APEC growth strategy unlikely to cite indicators to gauge progress

TOKYO, Nov. 4 (Kyodo) - A growth strategy to be produced by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum is unlikely to cite any social indexes to gauge the progress of its implementation, a setback for host Japan that called for their use, a modified draft of the strategy showed Thursday.
The 21-member forum is planning to compile its first common growth strategy for the region at the annual APEC leaders' summit to be held in Yokohama on Nov. 13 and 14. But the draft poses the question on how much the strategy's effectiveness would be ensured without specific indicators.
The draft, obtained by Kyodo News, also indicated that discussions are under way on the target year for the strategy, as it says that APEC should issue a report on its progress in 2015 but notes the possibility of the period to be covered by the strategy being extended to 2020.
Through the growth strategy, APEC seeks to improve its ''quality of growth'' in the coming years by making growth more balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure.
The strategy ''can help ensure that regional growth and economic integration
are sustainable and widely shared among all our populations,'' the draft says.
It also contains an action plan focused on five areas, including structural
reform, human resource and entrepreneurship development, and human security.
Human security involves such issues as counter-terrorism and food security.
Japan, as chair of this year's APEC, initially hoped to include in the growth
strategy such indicators as the rate of women's employment and the rate of
people covered by social insurance to measure the progress of structural
reform. To assess food security, Japan has also contemplated using food
production volume as a gauge.
But the attempt apparently fizzled as Japan faced difficulty in converging
discussions at a high-level meeting in August, given the economically and
socially diverse members constituting the forum.
A source close to the matter said, ''I think it is difficult to say (in the
strategy) something like, 'we should use this indicator for balanced growth,
and that for inclusive growth.'''
Reflecting the discussions in August in Oita Prefecture, the draft only says
that APEC should ''find ways to take stock of progress'' to ensure the
implementation of the strategy.
It also says that APEC senior officials should ''report to leaders in 2015'' on
the progress of the strategy, but added, ''At that point, leaders may consider
the future direction of the strategy, with the possibility of extending it for
another five years.''
Meanwhile, following APEC's first ministerial meeting on food security in October in Niigata Prefecture, the strategy is likely to stipulate the need to continue to cooperate with the private sector, academia and civil society to address food safety challenges such as by facilitating sustainable development of the agricultural sector.
''Availability of and access to reliable and nutritious, safe, and affordable food is a concern for many in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world,'' it says.
It also refers to the need to protect the region's economic systems from attacks and to combat corruption to improve the overall environment for doing business.
APEC, launched in 1989, is a forum aimed to enhance economic growth among Pacific Rim economies by trade and investment liberalization and other methods.
Members of the forum, which operates on the basis of nonbinding commitments, include Japan, China, South Korea, Russia, Taiwan, the United States, and seven Association of Southeast Asian Nations members.
As 2010 is the target year for developed APEC economies to assess achievements made toward trade and liberalization goals set in 1994, APEC is planning to present its new future vision for sustainable growth and greater economic integration this year.
The growth strategy is expected to be part of a future vision for APEC.