Collaboration to Strengthen Economic and Technical Cooperation
APEC's efforts to build human capacity, support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, maintain sustainable development and strengthen markets were boosted through a constructive meeting with the World Bank's Global Distance Learning Network (GDLN) in late November. The dialogue with the GDLN culminated in a rigorous business planning process and concrete new initiatives to support regional integration and development. APEC is engaging with international organisations to develop more effective economic and technical cooperation.
During APEC's dialogue with the World Bank's GDLN East Asia and Pacific Association, APEC Secretariat Executive Director, Ambassador Piamsak Milintachinda, outlined several areas in which APEC and the World Bank could work together to benefit the people of the Asia-Pacific region.
Activities aimed at minimising the cost of structural changes associated with globalisation, maximising the use of information and communications technology, creating knowledge-based economies and ensuring a secure environment so that development programs and poverty reduction strategies will be effective, were put forward as possible areas for collaboration.
The World Bank's GDLN can provide APEC with an effective delivery tool for discussions and seminars. GDLN's network comprises video conferencing facilities which offer interactive workshops at multiple locations, simultaneous translation, and in-house facilitation. Holding pre-meetings and follow-up workshops through the World Bank's GDLN will be a valuable addition to APEC's current face-to-face sessions. The immediate benefit would be the expansion of APEC's outreach into the Asia-Pacific community, helping the people of the region to benefit from increased integration and globalisation.
APEC and the World Bank's GDLN have agreed to explore several pilot projects. Costs of the video-conferencing segment of these projects will be funded by the World Bank, and plans are expected to be in place by February 2004. Ideas that were discussed included using the GDLN to follow up on recently conducted workshops and seminars on cybersecurity legislation and anti-money laundering.
The possibilities are endless, and are limited only by the imagination of those involved in APEC's activities. For those engaged in an APEC project and interested in increasing the impact of a project through links with the GDLN, please contact the APEC Secretariat at [email protected] for further information.