APEC to enhance travelers’ security vs crime, terrorism

BUSAN, South Korea — Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member-countries have committed to strengthen measures to ensure the security of travelers in the region and check the movement of suspected terrorists and criminal elements.

APEC ministers who met ahead of the two-day leaders’ summit that began yesterday said some of the initiatives, which include providing information to the International Criminal and Police Organization (ICPO), better known as Interpol, could be in place by next year.

The work on the security measures was undertaken by the APEC Counter-Terrorism Task Force headed by Ambassador Benjamin Defensor. The security of travelers is among the tasks of APEC members, which also covers protecting trade, cargo, shipping and aviation.

The 21 APEC member-economies committed to developing improved and stricter standards for border control and enhanced immigration services to be able to thoroughly screen incoming passengers and monitor outgoing individuals.

Defensor said the Advanced Passenger Information System (API), which is now being implemented by Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Thailand and the United States, could be expanded to other countries in the region.

The ministers also commended Australia and the US for starting the pilot Regional Movement Alert List (RMAL), which they said "is an important step in fighting terrorism in the region." The APEC ministers said the RMAL has now expanded to New Zealand this month, "followed by other APEC economies that wished to participate."

The ministers also instructed APEC officials to advance an APEC initiative advocating the use of biometric safety features in passports to enhance regional security and pushed for capacity-building measures for member-economies to achieve this goal.

They also called for closer cooperation to ensure that all APEC member economies would issue machine-readable travel documents, possibly to include biometric information, by the end of 2008.

APEC member economies have also committed to continuously provide information on lost and stolen travel documents to the Interpol to prevent the use of these documents by suspected criminals or fugitives.

Defensor said APEC members noted the growing overlap of movements and activities of suspected terrorists and criminal syndicates.

Japan and Thailand conducted an APEC seminar last month, "which contributed to the identification of possible areas where APEC could work effectively to enhance human security and secure trade in the APEC region."

Before she left the Philippines, Mrs. Arroyo said she would focus particularly on "three key areas of concern and relevance to the Philippines: cooperation on anti-terrorism, cooperation on preparation for the avian flu and investments in our pro-poor program here in the Philippines."

In her speech before the professors and officials of the prestigious Kyung Sung University where she was conferred an honorary doctorate degree of laws, the President said a central pillar of her "strategic plan for my nation is a strong and aggressive role for the Philippines in foreign policy."

"I consider the APEC summit as an important way to invest in the economic, social and physical security of my country," Mrs. Arroyo said. "I am here at the APEC meeting in pursuit of national interest as we strongly advocate against terrorism, poverty and bird flu and as we support the denial of APEC to provide safe haven to individuals guilty of corruption."