The first Senior Officials Meeting (SOM1) and related meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum entered the 11th day on February 28 with a range of events organised by committees and working groups as scheduled.

Delegates to the Ad Hoc Steering Group on the Internet Economy (AHSGIE) Meeting pose for group photo

The Ad Hoc Steering Group on the Internet Economy (AHSGIE) and the Economic Committee (EC) are to convene their second meetings, while the Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI) is holding its third meeting.

Also on February 28, delegates from the 21 APEC member economies will attend the SOM Steering Committee on ECOTECH – Committee of the Whole Pre-Meetings (SCE-COW) in the morning and the SCE-COW Meeting in the afternoon.

Hosted by Nha Trang city, the south central coastal province of Khanh Hoa, from February 18 to March 3, the APEC SOM1 and related meetings consist of 56 meetings, workshops and dialogues of 38 APEC committees and working groups.

Under the theme of “Creating New Dynamism, Fostering a Shared Future,” the delegates have been discussing and reaching consensus on priorities and their contents for the 2017 APEC Year on promoting sustainable, innovative and inclusive growth, regional economic connectivity, competitiveness of micro-, small-and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the digital era, food security, and climate change adaptation.

The APEC forum includes 21 member economies - Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam - which together account for 39 percent of the world’s population and make up 59 percent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) and 48 percent of the global trade.

VNA