The work plan to implement the Initiatives on Preparing for & Mitigating an Influenza Pandemic has been endorsed at the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation's first senior officials meeting. The initiatives include the hosting of an APEC Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Avian & Pandemic Influenza in Vietnam in 2006.

Director-General of Trade & Industry Raymond Young said he has invited members to attend an avian flu seminar to be held by the APEC Business Advisory Committee in Hong Kong next month.

The first senior officials two-day meeting wrapped up in Hanoi today, discussing a wide range of trade and economic issues. Members discussed support for the WTO Doha Development Agenda talks after the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference, implementation of the Busan Roadmap to the Bogor Goals, trade facilitation, enhancing human and energy security, anti-corruption and transparency, reforming APEC and promoting tourism and cultural exchange.

Agreement was reached in different areas to promote trade and investment in the region and to address the threat of avian influenza.

Solid basis

Mr Young said MC6 formed a solid basis for the Doha talks to enter its final year. APEC's continued strong support is demonstrated by the officials' intention to prepare a standalone statement to be agreed at the APEC Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Trade in June, to push forward the Doha negotiations.

He said member economies also had fruitful discussions on the work plan to implement the Busan Roadmap to realise the APEC Bogor Goals of free trade and investment by 2010 for industrialised economies and by 2020 for developing economies. These include cutting transaction costs by a further 5% across the region by 2010 on top of the earlier agreed 5% reduction to be achieved by 2006, which will facilitate the trade and bring benefits to business in the region.

Mr Young said Hong Kong is pleased the meeting also endorsed the trade facilitation work plan, which laid down the framework for improving the business environment in the region.

ICAC symposium

To contribute to the process, Hong Kong has agreed to continue to serve as the Vice Chair of the Committee on Trade & Investment, as well as the convener of a working group on trade facilitation.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption will organise a symposium on Corporate Corruption, Integrity & Governance in May to help strengthen APEC's work on good corporate governance.

The meeting also endorsed Hong Kong's financial support proposal to facilitate wider APEC member economies' participation in the symposium, which will bring together participants from anti-corruption agencies, law enforcement organisations, regulatory bodies, professionals and academics from all over the world to share their knowledge and expertise on the subject.