One community for the future: Ambassador Mario Artaza, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, recently spoke at a business breakfast hosted by The New Zealand Asia Institute at the University of Auckland on the role of APEC. We take a look at what he says is in store for the region this year.

• Position: APEC: THE 2004 AGENDA

Mario Artaza stressed that though Auckland is no stranger to the APEC process, having successfully hosted an Annual Economic Leaders Meeting in 1999 and again playing host to a major APEC meeting when the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), meets in Auckland this August, it is nevertheless Chile's turn to host the major events of the APEC Year.

Artaza said there were a number of programs and initiatives APEC was implementing in 2004 and beyond that would have direct benefits for business. He itemised them as:

* Developments from the recent Science Ministers' Meeting and other ministerial events.

* Programs to expand the use of English as the language of business.

* Building momentum to get World Trade Organisation negotiations back on track.

* Growing the number of regional trade agreements in the APEC region.

* Measures to overcome the terrorist threat and ensure secure trade in the region.

"As well as the Annual Leaders' Meeting that will be held in Santiago in November, APEC is holding 10 ministerial meetings across a wide range of sectors," said Artaza. "We will hold around 70 APEC meetings in the coming year and will undertake around 230 projects. While these ministerial level meetings are not as high profile as the Leaders' meeting, these meetings of ministers from APEC economies are some of the most important events of the APEC calendar."

Artaza says that the ministerial meetings are the 'bread and butter' of the APEC process as they set the work agenda for working groups in their individual sectors. The meetings will focus on specific areas that are important to the global economy and a wide range of business areas.

"They also carry with them the political strength and credibility that government ministers are able to use in their home economies on the issues being discussed."

Artaza pointed out that APEC had already concluded the first ministerial meeting of the year, with the successful 4th APEC Ministers' Meeting on Regional Science and Technology Cooperation.

"This meeting drew attention to issues of the sustainability of development in all APEC economies. A key point of this event was to draw attention to the fact that advances in science and technology should be made accessible for all people in the APEC Region and ensure none are disadvantaged."

In their joint communique, ministers agreed to focus on identifying problems behind the shortfall of skills in the area of science and technology in the APEC region. Ministers have called for research and analysis to find out why companies are experiencing difficulty in accessing a large enough skill base to meet their demands for skills in the science and technology field. Artaza says it is widely...