For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 21, 2003

Fact Sheet
U.S. Accomplishments at the APEC Summit : Day Two

Presidential Action

President Bush came to the APEC Leaders meeting to urge decisive action to ensure both prosperity and security. He welcomed Leaders agreement to seek an ambitious outcome in the Doha global trade negotiations, and to accelerate economic reforms to spur growth. Leaders also endorsed a U.S. -driven energy security initiative. They urged action to bridge the digital divide, and the United States announced Indonesia and Peru as new partners in the Digital Freedom Initiative.

Recognizing that terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction are "direct and profound challenges to APEC's vision of free, open and prosperous economies," Leaders agreed on new security commitments. They pledged to dismantle transnational terrorist groups, eliminate the threat posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and confront other direct threats to the region. These security commitments will complement APEC's economic goals. Leaders also endorsed action to protect civil aviation, build counterterrorism capacity, and enhance health security.

ECONOMIC GROWTH

Structural Reform: President Bush has taken decisive action with his Jobs and Growth Plan to spur economic growth at home. Today, APEC Leaders agreed on the need to accelerate economic reforms to ensure sustained growth and development in the Asia-Pacific region.

Energy: APEC Leaders endorsed an action plan on energy to help ensure the long-term growth of regional economies. They agreed specifically to:

• Facilitate natural gas trade and promote private sector investment;
• Enhance emergency response mechanisms, including strategic oil stocks; and
• Promote investment in clean energy technolgies and sources, such as hydrogen and methane hydrates.

Digital Freedom Initiative: The United States announced the expansion of the Digital Freedom Initiative (DFI) to two APEC countries, Peru and Indonesia. DFI promotes transfer of information and communications technology to benefit entrepreneurs and small businesses in developing countries. With this expansion of DFI, the United States will advance APEC's goal of bridging the digital divide and generating growth and opportunity.

SECURITY

Commitments on Security: Recognizing that prosperity and security are inseperable, APEC Leaders agreed to "dedicate APEC not only to advancing the prosperity of our economies, but also to the complementary mission of ensuring the security of our people." Specifically, the 21 Leaders committed to "take all essential actions" to:

• "Dismantle, fully and without delay, transnational terrorist groups"t hat threaten the APEC economies.
• "Eliminate the severe and growing danger posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery" by strengthening international nonproliferation regimes, adopting and enforcing effective export controls, and taking other legitimate and appropriate measures against proliferation.
• "Confront other direct threats to the security of our region."

These commitments on security will complement APEC's 1994 Bogor Goals on free trade and investment. Leaders pledged to discuss progress toward these commitments and take specific actions in pursuit of them at their annual meetings. To that end, Leaders this year endorsed initiatives on civil aviation, counterterrorism, and health security.

Protecting Civil Aviation: APEC Leaders took steps to protect international aviation by committing to combat the proliferation of shoulder-launched missiles (or man-portable air defense systems, MANPADS). Leaders agreed to adopt strict domestic export controls on MANPADS; secure stockpiles; regulate MANPADS production, transfer, and brokering; ban transfers to non-state end-users; and exchange information in support of these efforts. Leaders will continue efforts to strengthen controls and review progress at next year's Leaders meeting in Chile.

Counterterrorism (CT) Capacity-Building: APEC Leaders agreed to coordinate counterterrorism capacity-building activity in the Asia-Pacific region with the Counter Terrorism Action Group (CTAG), launched by the G-8 in June 2003. CTAG will initially focus its efforts on Southeast Asia.

New Asian Development Bank CT Facility: With U.S. leadership, APEC also agreed to establish a regional trade and financial security initiative within the Asian Development Bank -- the first of its kind to be housed at a multilateral development bank. The initiative will support projects to enhance port security, combat terrorist finance, and achieve other counterterrorism objectives. The United States agreed to help launch this facility by contributing funds and in-kind support totaling $5.4 million. Japan and Australia have also pledged to contribute to this initiative.

Promoting Health Security: The APEC Leaders adopted a Health Security Initiative to enhance APEC members' ability to prevent and respond to the outbreak of disease and the threat of bioterrorism. Specifically, they agreed to:

• Pursue focused efforts to monitor disease, contain outbreaks and coordinate responses;
• Increase pathogen security;
• Establish a strict code of ethical and operational conduct for bio-scientists; and
• Strengthen export controls and criminal laws against offensive biological weapons.

APEC Leaders welcomed the establishment of the Joint U.S.-Singapore Regional Emerging Disease Intervention (REDI) Center to enhance regional efforts to prevent and respond to disease.

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