Bollard Reappointed APEC Secretariat Executive Director
Dr Alan Bollard has been reappointed Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, the coordinating and technical advisory body for advancing the joint initiatives of the 21 APEC member economies.
The decision was announced on the heels of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in Manila. Dr Bollard will guide the APEC Secretariat’s work to facilitate implementation of the vision put forward by the region’s Leaders and Ministers. His reappointment will extend through the end of 2018 and marks the first time that an Executive Director of the Singapore-based Secretariat will serve for a second three-year term.
“Dr Bollard’s leadership and counsel has supported the progress of APEC’s agenda and the complex implementation of work taking place across its extensive network of committees and technical working groups,” said Ambassador Laura Q. Del Rosario, Philippine Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs and 2015 Chair of the Meeting of APEC Senior Officials who confirmed his reappointment.
“Dr Bollard’s continued service as APEC Secretariat Executive Director will provide greater continuity in the collaborative undertakings of APEC members and better position the forum to ensure the growth of our economies and deliver new economic opportunities for more of our people,” Ambassador Del Rosario added.
Dr Bollard has served as APEC Secretariat Executive Director since 2013, supporting implementation of APEC member economies’ priorities during the host years of Indonesia, China and the Philippines.
This includes administering APEC projects undertaken by member economy officials under some 40 working-level APEC fora and which put the policy directives of the region’s Leaders and Ministers into action. Emphasis is on improving the bandwidth of APEC’s diverse membership to liberalize and facilitate trade and investment, realize greater regional economic integration and strengthen human security.
APEC members fund around 100 projects annually to bridge knowledge and resource gaps between them and achieve common policy objectives, coming in the form of technical workshops and information-sharing dialogues, training sessions and policy research. Over 2,000 projects have been undertaken since APEC initiated project work and founded a Secretariat in 1993. Up to 150 projects may be under implementation at any given time.
“APEC is a big region experiencing a period of substantial economic and social transition which is prompting the region’s governments to continue to work together, in coordination with business and civil society, to address common interests and challenges,” concluded Dr Bollard. “Building on the enormous progress that has been achieved through this model of cooperation is APEC members’ focus and will help to shape the future of prosperity for the world.”
Dr Bollard joined the APEC Secretariat as Executive Director after ten years as Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand as well as serving as its Treasury Secretary and Commerce Commission Chairman. His second three-year term will cover the APEC host years of Peru in 2016, Viet Nam in 2017 and Papua New Guinea in 2018.
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