THE OSAKA ACTION PLAN
ROADMAP TO REALISING THE APEC VISION
September 22, 1995
LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS
Chapter III: Roadmap to 2010/2020
Roadmap. The PBF recommends that the Leaders agree on a roadmap from now to 2010/2020.
Guiding Principles. The roadmap should be based on the following ten guiding principles:
Timelines. The implementation of each liberalisation and facilitation measure should begin simultaneously. All start and end dates should be announced at Osaka this year to make it explicit that the process is comprehensive. There should be continuous and measurable progress.
An overall intermediate milestone should be established for trade and investment liberalisation: at least halfway by half-time, in all sectors.
Progress Reviews. There should be periodic reviews for all activities aimed at implementing the Bogor Declaration. The PBF further recommends a three-track progress review mechanism, including a Ministerial review, an independent review by the business community, and finally, a review by the Leaders themselves. Chapter IV: Osaka Deliverables
Progressing Beyond the Uruguay Round. The PBF recommends that this year, at Osaka, the Leaders bring to their meeting concrete plans to progress beyond the Uruguay Round. These plans should include the following elements:
The Leaders should commission, at Osaka, a report by their officials on the proper use of anti-dumping measures. The report should be submitted to the Ministerial meeting in 1996.
The PBF reiterates its recommendation, made in its report last year, that APEC economies strictly adhere to an immediate standstill on all new measures which hinder trade among members. The PBF further recommends that this standstill commitment be subject to an annual review.
The Leaders, at Osaka, should encourage the WTO to continue its work on issues not fully covered by the Uruguay Round.
The PBF again recommends that APEC strongly support the accession of those APEC economies not yet members of WTO to membership, and that these economies commit to the obligations necessary to become members.
Investment Liberalisation. The Leaders should commit to the strengthening of the APEC Non-Binding Investment Principles as a concrete deliverable at Osaka. Such work should begin immediately after Osaka, and a strengthened set of investment principles should be adopted at the Ministerial meeting in the Philippines in 1996. In addition, the strengthened set of investment principles should be incorporated into the domestic law of each APEC member. The process of incorporation into domestic law should begin immediately after the adoption of the investment principles in 1996, and should be completed no later than the year 2000 for industrialised economies, and 2005 for developing economies.
The establishment of one-stop investment agencies should be the norm in APEC, and successful examples should be highlighted as benchmarks for other APEC economies to emulate.
Business Travel and Residency Visas. The PBF urges the Leaders to introduce, by 1996, the following:
As an intermediate step, the Leaders should instruct immigration authorities to accelerate business visa processing to no more than two days.
The PBF further recommends that complete visa-free business travel within APEC economies should be introduced by the year 1999.
On business residency visas, the PBF recommends that by 1996 the Leaders implement the following:
Customs Harmonisation. The PBF recommends the following:
Intellectual Property Rights. The PBF recommends the establishment of a programme, by the Ministerial meeting in 1996, of comprehensive cooperation in IPR matters with the following components:
The year 2000 should be the target date for meeting this commitment.
Technology Transfer and Science Cooperation. The PBF recommends that APEC Leaders:
Trade and Investment Ombudsman. The PBF recommends that each APEC economy should study the merits and desirability of the institution of a Trade and Investment Ombudsman, based possibly on the Japanese model, with appropriate modifications to suit local circumstances in each APEC economy.
Infrastructure Development. The PBF recommends that an APEC Infrastructure Task Force (AITF) be established by the Leaders at Osaka, and that the task force's report be submitted to the APEC Ministerial/Leaders meetings in 1996. The PBF further recommends that the public and business sector representatives of the AITF be appointed by APEC Ministers and the permanent business advisory body in APEC respectively.
APEC should also develop a set of infrastructure investment protection guidelines. This should be undertaken by the AITF and completed, together with the AITF report, by 1996.
Development of SMEs. The PBF recommends that basic policies for SME development should first be put in place, within a short period, preferably by 1998.
APEC should also establish benchmarks for SME policies, which can be studied, emulated, and adapted. The timeframe for benchmarking is to begin immediately.
All APEC economies should seek to ensure that the entrepreneurial culture is nurtured within the SME community on a continuous basis.
APEC economies should encourage the development of cooperatives, where appropriate, particularly in the agricultural sector.
APEC economies should develop business networks to provide necessary information to foreign direct investors with local SMEs for joint ventures and partnerships.
The PBF also recommends the establishment of an APEC SME Training Centre preferably by 1996.
An SME administration training programme should be introduced by 1996.
Human Resources Development. The PBF recommends that APEC examine ways to implement worker training programmes, transfer of management skills and expertise, and the use of telecommunications and computer technologies.
Chapter V: Business Participation in APEC
APEC Business Council. As it did in its 1994 report, the PBF again endorses the establishment of an APEC Business Council (ABC). As the term of the PBF will expire by the Osaka Leader's meeting this year, it is important that the ABC is up and running as soon after the Osaka meeting as possible.
Business Participation in APEC Work Process. The PBF recommends that business participation in the APEC work process be strengthened. In particular, each member economy delegation to an APEC working group should include business sector representation.
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