APEC Business Leaders Call on Large and Small Businesses to Prepare Avian Influenza Response Contingency Plans

Business Leaders from APEC participated in a conference in Singapore from 20-25 January that discussed business preparedness against an Avian Influenza pandemic and other future health crises that could threaten critical business services.

The conference in Singapore, organised by the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and the Singapore Business Federation, provided an opportunity for public health experts, government officials and business leaders to discuss both the possible economic impacts of a pandemic and practical steps for businesses to manage in the case of an avian influenza pandemic.

ABAC 2006 Chair Hoang Van Dung, First Vice Chairman & Executive Vice President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said "While we don't know if this disease will become the pandemic we fear, we do know it is inevitable that there will be future health crises to strike the region."

"We cannot rely on government alone to do our planning for us. Our populations rely on many critical business services and functions that must be maintained in a crisis."

Dung stressed "People need to be able to count on the continuity of critical private sector services and infrastructure, such as communications, transportation, power, health care, financial systems and other sectors, even in a crisis."

"Preparing emergency response plans for future crises are of critical importance to business, and the exercise can also provide valuable lessons for businesses about the vitality and even efficiency of their key business processes", said Dung.

ABAC members concluded that they must work closely with governments and other business groups to encourage greater private sector readiness, especially among smaller and medium-sized businesses that may not know how to begin preparing a business continuity plan.

"Business can also play an important role in getting accurate information to both employees and customers, as well as in early detection of any potential outbreak."

ABAC further called for a meeting of APEC Agriculture Ministers to discuss issues related to safe and hygienic farming and food handling practices, as this could help to address the underlying causes of health threats like avian influenza and SARS.

ABAC will also continue to cooperate with the APEC Forum, in which the Health Task Force and other groups are sharing information and encouraging greater regional inter-governmental cooperation.

ABAC members also considered, in this first ABAC meeting of 2006, other vital business concerns, such as energy prices, strengthening regional financial markets and ameliorating volatile capital flows, and strengthening intellectual property right protections. During the year, they will meet with and advise APEC Ministers and develop recommendations that they will present to APEC Leaders at their annual meeting, which this year will be held in Ha Noi, Viet Nam in November.