International Guidelines - Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

Addressed by (Preamble of the Joint Ministerial Statement))	Ministers of APEC countries; representatives of the APEC Secretariat; observers from the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, South Pacific Forum, and ASEAN Secretariat responsible for women’s concerns related to economics and trade of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Addressed to (Paragraph 27)	APEC leaders and APEC as a whole
Definition of "APEC leaders and APEC as a whole" (Framework for the Integration of Women in APEC)	The Recommendation itself does not define "APEC leaders and APEC as a whole", but the Framework for the Integration of Women in APEC, which follows up on the recommendation of the 1998 Ministerial Meeting on Women and subsequent APEC Leaders’ directive to "develop a Framework for the Integration of Women in APEC" as a means of accelerating the progress of integrating women in the mainstream of APEC processes and activities, states that: "The implementation of the Framework is the responsibility of all APEC fora and of all women and men involved in APEC processes, policies, projects and activities including Leaders, Ministers, Senior Officials, Chairs, Lead Shepherds and the APEC Secretariat.

Equal Employment Opportunities for Women

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We seek the endorsement of APEC Leaders to:

Recognise gender as a cross-cutting theme in APEC. The successful integration of women into the mainstream of APEC processes and activities under TILF and ECOTECH, requires a comprehensive, horizontal and gender-sensitive approach to all APEC planning and programming, as well as the implementation, by sector, of women-specific activities and projects. Moreover, greater emphasis should be placed on the sharing of experiences among APEC economies, and the engagement of broader sectors of society. The current SOM review of the APEC management process and subsequent implementation may provide a timely opportunity for the identification of the institutional measures to integrate gender as a cross-cutting theme in APEC.

Place a high priority on the collection of sex-disaggregated data. The lack of sex-disaggregated data hides the actual, as well as the potential, contributions of half the population to our economies and may hinder effective policy development. We recommend that APEC identify the gaps in data collection methodologies and processing and take steps to address these gaps in the most cost-effective way. Each member economy is encouraged to build its own sex-disaggregated database in a format comparable to internationally-recognised standards, where available.

Implement gender impact analysis of policy, program and project proposals as an integral component of APEC decisions, processes and activities, including planning, priority setting, resource allocation, design, implementation and evaluation. We believe that APEC must examine its current practices in this regard, and develop methodologies and tools (or adapt those currently available in other fora), that will meet the needs of APEC and provide the best results.

Place a high priority on the development of further studies on the impact of the financial and economic crisis on women and the development of strategies to minimise any disproportionate effects on them; and to explicitly integrate the economic interests of women into regional and domestic strategies for economic recovery and future prosperity.

Accelerate the progress of integrating women in the mainstream of APEC processes and activities. We recommend the development of a "Framework for the Integration of Women in APEC". We believe that this Framework will maximise the effectiveness of APEC policies and activities, strengthen horizontal linkages across APEC, and promote a common understanding of how the goals of gender integration can be achieved.
The Framework would include: the development of guidelines for gender analysis; improvements to the collection and utilisation of sex-disaggregated data; approaches to the involvement of women; and an implementation plan for the Framework, including options for a process to review the progress of integrating women in APEC in future years, taking note, among others, of the suggestions from the technical papers of this Ministerial Meeting.
The Framework would be developed within one year by an Ad Hoc Task Force on the Integration of Women in APEC under an existing APEC mechanism to be determined by SOM. This Task Force will be resourced by individual economies, would communicate electronically and by other means, and will be disbanded following the completion of the Framework.
Promote and encourage the involvement of women in all APEC fora. We believe that APEC should review its approach to all APEC planning and programming, encouraging all APEC fora to increase the involvement of women, especially in decision-making. This should include APEC-related fora such as the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). We also recommend greater application of gender perspective and expertise in APEC work.

Implementation

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Ensure the implementation of these recommendations and accountability for results. This Ministerial Meeting on Women has no precedent in APEC. We believe that the momentum gained at this Meeting in addressing the role and contribution of women in economic development and cooperation in APEC must be carried forward. However, the scope and complexity of the issues facing women and APEC economies on the eve of the 21^stcentury will require a longer-term perspective, sustained commitment, better coordination, equitable access to resources and accountability for results. We therefore believe that, within an existing APEC mechanism, it is essential that a process to ensure the progress of integrating women in APEC be an inherent part of the Framework. And since APEC activities occur within the context of economic policies determined by officials of the various APEC economies, we encourage more women to participate in the decision-making structures of these economies.