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Location: Home  »  International  » APEC

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

APEC is the premier forum for facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region. It meets annually, and Australia will host APEC in 2007.

APEC is the only inter-governmental group in the world operating on the basis of non-binding commitments, open dialogue and equal respect for the views of all participants. Unlike the WTO or other multilateral trade bodies, APEC has no treaty obligations required of its participants. Decisions made within APEC are reached by consensus and commitments are undertaken on a voluntary basis.

Women account for more than half the labour force in APEC member economies and make a major contribution to trade and investment in the region.

APEC Gender Focal Point Network

Within APEC, the Gender Focal Point Network (GFPN) provides linkages for information sharing and support between APEC Fora, APEC Member Economies and the APEC Secretariat to advance the economic interests of women for the benefit of all economies within the APEC Region.

Australia played a significant role in the body that led to the establishment of the GFPN - the Ad-hoc Advisory Group on Gender Integration (AGGI), including chairing the AGGI in 2001. AGGI completed its mandate to implement a framework to increase women's involvement in APEC activities and ensure that both men and women benefit from APEC's work in 2002.

APEC Women Leaders' Network

The APEC Women Leaders' Network (WLN) was established in 1996 with the aim of increasing women's involvement in the work of APEC and ensuring that the interests of businesswomen are represented at the international level at APEC. This entails promoting the increased participation of women in APEC's economic and trade-related activities and identifying key issues affecting women in the region. WLN members from all economies meet annually for a conference at the same time as the mid year APEC Senior Officials' Meetings (usually in August) and present formal recommendations to APEC Leaders.

Further information on gender issues within APEC can be found at: http://www.apec.org/apec/apec_groups/other_apec_groups/gender_focal_point_network.html