First of all, I would like to congratulate the Government of Korea for hosting the First APEC Youth Skills Camp in Ulsan on 22-25 September 2000. I am honoured to be given the opportunity to present my message of congratulations on the holding of this event which has been endorsed by APEC Leaders and Ministers. This is yet another achievement evident of a high level of commitment in APEC towards the involvement of youths in its activities.
APEC and Youth
Back when APEC Leaders first met in Seattle in 1993, their vision was for a community of higher living and education standards and with sustainable growth for the peoples in the region. Leaders called for enhanced regional cooperation on education, an area specifically relevant to the youth in the region. In 1994, Leaders agreed on the Bogor goals of free and open trade and investment in the region by 2010 for developed economies and 2020 for developing economies. The Osaka Action Agenda in 1995 set out how these are to be achieved through APEC's work as guided by its three pillars of cooperation: trade and investment liberalisation; trade and investment facilitation; and economic and technical cooperation.
During those next few years, the call for youths' involvement in APEC activities were increasingly being put across. In 1996 Leaders in Manila encouraged the full participation of youths in APEC activities. 1997 saw education and skill-building being identified as key tools for youths' long-term employment and emphasis was given to approaches on successful transitions from the learning environment to the work force. Indeed, the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Action Programme on Skills Development aims to contribute towards sustainable growth and equitable development while reducing economic disparities and improving the social well-being of the people through skills upgrading/improvement.
The importance given to youths' involvement was continued with activities for and being held by youths throughout the years and enjoying widespread support from economies and attention from both within and outside of APEC. In Auckland last year, Leaders recognised that all people in the APEC community have a stake in the success of APEC and that we should ensure they achieve their full potential for improved economic and social well being. Youth-related events have been carried forward today and cover wide-ranging activities, from maintaining an electronic sourcebook for youths to themed youth get-togethers such as the APEC Youth Science Festivals and now, this APEC Youth Skills Camp.
The APEC Human Resources Development Working Group in working towards involving youths in its mandate to develop human capital also looks to building youths' capacity through educational and training programmes as well as utilising best approaches from collective experiences within APEC for exploring further educational opportunities for youth.
Member economies' commitment to furthering youths' involvement in APEC activities should also not be left unnoticed - Korea, for example, in addition to hosting this Camp also conducts an annual vocational training programme. Such commitment is exemplary and I hope, will generate similar initiatives with wide participation within APEC.
APEC 2000
Today, youths across APEC continue to strengthen their networking through events such as this and contributing towards the year's theme of 'Delivering to the Community'. The reasoning behind this theme is to make APEC more relevant to the Asia Pacific community, be it the general public or specific groups of society such as youth. In working towards achieving APEC goals, the involvement of these groups is essential, as indeed the whole raison detre for APEC ?s work is to benefit the community.
With changing economic environment that is increasingly dependent on knowledge, Leaders have acknowledged that skills development is essential. Brunei Darussalam, as Chair of APEC 2000 and host of the year's meetings, is guiding the year's work in, among others, human resources development particularly on capacity-building. Its sub-theme of 'Making APEC Matter More' aims to establish a two-way relationship between APEC and the community: to bring the community into APEC's work though increased participation by youths, for example, and also to make APEC work more relevant to the community. Broadening youth awareness in APEC through activities such as this Youth Skills Camp is one of the ways to do this.
Youth in APEC's Future
The Youth Skills Camp provides the youths in the region to get together to understand cross-cultural dynamics, exchange experiences and information in their mutual pursuit of skills. Participants will also be able to benefit build mutually beneficial relationships with their peers and establish valuable networking throughout the region. The focus on skills in this Camp is timely in the growth of knowledge-based economies and the fast changing environment it thrives in, and very much responds to current priorities of APEC.
This Camp also illustrates beneficial collaboration between the public and business sectors. Smart partnership between public and business sectors doesn?t stop at just financial sponsorship of an activity - in the globalising environment that we are in, beneficial linkages between youths as the future workforce and industry as an engine of growth is a sample of such commendable collaboration and forms part of APEC's focus on outreach this year.
I would like to take this opportunity to once again congratulate Korea for hosting the First APEC Youth Skills Camp and wish all the very best in achieving all its objectives and contributing towards the year's theme and beyond.
