Media Release - Monday 20 October

APEC Leaders - Focus on Trade not Terror!

Don't let terrorism distract you from the real task - freeing up trade in the region.

This is the plea to APEC leaders from Trade Liberalisation, Executive Director, Suse Reynolds.

"Ever since its inception, just over a decade ago, APEC has shown its tremendous ability for political leadership on international trade issues. This is needed now more than ever following the World Trade Organisation's stumble at Cancun," said Reynolds.

While agreeing that the threat of terrorism had the potential to slow international business growth, Reynolds argued the best weapon against terror is prosperous economies.

"Although much of the management and finance for terrorism comes from the wealthy and middle classes, the raw recruits are largely drawn from the poor and disaffected in least developed and developing nations.

"It is these nations which miss out most when it comes to inclusion in the global economy. And it is for this reason that reenergizing the Doha Development Agenda must be at the heart of the APEC leaders' communiqué.

"Diplomatic rhetoric is vital but of more immediate and practical relevance to the business people of the region are initiatives which put this into action.

"APEC performs better than any other comparable regional grouping in this respect," said Reynolds referring to the Trade Facilitation Action Plan, which together with similar initiatives aims to improve the ease with which APEC commerce is conducted.

ENDS

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