External experts analyse progress toward Individual Action Plans of APEC economies

Singapore, 13 March 2009 - APEC officials will spend the weekend considering the progress of members in trade liberalisation and facilitation. Specifically, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand will be subject to rigorous assessment of fourteen key policy areas affecting trade environments.

Similar exercises are conducted every year as economies review and scrutinise the Inpidual Action Plans (IAPs) of their counterparts. IAPs outline progress made toward achieving the goals set out in the Bogor Declaration of 1994. This declaration established a target of free trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region by 2010 for developed economies and 2020 for developing economies; and these goals were adopted by all APEC economies.

To ensure consistent progress, the studies are conducted by independent review teams who also consider reports issued by the World Trade Organisation and studies published by experts who have also assessed the economies in question. And during the Peer Review session findings and analysis are discussed openly among members and subsequently made available to the public.

Synopsis' of the four IAP Peer Reviews conducted in 2009 will be made available at the close of the APEC Senior Officials' Meeting on 16 February:

Brunei Darussalam: http://www.apec.org/apec/iap_bn.html
Indonesia: http://www.apec.org/apec/iap_id.html
Malaysia: http://www.apec.org/apec/iap_my.html
Thailand: http://www.apec.org/apec/iap_th.html

Full-length reports may be found at:

Brunei Darussalam: http://www.apec.org/apec/iapreport_bn.html
Indonesia: http://www.apec.org/apec/iapreport_id.html
Malaysia: http://www.apec.org/apec/iapreport_my.html
Thailand: http://www.apec.org/apec/iapreport_th.html

News photos of each review will be available at: http://www.apec.org/Press/Photos/20090213_sg_iapphotos.aspx