Closing Remarks at APEC Symposium on Total Supply Chain Security

Brig-Gen (NS) Choi Shing Kwok, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport,
Mr. Barry Desker, Director, Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The APEC Symposium on Total Supply Chain Security hosted by the Government of Singapore in collaboration with the APEC Secretariat has come to an end after two days of active and fruitful work. We have been most honoured to welcome H.E. Professor S. Jayakumar, Deputy Prime Minister, Co-ordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Law, Government of Singapore. We are deeply thankful to his guidance, encouragement and support rendered to the symposium.

With full understanding of the vital significance of maintaining the integrity of the international supply chain system for the sustainable growth and development of all economies, the work of the symposium has been effectively constructed in the six sessions, which cover all important areas related to total supply chain security. We have examined the threats and vulnerabilities to the global supply chain and the benefits to facilitating trade and business. On this basis we have exchanged ideas and perspectives from different governments and industry, and discussed principles and approaches towards supply chain security. We have also recognized the importance of enhancing the role of relevant international organizations and international cooperation in ensuring supply chain security. And, last but not least, we have identified the challenges for our future work, for both governments and business, in maintaining supply chain security. In short, we have employed a new approach that is holistic and comprehensive to this pivotal issue of economic growth and development.

The APEC Secretariat highly appreciates the active and fruitful contributions by the experts and all the participants from the public and private sectors as well as from international organizations. This demonstrates and underlines that ensuring a stable and efficient supply chain is a shared responsibility, which needs close coordination and cooperation among all stakeholders. This two-day symposium has contributed an important additional building block to further enhancing the public-private partnership for this purpose.

We recognize that the work lying ahead of us in this area is tremendous and highly challenging. The ideas and perspectives, and the experiences and best practices, which we have exchanged over the past two days, are very useful and instrumental. Yet the most import work ahead of us is how to efficiently and effectively apply and implement these ideas and best practices so that we can ensure total supply chain security to maintain the sustainable growth and development of our economies in the region and the world over. This needs the further tireless efforts and unceasing contributions from all of you when you return to your economies from this symposium.

APEC is deeply committed to its noble goal of economic development and prosperity for all of its members through close cooperation for enhancing trade and investment. But, in order for the trade and investment flows to move smoothly and safely among economies and regions, it is vital to ensure security of the supply chain in all of its nodes and modes of transportation - either onland, air or maritime. APEC will continue to focus its own efforts and strengthen its collaboration with governments and the business sector as well as international organizations and all stakeholders for this purpose.

Finally, I would like to express, on behalf of the APEC Secretariat, our heartfelt appreciation and thankfulness to the Singaporean Government and all its ministries and departments concerned, and the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies for having successfully organized this symposium. I would also like to thank all the experts and participants for their fruitful contribution to making the symposium a great success and mapping out the future direction for our work in the years to come.

I wish you all the best and a safe journey back home.

Thank you.