Annex A - APEC Framework on Connectivity

1. Since its inception APEC has worked to promote connectivity in the Asia Pacific. In Seattle in 1993, we agreed to ensure that the people of the region share the benefits of economic growth through higher incomes, high skilled and high paying jobs, and increased mobility. We recognized that advances in telecommunications and transportation would shrink time and distance barriers in our region and link our economies so that goods and people move quickly and efficiently. We reiterated this commitment of achieving a community of Asia-Pacific economies in 1994 in Bogor, set out pathways to achieving an economically-integrated, robust, and secure APEC community in 2010 in Yokohama, and committed to taking concrete steps towards a seamless regional economy in 2011 in Honolulu.


2. Although more work needs to be done, we have made notable progress on trade, investment and travel facilitation, and structural reform in APEC.


3. Since 2009, we have advanced our agenda to improve supply-chain connectivity, and are working to achieve an APEC-wide target of a 10 percent improvement in supply-chain performance by 2015, in terms of reduction of time, cost, and uncertainty of moving goods and services through the Asia-Pacific region, taking into consideration individual economies’ circumstances. This is part of our comprehensive approach to working “at the border”, “behind the border” and “across the border”.


4. Today, we reviewed and resolved to strengthen our efforts to attain the Bogor Goals, achieve sustainable growth with equity, as well as reinforce and expand the channels that connect our economies, including by addressing the region’s underdeveloped infrastructures and their networks, inefficient procedures, and hindrances to the mobility of our people and their institutional networks.


5. We share the view that seamless physical, institutional, and people-to-people connectivity are critical prerequisites in attaining our APEC community vision. By connecting the region’s developed and emerging growth centers around and across the Pacific Ocean and within APEC’s archipelagic and continental regions, APEC will strengthen and deepen its regional economic integration, improve the region’s quality of growth, and contribute to the Asia Pacific’s economic resilience.


6. As part of our work to achieve the Bogor Goals by 2020 and to achieve the 2010 Yokohama Vision of “Bogor and Beyond”, we aspire to reach a seamlessly and comprehensively connected and integrated Asia Pacific by realizing:
   • Physical connectivity that improves supply chain performance, connects and integrates logistics, transport, energy, and telecommunication infrastructure in the APEC region.
   
   
   • Institutional connectivity that advances regulatory and procedural cooperation and coherence among our economies.
   
   
   • People-to-people connectivity that enhances interaction, mobility and joint endeavors.
7. To achieve these goals, we agree to undertake the following actions in 2014:
   1. To develop a blueprint based on agreed benchmarks or target, detailing areas for multi-year cooperation and activities towards a seamlessly and comprehensively connected and integrated Asia Pacific, and to establish a timeframe for regular reviews of our achievements. The blueprint will include, among others:
      • On physical connectivity, to eliminate trade barriers impeding supply chain performance; help economies implement their trade facilitation and supply chain commitments through targeted, focused capacity-building; expand our trade routes and corridors, and strengthen regional quality transportation networks, including roads, railroads, ports and airports; taking into account the efforts to synergize APEC works with the existing sub-regional frameworks and plans; advance our cross border energy networks and interconnections; achieve universal and high-speed broadband access; and to develop and improve well-designed, sustainable and resilient infrastructure by implementing, at the outset, the multi-year plan on infrastructure development and investment in APEC and subsequently of broader infrastructure development.
      
      
      • On institutional connectivity, to advance our logistics and transport facilitation; enhance our regulatory coherence and cooperation and strengthen the implementation of good regulatory practices; advance APEC’s agenda on structural reforms; modernize our trade-related as well as customs and border agencies, including by progressing the development of single windows in APEC economies; promote cross border financial cooperation; and expand the application of safe and trusted ICT and e-commerce environment.
      
      
      • On people-to-people connectivity, to advance our work on cross-border education, science, technology and innovation, services, as well as to expand the facilitation of movement of our people, which may include tourists, business people, professionals and workers, women and youth.
   
   
   2. To identify economies’ individual or joint projects to implement the blueprint, which enhances connectivity in the region and may benefit from economic and technical cooperation.
   
   
   3. To mainstream this Framework into the strategic and long term planning of APEC fora.


8. We recognize the critical importance of improving synergy with other international fora, such as ASEAN, Pacific Alliance, East Asia Summit and the G20, and regional and multilateral development banks, as well as with ABAC and the private sector. We instruct our Ministers and officials to engage and cooperate with these stakeholders, taking into account mutually acceptable international standards, before submitting the blueprint in the 22^nd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in China.

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