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The PECC International Secretariat, 4 Nassim Road, Singapore 258372 Tel: +65 737-9823 | Fax: +65 737-9824 | E-mail: peccsec@pacific.net.sg |
1995: PECC XI, Beijing Statement, Open Regionalism for Global Prosperity
We, the representative of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, have assembled
in Beijing to address new challenges facing the region.
The future of the region is tied irrevocably to the global economy. Hence our
desire to promote mutually beneficial economic integration, by reducing impediments to
economic exchanges among Asia Pacific economies without discrimination against any
other economy. Accordingly, we affirm our commitment to open regionalism --
regionalism with global objectives -- made in San Francisco in 1992 and Kuala Lumpur
in 1994.
On its fifteenth anniversary, PECC is proud to include twenty-two Asia Pacific
members. These are linked by an extensive network of researchers, public officials and
business people, who share the objective of realising the development potential of the
region through consensus - building and economic cooperation.
The comprehensive character of PECC has enabled it to identify issues of
common interest and regional economic significance and to undertake enquiry in
arrange of areas with important policy implications. Substantive and objective
discussions in PECC have made it possible to place previously sensitive issues, such
as the liberalisation and facilitation of trade and investment, firmly on the regional
agenda. The endorsement of these priorities at the highest levels has already
contributed to the successful outcome of the Uruguay Round.
PECC has made innovative contributions to prospects for mutually beneficial
economic and technical cooperation. Since its founding in 1980, its tripartite network
has identified, researched, and provided policy options on most of the opportunities for
sectoral cooperation which APEC working groups are now beginning to address. These
include cooperation in fields such as finance, infrastructure, telecommunications,
human resources, technology and environment.
Originally pioneering, fifteen years later the PECC approach is increasingly being
accepted as appropriate by the region . Out of this distinctive process has emerged an
Asia Pacific model for economic cooperation and development.
We can learn much from economic cooperation experiences elsewhere, but
those cannot be simply transplanted to the dynamic and diverse Asia Pacific. An
Understanding of the realities of this region, characterised by continuous and radical
changes in relative economic strengths, indicates the need to respect the guiding
principles of openness, equality and evolution.
Openness reflects the principle of open regionalism. This principle
should guide decisions to achieve free trade and investment in the Asia Pacific; all
these decisions should be transparent and avoid any discrimination.
Equality implies that activities should be of mutual benefit to all
participants, combined with respect for diversity within the region.
Evolution reflects a gradual, pragmatic and sustained process of
voluntary cooperation. Substantive cooperation will evolve through consensus-
building.
A further element of the Asia Pacific model is balance among the objectives of
strengthening an open multilateral trading system, regional liberalisation, facilitation and
development cooperation.
PECC welcomes the commitment of APEC leaders to all of these objectives in their
Bogor Declaration of Common Resolve. We congratulate them, especially for
endorsing the bold vision of free and open trade and investment in the region by 2010
for developed economies and 2020 for developing economies.
We wish APEC governments all success in their current efforts to set specific
and operational long-term targets for cooperation backed by ambitious, but realistic,
action plans for liberalisation and facilitation. Another urgent priority is to implement
practical programs of development cooperation.
The action plans of APEC governments will need to go well beyond the
elimination of tariffs and quotas. They should also address obstacles to international
trade and investment which arise from differences in domestic policies and regulatory
systems or product standards as well as their lack of transparency.
Examples of proposals and targets relevant to realising the Bogor vision of
APEC leaders and achievable within agreed parameters have been identified in the
June 1995 PECC Statement to APEC on Implementing the APEC Bogor
Declaration.
To achieve early and sustained progress towards such objectives, we believe
that APEC should continue to follow its flexible, voluntary and concerted approach to
Pacific cooperation, tested successfully in cooperative ventures such as ASEAN and
PECC, has made possible the remarkably rapid evolution of APEC between Canberra
and Bogor. The future success of APEC rests on its wisdom to recognise the
importance of consistently building trust and consensus as well as the guiding
principles of openness, equality and evolution.
We are confident that APEC governments will make significant progress
towards the liberalisation and facilitation of trade and investment in this way, by building
on two recent, powerful trends in the Pacific, namely:
Substantial progress towards realising its historic vision will better enable APEC to set
the agenda for future multilateral negotiations. By their positive example, Asia Pacific
economies will be in a stronger position to take the lead in the global dismantling of
obstacles to trade and investment and extending the coverage of the GATT/WTO
disciplines to the constantly increasing range of international economic
transactions.
Forthcoming meeting of WTO Ministers in Singapore could be a unique
opportunity to launch a new round of multilateral negotiations - which could become
known as the Pacific Round - to reflect the leadership of this region in shaping
the global agenda.
To seize this opportunity, it is imperative that all APEC governments commit
themselves firmly to bring about the full membership of all PECC and APEC economies
in the WTO at the earliest opportunity.
We in PECC commit ourselves to providing leadership, intellectual input and
practical proposals to help launch and complete future WTO negotiations. Further
strengthening of the non-binding investment principles already adopted by APEC will
allow Asia Pacific governments to take the lead in devising multilateral principles to
promote international investment.
PECC is continuing its work to formulate an initial set of principles for the
progressive harmonisation of trade and competition policy and to develop proposals for
multilateral principles relating to environment and trade policy. These proposals will give
due consideration to diversity and the need to avoid new barriers against trade or
investment. PECC will also expand its work on financial market development and
stability.
By building consensus on these issues in its network of business, researchers
and policy makers, PECC can make it possible for these matters to be addressed
subsequently by governments. Through its innovative model of cooperation, the Asia
Pacific will provide powerful, collective leadership to promote global prosperity and
shape the global economic system of the 21st Century.
Declared in Beijing on this 29th day September 1995, by the undersigned
members of the Standing Committee of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council. @ @ |
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