APEC is slow but gets things done

CEBU, Philippines- Slow but reliable.

This is how US Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary Matthew J. Matthews, the US Senior Official for APEC, describes how the 21-member organization works. He likened the organization to the tortoise in Aesop’s The Tortoise and the Hare.

“Sometimes that tortoise is going a little slower but if he keeps at it, he gets there. APEC is a bit like that,” he said.

Matthews explained that APEC is an organization that works on consensus and the agreements reached are not binding.

“It’s basically a consensus by leaders of each economy. It means that each leader takes that commitment back home and says ‘This is something we understand, we agree on, and we’re gonna make it happen because we know this is good for our people,’” he added.

Matthews said that during APEC meetings, such as the series of meetings that Cebu has been hosting for over a week now, representatives of member economies discuss different trade issues that concern the region. When agreements are reached, heads of states go back to their areas and find ways to implement the agreements.

He said this is basically the reason why the implementation of such agreements usually takes time.

“Some people are impatient with APEC. We don’t always move quickly but we get things done. That’s kind of an APEC way of doing things but it works. And it works because it’s based on mutual understanding, mutual agreements,” he said.

The US official for APEC cited concerns about healthcare and environmental goods and services as examples.

Efficient access to healthcare products is in the early stages of discussion in APEC, he said, adding that the organization is currently identifying the barriers to trade healthcare products. Although the discussions and reaching an agreement may take time, Matthews said what is important is the broad point that the member economies want to make the best possible healthcare products available to their respective citizens.

The environmental goods and services project, meanwhile, involves 54 categories of environmental goods that the member economies have committed to reduce tariffs by five percent or lower by this year.

Matthews said it has taken three or more years to identify the key environmental goods, get an agreement to lower tariffs on them and for each leader to go back to their respective economy and put in place changes in regulations so that member economies can implement it together.

“It is extremely healthy for the international economic system to have an organization like APEC as a starting point. It opens up constructive conversations,” he said.

According to Matthews, the things that APEC has accomplished since it started have already set an example to other organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the G20, an international forum for the governments of the 20 major economies.

He said that the WHO is picking up on the environmental goods and services agreements, while the G20 is picking up on the structural reform issues, which have been included in the APEC agenda.

“APEC is a dynamic and thought leader organization. It just takes a little more time to get there. If you take the time to really come to an understanding with your partners, the results are dependable, reliable and everybody feels good about doing it. And that is APEC,” he said.

The key theme for the Philippines’ APEC hosting is inclusive growth and included in the topics discussed during the different meetings are investing in human capital, building sustainable and resilient communities, structural reform and financial integration, among others.  (FREEMAN)