efficient management of
the meeting and the APEC Secretariat for its supportive work.
