GENDER, OCEAN ISSUES TO TAKE CENTRE STAGE
Ongoing meeting to focus on gender parity and overfishing
GENDER parity and ocean-related issues are expected to take centre stage at the ongoing Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s (Apec) First Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM1).
Apec Senior Officials’ Meeting Steering Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation chairman Mark Talbot said both issues were aligned to the three priorities of this year’s summit theme, “Optimising Human Potential Towards a Future of Shared Prosperity”.
Improving the narrative of trade and investment, inclusive economic participation through digital economy and technology, and driving innovative sustainability, are the three priority areas set for Apec 2020.
Continuing from the La Serena Roadmap on Women and Inclusive Growth (2019-2030) adopted at the summit in Chile last year, Tablot said Apec 2020 would find ways to “mainstream” and coordinate programmes among the 21 member economies to achieve gender parity.
“If we can achieve gender parity in our economies, we would see an increase in global gross domestic product of between 11 and 26 per cent, according to (the) Mckinsey (Global Report Institute).
“This is a huge economic opportunity as well as being the morally right thing to do,” Talbot said in a briefing by the Apec Committee Chairs on the summit’s priority areas for 2020.
Present were Apec Trade and Investment Committee chairman Krasna Bobenrieth and Apec Economic Committee chairman Dr James Ding.
At the summit in Chile, Talbot said Apec had identified key action areas for greater women participation in the economy, which included access to capital, increasing labour force involvement, boosting education and training, as well as increasing women leadership in member economies.
The second issue highlighted by Talbot was the commitment by Apec economies to address overfishing and plastic pollution in oceans.
Apec, he said, carried out substantial work on ocean-related issues when the summit was under Chilean leadership.
“If we keep on the path that we are going with (our) oceans and carry on overfishing, and tipping waste and plastics into them, there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans. And that is (gravely) astounding.”
The summit, he said, was the right platform where member economies could come together and exchange information, as well as formulate policies to tackle ocean issues.
Talbot said Apec 2020 would also address issues related to the circular economy.
“We want to start talking about how to make the transition to renewable energy, and make sure that when we use the resources, we are actually returning those resources to the economic system. This is to ensure that they are not lost, and we are not creating extra waste.”
Malaysia is expected to host 16,000 delegates throughout the summit, which runs until yearend.
It is the second time that the country has hosted the forum in 22 years. SOM1, which began this month, kicked off a series of events in five cities nationwide.
It will culminate in the final event involving 21 leaders from member economies in November. Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad holds the distinction of being the first leader to host Apec twice.
Another focus that will be tackled at the ongoing meetings is Apec’s Collaborative Framework for Online Dispute Resolution of Cross-Border Business-to-Business Disputes, which was endorsed last August.
Ding said, “In our policy discussions, we have identified that in Apec regions, over 97 per cent of the enterprises are micro-, small- and medium-scale enterprises, and traditional means of dispute resolution in cross-border trade is not reputable because of the cost and time involved.”
Bobenrieth said delegates in SOM1 were focused on shared prosperity initiatives and inclusive approaches.
“We are working in areas that align with the priorities set by Malaysia in sustainable growth.
“We’re also working to reduce the tariff lines of 54 products to five per cent. Almost all Apec economies have fulfilled this commitment. A few are still working on it.
“We’re also working for the final push in environmental services, smart cities and fossil fuel subsidies, and to finalise the last part of our agenda, which is inclusive approaches.
“That’s important for Malaysia, (which involves) shared prosperity,” she said.