I am pleased to announce that Australia will contribute US$1 million to a new “Regional Trade and Financial Security Fund” to be administered by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The fund, established by APEC Leaders in Bangkok, will finance counter-terrorism capacity building in APEC developing economies, with a particular focus on port security measures and combating money laundering and terrorist financing.
Australia supports the ADB playing a more active role in regional counter-terrorism capacity building activities. The creation of the fund demonstrates the importance that APEC economies attach to working together to respond to the challenge posed by terrorism and will provide concrete support to developing economies in the region as they implement APEC';s secure trade agenda.
APEC Leaders have also supported two important Australian counter-terrorism initiatives – the adoption of advance passenger information (API) systems and the development of a regional movement alert system.
The development of API systems was agreed by APEC leaders last year as a part of the Secure Trade in the APEC Region (STAR) initiative. These systems enable the real-time exchange of information on intending travellers between departure and destination ports. I am pleased to announce that in addition to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, Japan and Thailand have implemented or are now committed to implementing API systems. In the coming year we will be providing assistance to seven other economies who will examine the feasibility of implementing these systems.
Australia was also instrumental in the agreement by APEC leaders to explore the development of a regional movement alert system – such a system would enable travellers to be checked against pooled records of people of concern (including terrorists and criminals) and against lost, stolen and fraudulent travel documentation. Combined with API, a regional movement alert system will be a powerful counter-terrorism tool. Australia and the United States will be working together on policy and technical issues in further developing the system and will report back to APEC leaders in 2004.
Australia will also provide assistance to enable South East Asian economies to develop port security plans to help them meet their International Maritime Organisation requirements under the APEC STAR initiative.
In a related security initiative, I am pleased to acknowledge Australia';s role in the adoption by leaders of an implementation plan for the APEC energy security initiative. This includes commitments in areas such as oil data collection, sealane security, real-time emergency information sharing and the adoption of energy emergency response plans – these will be important for ensuring energy security in our region.
In the past twelve months Australia has also announced and is now implementing significant counter-terrorism assistance packages for two APEC economies – Indonesia and the Philippines – which are on the frontline in the war against terrorism. All these measures are a tangible and practical demonstration of Australia';s commitment to ridding the APEC region of the scourge of terrorism.