Trade Network Effort Boosted

Media release – 23 August 2002

www.tln.org.nz
www.pecc.net

Trade Network Effort Boosted By Pacific Economic Co-Operation Council

The New Zealand Committee of the Pacific Economic Co-operation Council is the latest trade organisation to become an affiliate member of the Trade Liberalisation Network (TLN).

PECC Executive Director Elizabeth Jones said that PECC was working to promote more open trade in the Asia Pacific region. “PECC’s role is to promote ‘open regionalism’. We are a tripartite organisation, combining the talents of academics, government officials and business. That leads to a natural association with TLN.”

TLN Chairman Brian Lynch said there were important synergies to be realised in co-operation with PECC. “Both organisations have complementary objectives. PECC’s involvement will add an important research and analysis component to TLN’s work. TLN will provide PECC with enhanced links to the business community.”

PECC was founded in 1980 and has a total of 25 member committees from countries around the Pacific Rim as well as being one of the three official observers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

The TLN was established in October 2001. The TLN’s 35 corporate members and affiliate organisations are drawn from manufacturing, agriculture and services sectors and account for around 70 percent of New Zealand’s exports.

Mr Lynch said ideas were critical to the success of trade liberalisation. “New Zealand punches above its weight in international trade because we are recognised as an innovator and a problem-solver. That’s where PECC has an important role to play and why we are happy to have PECC as an affiliate member of TLN”.

For further information
Brian Lynch, TLN Chairman, cell 0274 452 958
Elizabeth Jones, PECC Executive Director cell 09 357 2132.

www.tln.org.nz

ABOUT THE PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION COUNCIL

The Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1980 to serve as a forum to discuss cooperation and policy coordination in areas that would promote economic growth and development in the Pacific region. It is tripartite in nature, consisting of government officials, business leaders and academics. PECC is one of the three official observers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

Currently, PECC has a total of 25 Member Committees representing the economies of Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; China; Columbia; Ecuador; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; Peru; the Philippines; Russia; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; the United States; Viet Nam; and associate members France (Pacific Territories) and Mongolia. There are also two institutional members: the Pacific Trade and Development Conference (PAFTAD) and Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC).

PECC's work programme is managed through three policy Forums: Trade, Finance and Community Building. The PECC Trade Forum, led by Associate Professor Rob Scollay of NZ APEC Study Centre at University of Auckland, has a full work programme focussing on WTO issues and Regional Trading Arrangements, including the "Singapore Issues" identified in the Doha Ministerial Statement. These are trade facilitation, investment, competition policy and government procurement. In addition the PECC Trade Forum has programmes of work on agriculture, services, "rules issues" - anti-dumping and countervailing duties, fisheries subsidies, industrial tariffs and trade and environment. Trade and the maintenance of a stable and open trading regime is essential for rejuvenating growth in the Pacific. Understanding the rationale behind RTAs and the implications they have are essential for mapping integration. The RTAs Task Force would also address the question of how the proliferation of RTAs affected the vision of a Pacific community.

The PCC Finance Forum is led by Dr Soogil Young from Korea, has two Task Forces: Financial Institutions Development and Financial and Monetary Cooperation.
The Financial Institutions Development Task Force is focussing on bank ownership and control, as well as financial institutions' risk management. The Financial and Monetary Cooperation Task Force is addressing the proliferation of sub-regional schemes for financial and monetary cooperation among PECC economies.

The PECC Community Building Forum is interested in taking a building block approach by identifying three target areas: infrastructure ; knowledge and technology based human capacity, and strong institutional and regulatory environment.

For further information please contact Elizabeth Jones, Executive Director, New Zealand Committee, PECC, phone (09) 357 2132.

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