[asia-apec 1469] More Vaile on APEC

[APEC Monitoring Group]

Media release
Australian Minister for Trade, Mark Vaile
Tuesday, June 6, 2000
MVT62/2000
APEC: A Decade of Progress
Trade Minister, Mark Vaile, today said APEC had helped deliver rising prosperity and living standards to member economies in the past decade.

Releasing an Australian-prepared report 'APEC: A Decade of Progress' (pdf' in Darwin at the APEC Trade Ministers' meeting, Mr Vaile said there was a clear link between trade-driven economic growth and improved social and environmental outcomes.

"The experience of APEC economies over the past decade is not one of a race to the bottom on social and environmental standards, rather one of steady improvement in peoples' lives.

"Despite the Asian economic crisis, APEC economies have opened up to trade. Their economies have grown rapidly generating millions of new jobs."

Mr Vaile said the report showed infant mortality, life expectancy, access to sanitation and safe water, education enrolments and access to information technology had all improved.

"One of the clear messages out of the report is that blocking trade reform is no solution to concerns people have about globalisation.

"Contrary to some claims, more open trade has not led to unsustainable resource management."

The report has been endorsed by APEC Trade Ministers and will be further developed for the APEC Leaders' Meeting in Brunei in November.

The 21 APEC economies accounted for 73 per cent of Australia's merchandise exports in 1999. APEC comprises: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russian Federation, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, US and Vietnam.


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