PUTRAJAYA: The second Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) to be held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah from April 8 to 21 is expected to discuss inclusivity, sustainability and the digital economy as a follow-up to SOM1.
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) 2020, SOM chair Hairil Yahri Yaacob said input on the three elements was important in preparing the complete draft of the Post-2020 Vision.
“What I can summarise from the dedicated session that was held on Feb 19, is that there is a strong consensus that trade and investment are very important, the core business of Apec.
“But at the same time, the inclusivity, sustainability elements must be in the vision statement because these are the areas that we cannot run away from,“ he told a media conference after the SOM1 here today.
Also present was Apec Secretariat executive director Tan Sri Rebecca Sta Maria.
Hairil Yahri. who is also Ministry of International Trade and Industry deputy secretary-general (International Trade), said although Apec’s core business is on promoting trade and investment, to have open and free trade, elements of inclusivity and sustainability were important to ensure the future of the next generation.
Among the highlights of SOM2 will be the Minister Responsible for Trade (MRT) meeting to be chaired by International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Darell Leiking.
“It is a very important meeting where all the senior officials will deliberate with MRT on what they had done for the past few months.
“Hopefully the ministers will take note of the programmes, activities and work plan that we have undertaken and that will be the main meeting in Kota Kinabalu,“ he said.
Meanwhile, Sta Maria said the delegates expressed their appreciation to Malaysia for hosting SOM1 and Related Meetings that have been held since Feb 3.
“We received feedback from the participants, senior officials who attended the various meetings and they all recorded their appreciation to Malaysia as host for the arrangements that were made specifically ensuring the safety as well as the remote participations that were facilitated.
“This is Apec’s first time in entertaining remote participation in Malaysia -- that was on the logistics side. On the substantive side, Malaysia’s team worked very hard to ensure we are on track to deliver those important key messages from APEC, working towards the end of the year where the leaders meet, and so much work has been done with the leadership of Malaysia.
“So member economies recorded appreciation to Malaysia for the leadership in working and sharpening all of us towards that final goal for this year,“ she said.
On a related matter, Hairil Yahri said throughout SOM1 and Related Meetings, there were a total of 102 meetings, workshops, field trips and various activities.
“The successful conclusion of SOM1 and Related Meetings reflected the strong synergy among Apec delegates to develop effective policies that support key economic and social agenda for the region,“ he said. - Bernama
