SOM Steering Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation

APEC is a place for economies to explore creative solutions to shared challenges while learning from each other through economic and technical cooperation (ECOTECH).

The APEC Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) Steering Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation (SCE) coordinates and manages the APEC members' ECOTECH agenda, which is outlined in the Osaka Action Agenda. In 1996, a Framework for Strengthening Economic Cooperation and Development was adopted to guide members in implementing the Osaka Action Agenda. In 2006, Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the Manila Declaration, with a revised set of priorities established in 2010, further refined in 2014 and updated in 2022.

 The SCE, coordinates APEC’s ECOTECH agenda through a diverse set of portfolios:

1. Agricultural Technical Cooperation Working Group (ATCWG)
2. Anti-Corruption and Transparency Experts’ Working Group (ACTWG)
3. Emergency Preparedness Working Group (EPWG)
4. Energy Working Group (EWG)
5. Experts Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade (EGILAT)
6. Health Working Group (HWG)
7. Human Resource Development Working Group (HRDWG)
8. Oceans and Fisheries Working Group (OFWG)
9. Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI)
10. Policy Partnership for Women and the Economy (PPWE)
11. Small and Medium Enterprises Working Group (SMEWG)
12. Telecommunications and Information Working Group (TELWG)
13. Tourism Working Group (TWG)
14. Transportation Working Group (TPTWG)

The SCE was first established as the SOM Sub-Committee for Economic and Technical Cooperation in 1998. In 2002, the sub-committee was elevated to the SOM Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation. In 2005, the ESC was strengthened and transformed into the SOM Steering Committee on ECOTECH (SCE).

In 2020, APEC Economic Leaders charted APEC’s course for the next 20 years with the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040 (APV2040). Further, in 2021, APEC Economic Leaders agreed to implement the APV2040 including through the Aotearoa Plan of Action (APA). The APA added medium-term priorities or collective actions as the mechanism to facilitate the achievement of the longer-term goals of the APV2040. In 2022 members aligned APEC’s ECOTECH Medium-Term Priorities with its new set of overarching objectives. The refresh to the ECOTECH Medium-Term Priorities integrated relevant APA collective actions into the ECOTECH Medium-Term Priorities Framework.

Objectives

• To strengthen implementation of APEC’s ECOTECH activities by prioritizing in accordance with leaders’ and ministers’ commitments, coordinating and providing oversight of the work of APEC sub-fora.
• To provide policy guidance on ways to contribute to APEC’s ECOTECH goals.
• To coordinate ECOTECH objectives and priorities set by APEC’s Economic Leaders and Ministers.

Last page update: July 2023

Contacts

Current Activities

The SCE remains actively involved in coordinating issues across its sub-fora and between SCE sub-fora and other committees. In addition, the SCE is examining various cross-cutting issues such as advancing inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

Activities in 2023

At the second annual SCE meeting, which took place in Detroit, APEC Peru Senior Official and SCE Chair Mr Renato Reyes facilitated a discussion on the SCE’s work to report on progress in the implementation of the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040 and the Aotearoa Plan of Action. Following this meeting, the SCE agreed on an approach and has subsequently begun assessing progress and performance in advancing APEC’s overarching objectives within the SCE and its fora. A report of findings will be tabled for the SCE’s consideration in the final quarter of 2023.

In 2023, the SCE and its sub-fora are working to support the United States’ priorities of “Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All.”

The SCE sub-fora are supporting multi-stakeholder policy dialogues, roundtables and ministerial meetings in areas such as anti-corruption, energy, health, food security, women’s economic empowerment and supporting small, and medium-sized enterprises that will explore, among other topics, furthering three overarching policy priorities of the US host year: interconnected, innovative, and inclusive. 

Promotion of cross-cutting agenda

The SCE and the APEC Secretariat support collaboration through the SCE Committee of the Whole (COW) - a lead shepherd and chairs’ level meeting focused on identifying areas for cross fora cooperation. In 2023, SCE sub-fora identified over 100 areas of potential cross-fora collaboration, involving a diverse range of partners.