APEC Targets Doubling of Renewable Energy

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Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 21 November 2014 – APEC member economies, the world’s largest producers and consumers of energy, are advancing new measures to double the share of renewable energy in the region within 15 years to keep pace with rising demand and ease the environmental impact of economic development across the Asia-Pacific.

Actions ranging from technical cooperation to facilitate solar photovoltaic rooftop installation to support for low carbon heating system development and renewable energy grid integration were taken forward during a just concluded week-long assembly of APEC energy officials in Port Moresby, on the heels of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and subsequent bilateral meeting between China and the United States that announced their landmark emissions deal. 

“Economic development and increasing consumption in emerging Asia-Pacific markets will intensify pressure on global energy supplies through the coming decades, even as large, newly accessible reserves come online,” said Nixon Duban, Petroleum and Energy Minister of Papua New Guinea, which began exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) from a new USD19 billion Exxon Mobile project earlier this year. 

“The only way we are going to satisfy demand needed to keep our diverse economies moving is by improving the development and use of LNG and conventional fossil fuels while taking further steps to diversify the region’s energy mix,” Duban explained. “All of us in APEC want to see renewables play a larger role in production and consumption in the region and we are working closely to address cost and technical bandwidth issues to help make this happen.”  

As APEC economies implement their ground-breaking commitment to reduce tariffs on 54 “environmental goods” to five per cent or less by the end of 2015, improving the accessibility of products such as solar panels and wind turbines, emphasis is turning to the fostering of international standards and best practices that are vital to the mainstream application of renewable technologies. A new gap assessment paper is also being prepared. 

The APEC Low Carbon Model Town initiative, which promotes low carbon urban design based on real-world feasibility testing, is being expanded in-line with these efforts. Renewable energy-powered buildings and community energy management systems that support solar energy and electric vehicle use are among the proposed measures for adoption in San Borja, Peru, a new participant in the initiative in 2014, which could help to cut its emissions by up to 28 per cent within seven years.  

APEC economies this week confirmed Bintung City, in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, as the fifth APEC Low Carbon Model Town whose ranks also include Yujiapu on the outskirts of Tianjin, China; Samui Island, Thailand; and Da Nang, Viet Nam. The initiative was launched by APEC in 2010. 

“Renewables still account for a modest proportion of energy supplies across the APEC region but there is opportunity for growth,” said Dr Phyllis Yoshida, Lead Shepherd of the APEC Energy Working Group. “Technological advancements are making renewables more economically viable and increasing the incentives for governments to put in place policies that remove barriers to, and speed up the employment of, these clean, sustainable energy resources.”  

Renewables constitute about 10 per cent of energy supplies across APEC economies. In September in Beijing, the region’s Energy Ministers committed to doubling this amount by 2030, from 2010 levels. Definitional issues related to this goal, bearing in mind different environment situations and concerns about the employment of certain kinds of renewable energy, are further challenges being addressed. 

A definition for the doubling was adopted this week that includes renewable energy generated by large hydroelectric plants, which APEC economies are collaborating on to make sure is sustainable, but does not include woodfuels, agricultural by-products and dung known as “traditional biomass.” Methodology for measuring progress towards this goal is still being clarified. Monitoring approaches are also being explored. 

“We are working to make renewables a cornerstone of energy development and taking on board new policy innovations to move this process forward,” concluded Dr Yoshida, who also serves as United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy. “This isn’t just pie in the sky kind of stuff we’re dealing with but real, concrete steps to boost renewable energy’s contribution to powering economic growth and in ways that reduce emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change.” 

Collectively, APEC economies account for 55 per cent of global energy production and 60 per cent of total energy consumption. 

Issued by the APEC Energy Working Group

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IOC, FC Barcelona teaming up in Africa

©IOC/Arnaud Meylan

19/11/2014

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach welcomed Barcelona Football Club President Josep Maria Bartomeu i Floreta to the IOC headquarters in Lausanne earlier this week where the pair discussed the impressive reach and progress of the Olympafrica FutbolNet Cup programme.

Jointly run by the IOC, the FC Barcelona Foundation (FFCB) and the Olympafrica Foundation, the programme uses football as an educational tool to promote the values of sport, such as team-building, fair play and respect for others, to young people in Africa. In 2014 – the first year of the programme following a successful pilot project in 2013 – the Olympafrica FutbolNet Cup reached over 95,000 young people in 34 African nations. The programme is scheduled to continue through 2016 with a focus on the strengthening of the regional phase. As of next year, each of the 38 Olympafrica Centres will have the opportunity to participate in a local and regional tournament.

"At the IOC we want to bring the values of sport to all fields of society, across all borders, and to foster Olympism year-round,” said IOC President Bach. “Through this partnership with the FC Barcelona Foundation, we are providing almost 100,000 young people throughout Africa with the opportunity to practise sport and be empowered thanks to the educational programme which promotes Olympic values such as friendship, excellence and respect. I thank FC Barcelona for this collaboration and their commitment to place sport at the service of humankind.”

In addition to providing access to sport and education, the programme is also set to donate up to 12,000 t-shirts, 12,000 bibs and 3,000 footballs to the 38 Olympafrica Centres.
The two organisations first signed an MoU on 17 April 2013 aimed at supporting joint actions in the area of development through sport and the promotion of the Olympic values. In December 2013 a new agreement was signed. The two sports organisations made a commitment to strengthen the Olympafrica Foundation’s existing football programme on offer in community sports centres to young people throughout Africa, adding an educational aspect thanks to the implementation of the FFCB’s FutbolNet method. FutbolNet’s objective is to pass on the positive values of sport to the young participants through the pleasure of playing and practising football.
Olympafrica, which was initiated by the IOC, aims to further social development through sport and promote the creation of small-scale sports and socio-educational centres in African countries, in collaboration with National Olympic Committees and local communities, in order to encourage and assist the development of talented youngsters through local training programmes. The idea for such an initiative was first launched in 1988 to enable developing countries to benefit fully from the positive impact of Olympism. Today, the Olympafrica programme offers a wide range of sporting, social and educational activities for young people and communities in 38 centres across 34 African countries.  
Find out more about the IOC’s development through sport activities

Find out more about the FC Barcelona Foundation

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Olympic Agenda 2020: Strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement unveiled

©IOC / Ian Jones

18/11/2014

IOC President says “Now is the time for change”

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach today revealed the 40 proposals that make up Olympic Agenda 2020, a strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement, which will be discussed and voted on by the full IOC membership at the 127th IOC Session this 8 and 9 December in Monaco.
During the public launch of the recommendations at The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, President Bach called the 20+20 proposals “the culmination of a year of open, transparent and widespread debate and discussion, which had already begun in mid-2013.”
“These 40 recommendations are like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle,” he added. “When you put them together, a picture emerges that shows the IOC safeguarding the uniqueness of the Olympic Games and strengthening sport in society.”
The IOC President first presented the recommendations to a round table of athletes, many of whom actively contributed to the Olympic Agenda 2020 process. The discussion included a number of medal-winning Olympians.*
Some of the key areas addressed by the recommendations are:
- Changes to the bidding process (Recommendation 1), with a new philosophy to invite potential candidate cities to present a project that fits their sporting, economic, social and environmental long-term planning needs. Shaping it more as an invitation and introducing an “invitation phase” – during which cities considering a bid will be advised about the opportunities this new procedure offers, in particular in regard to legacy and sustainability. The organisation of sports and events outside the host city and even, in exceptional cases, outside the host country could also be allowed, always respecting the integrity of the Olympic Village.

- Reducing costs for bidding (Recommendation 3), by decreasing the number of presentations that are allowed and providing a significant financial contribution from the IOC. At the same time emphasising that the sustainability of a bid must be taken into consideration right from the beginning.

- Move from a sport-based to an event-based programme (Recommendation10). Create limits on accreditation for athletes, coaches and other athlete support staff to ensure that the Games do not grow bigger. Allowing more than 28 sports to be on the programme while respecting these limits.

- Strengthen the 6th Fundamental Principle of Olympism (Recommendation 14). The IOC to include non-discrimination on sexual orientation in the 6th Fundamental Principle of Olympism in the Olympic Charter.

- Launch of an Olympic TV Channel (Recommendation 19) to provide a platform for sports and athletes beyond the Olympic Games period, 365 days a year. To fully connect with the digital age and connect with young people on their terms. It will be a worldwide platform and an opportunity to spread Olympic values as well as highlighting the IOC’s many cultural and humanitarian projects. Candidate cities may also be given exposure during the bidding phase.

- Adapting and further strengthening the principles of good governance and ethics to changing demands. Ensuring compliance with the Basic Universal Principles of Good Governance (Recommendation 27) and transparency of accounts (Recommendation 29), with the IOC’s financial statements to be prepared and audited according to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) even when not legally required. Strengthening the independence of the IOC Ethics Commission (Recommendation 30), with the chair and members of the Commission to be elected by the IOC Session. The IOC will also create the position of compliance officer (Recommendation 31) to advise IOC members, staff, NOCs and IFs with regard to compliance.
The athletes remain at the centre of all 40 of the proposals, with the protection of the clean athletes being at the heart of the IOC’s philosophy. The central importance of the “athletes’ experience” will be introduced into the evaluation criteria with no compromise on the field of play for athletes, and the paramount importance of the Olympic Village.
Read Olympic Agenda 2020: 20+20 Recommendations here.
Read Olympic Agenda 2020: Context and Background here.

“Over the past year many people have asked me why there is a desire to make changes. After all, they say, the Olympic Games, the IOC, and the Olympic Movement have enjoyed many successes and we are in a very good position,” said President Bach. “My answer is that we are now in the position to drive change ourselves rather than being driven. We have to take leadership with Olympic Agenda 2020. We have the opportunity, and we must seize the moment – now is the time for change.”
There is no change proposed to the age limit of 70 for IOC members. In a limited number of cases (five), a one-time extension of a member’s term of office may be made for a maximum of four years (Recommendation 37). There is no proposal to allow individual members to visit candidate cities, but there is a proposal that will lead to more in-depth information and discussion about the strengths, weaknesses, risks and opportunities of candidate cities (Recommendation 2).
The 40 recommendations were finalised by the IOC Executive Board in October following presentations from the chairs of the 14 Working Groups that were set up to refine the proposals earlier this year. In addition to members of the Olympic Movement, including National Olympic Committees, International Federations, TOP sponsors and athletes, the Working Groups consisted of experts from civil society such as the United Nations, Google/YouTube, Transparency International, the Clinton Foundation, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the World Bank. 
Strong interest from across the Olympic Movement has been shown in Olympic Agenda 2020. Discussions at the 126th IOC Session in Sochi, for example, included a total of 211 interventions by the IOC members. The proposals were also debated by the IOC Commissions and at two Olympic Summits. The Summits brought together the presidents of the major stakeholders of the Olympic Movement.
The inclusive and transparent Olympic Agenda 2020 process was initiated by President Bach over a year ago. His call for contributions resulted in more than 40,000 submissions and produced 1,200 concrete ideas.
*The athletes who attended the round table were:
Claudia Bokel – Germany – Fencing – Olympic silver medallist; IOC member; Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission
Vincent Defrasne – France – Biathlon – Olympic gold medallist and two-time bronze medallist; Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Athlete Role Model
Susana Feitor – Portugal – Racewalking – Competed in five editions of the Olympic Games; Athletes’ Commission and IOC Athletes’ Career Programme Outreach trainer
Jessica Fox – Australia – Canoeing – Olympic silver medallist; YOG gold medallist; YOG Young Ambassador
Jade Jones – Great Britain – Taekwondo – Olympic gold medallist; YOG gold medallist
Stéphane Lambiel – Switzerland – Figure skating – silver medallist; YOG Athlete Role Model; Olympic silver medallist
Marsha Marescia – South Africa – Hockey – Three-time Olympian
Kaveh Mehrabi – Iran – Badminton – Olympian at the 2008 Beijing Games – WADA Athlete Committee
Koji Murofushi – Japan – Hammer throw – Olympic gold and silver medallist; Sports Director, Tokyo 2020
Maria Höfl-Riesch – Germany – Skiing – Three-time Olympic gold medallist and silver medallist
Jean-Michel Saive – Belgium – Table tennis – Seven-time Olympian; Chair, EOC Athletes’ Commission
QUOTES FROM MEMBERS OF THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT:
“Supporting clean sport and clean athletes is what the IOC and WADA are all about. The IOC has shown itself time and again ready to invest in making Olympic sport credible, and these proposals are an important pillar in that fight. Part of the recommendations for Olympic Agenda 2020 will see a continued and renewed investment to protect sport and the athletes. Sports fans must be able to believe in the sporting events they watch if our Movement and the good it can do are to have a future.”
– Craig Reedie, IOC Vice-President and WADA Chairman
“We have to find a way of being able to introduce new sports that are relevant to young people.
I was very impressed by the new sports presented at the Sports Lab at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in the summer, and particularly the culture of those athletes taking part. We just have to be flexible to include new events – and I think the recommendations contained in Olympic Agenda 2020 will help us to do that.
Above all, for me the credibility of sport remains crucial to the future of the Olympic Movement. It is good to see us investing in protecting athletes who play fair when it comes to doping, and particularly when it comes to match-fixing and manipulation.”
– John Coates, IOC Vice-President
“Thirty years ago, I became the first Moroccan athlete to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games. The celebrations in my home country underlined to me the important role that sport and the Olympic Games play in people’s lives. It is therefore essential for me that, as a Movement, we continue to evolve and stay relevant for the athletes and the watching world. This is why I fully endorse the outcomes of Olympic Agenda 2020 and am looking forward to seeing how the Olympic Games can benefit from our final decisions.”
– Nawal El Moutawakel, IOC Vice-President and Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for Rio 2016
“Olympic Agenda 2020 has seen stakeholders from all around the world and from very many different backgrounds contributing ideas that will make our Movement stronger in the future. 
The Olympic Games continue to push new boundaries and to appeal to many different audiences of sports fans around the world. We must continue to do this. The power of the Olympic ideal is that it reflects universal ideas in different ways around the world. Olympic Agenda 2020 will build on our success.”
– Zaiqing Yu, IOC Vice-President and ANOC Vice-President
“These reforms will shape the future development of the Olympic Movement so that Olympic sport can continue to connect with people around the world. At the ANOC General Assembly in Bangkok early this month, we gave unanimous backing to Olympic Agenda 2020. As the President of the IOC said, the time to change is when you are successful and it is indeed a pleasure to see the launch of these reforms, which will ensure we remain relevant to all generations around the world. We must continue to appeal to different cultures and populations with a unifying message based on the Olympic values.”
– Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, IOC Member, ANOC and OCA President, Chair of the IOC Olympic Solidarity Commission
“The International Federations have been involved every step of the way in the creation of these recommendations, which lay out a comprehensive plan for the future of Olympic sport.
Through the Working Groups and through our representatives in the IOC, we have been able to help shape these proposals, which, if accepted, will lead to greater flexibility and help maintain the relevance of Olympic sport, particularly among young people.”
– Francesco Ricci Bitti, ITF President and ASOIF President
“For winter sports, it is imperative that the Olympic Winter Games remain strictly for sports on snow and ice. We need to continue to spread their popularity and ensure that more cities come forward with bids that work for them and that the Olympic Games remain attractive around the world.
There has to be a place for a wide range of concepts for the Games, and the proposals contained in Olympic Agenda 2020 are designed to encourage more cities with different ideas on the size and scope of the Games to come forward. The IOC is listening and wants the bidding process to help cities and governments to propose Games that appeal to their citizens.”
– Gian-Franco Kasper, IOC member, FIS President and AIOWF President
“I am extremely pleased to see the recommendation in Olympic Agenda 2020 to include sexual preference in the Fundamental Principles of the Olympic Charter. This recommendation by the IOC sends a strong and powerful signal to all athletes, and to the world at large, of our message of absolute non-discrimination. Including sexual orientation reaffirms that Olympic sport stands for fundamental values, and hopefully ensures that each and every athlete attending the Olympic Games feels inclusion and acceptance. Hopefully this amendment to the Charter will also send a message of tolerance and acceptance to the rest of the world.”
– Angela Ruggiero, IOC member, IOC Athletes’ Commission member, 4 Olympic medals (1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze)
“The recommendations in Olympic Agenda 2020 are designed to change the bidding process in a positive way. I think it is important to bring the Olympic Winter Games especially back to their roots, where the organisers are creating genuine winter festivals and where the inhabitants of the host city are as important as the athletes.
I think it is a step forward that the bidding cities will have the chance to focus on Games that work in the local context – socially, economically and environmentally. I also think it is positive that the IOC will encourage the re-use of venues, temporary venues, and even the use of some venues in other regions and countries. This will lower the costs, which will hopefully make staging the Games more attractive for more countries.”
– Ole Einar Bjørndalen, IOC member and most medalled Winter Olympian, 13 Olympic medals (8 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze)

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Tony Nash on true sportsmanship

14/11/2014

An Olympic champion in the two-man bobsleigh at Innsbruck 1964, Tony Nash has a unique story to tell.

Bobsleigh dates back to the late 19th century and owes its existence to British visitors to the Swiss resort of St Moritz, whose penchant for hurtling down the town’s roads in sleds eventually led to the creation of the famous Cresta Run. Yet despite the country’s influential role in the sport’s beginnings, it was not until 1964 that Great Britain won an Olympic bobsleigh gold, courtesy of Tony Nash and Robin Dixon, who also took the two-man world title that year and repeated the feat in 1965. Since then, however, the British have failed to win another Olympic gold in a sport they invented.
It was in the fabled St Moritz, in the heart of the canton of Graubünden, that Dixon, an accomplished sprinter in the late 1950s who has since inherited the title of Lord Glentoran, became acquainted with the sport. For his part, Nash went into bobsleighing after his father objected to him becoming a racing driver.
Nash and Dixon teamed up in 1960 in a four-man bob driven by Henry Taylor, who was also competing in Formula One at the time. When Taylor suffered an injury after crashing his Cooper Climax in a race, Nash took over as the driver, with he and Dixon deciding to go it alone as a two-man team.
The most enthusiastic of amateurs, they carried their equipment around the Alps in an old Land Rover. It was not long, however, before they began to make a name for themselves on the bobsleigh circuit, befriending Eugenio Monti and his all-conquering Italians, who dominated the sport at the time and helped the British duo improve their skills. And improve they did, winning an impressive bronze at the 1963 World Championships, held on the Igls track in Innsbruck (AUT), the venue for the following year’s Olympic competition.
On returning to Innsbruck in February 1964, Nash and Dixon went second fastest in GBR 1 in the first two runs, their combined time giving them the overall lead. After going third fastest on the third run, they found that a bolt on the rear axle of their sled had sheared off and that they did not have a spare. The selfless Monti came to their aid, however, lending them a bolt after he had completed his own run.
Nash and Dixon went on to record the quickest time in the fourth and final leg and take gold by 0.12 seconds from Sergio Zardini and Romana Bonagura in Italy 2, with Monti and Sregio Siorpaes 0.73 seconds behind in third in Italy 1. “Nash didn’t win the gold medal because I gave him a bolt. He won because he was the fastest,” said Monti, who received the inaugural Pierre de Coubertin Medal that year for his wonderful display of sportsmanship.

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Landmark Agreement to Extend APEC Business Travel Card Announced

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Issued by the APEC Business Mobility Group

Beijing, China, 13 November 2014 – The lifespan of the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) that expedites travel and border entry between all 21 APEC member economies has received in-principle agreement to increase in validity from three to five years. The agreement aims to further improve business conditions and facilitate the mobility of businesspeople across the Asia-Pacific. 

Through a single application, the ABTC offers businesspeople three-year, short-stay multiple entry to participating member economies and express lane access at key immigration checkpoints in APEC member economy airports. The APEC Business Mobility Group, which administers the ABTC scheme, looks forward to progressing extension discussions towards implementation of the agreement.  

The in-principle agreement is another major boost to the scheme which rounded out participation in the region with the full accession of Russia last year, followed by Canada and the United States’ opening of applications to their citizens for the first time in May and June 2014, respectively. 

The ABTC was launched by APEC economies in 1997. The number of active users as at mid-2014 increased 20 per cent to more than 164,000 compared to around 137,000 at mid-2013.  

“APEC economies are making it easier for businesspeople to deal with the loss or exchange of their ABTC or passport and improving the application of emerging technologies like advanced passenger information and automated border control systems,” said Kerryn Vine-Camp, APEC Business Mobility Group Convenor from Australia. “The bottom line is we want to streamline barriers to business mobility as much as possible, while working with the private sector to better understand where the areas of greatest need lie.”  

The ABTC reduces the cost of cardholders’ business travel between APEC economies by 38 per cent, according to APEC Policy Support Unit research. The card was specifically found to cut application fees by 27.8 per cent, application time costs by 43.3 per cent and immigration processing time costs by 52.4 per cent. 

“The expansion of the ABTC is very significant,” said Mika Takahashi, Deputy General Manager of Mitsubishi Corporation’s Global Relations Department and lead representative of the APEC Business Advisory Council on business mobility issues. “The decision will not only make it easier for cardholders to do business in the region over a longer period of time, it also draws attention to a new world of opportunities for strengthening people-to-people connectivity.” 

For more:

To learn how to apply for an APEC Business Travel Card, click on this link.

Answers to frequently asked questions about the ABTC scheme can viewed here. 

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Lausanne Sports Studies Centre: the IOC President visits young champions and coaches

©IOC/Christophe Moratal

12/11/2014

On Tuesday morning, the IOC President was at the Lausanne Sports Studies Centre (CSEL) to meet the members of the Foundation Board, coaches on a training course and talented local youngsters making use of the Centre’s facilities next to the city’s Pontaise Stadium.

On this occasion, he emphasised the strong links that have existed between the IOC and this sports institution for more than 12 years. Opened in 2001, this Centre was dear to former IOC President Samaranch, who was behind the project and wanted to mark the excellent relations between the IOC and the city of Lausanne. The IOC was represented on the CSEL Foundation Board for several years, and IOC Honorary President Jacques Rogge was made a patron of the Centre.
During a meeting attended by CSEL Foundation Board Chairman Jean-Jacques Schwaab, CSEL Director Jean-Marc Gerber, Municipal Councillor for Sport Marc Vuilleumier and the Head of the Sports Department, Patrice Iseli, the IOC President said: “The CSEL is a very important pillar and perfectly meets the needs of budding young athletes, as training and education go hand-in-hand. I congratulate you on your efforts and your work. Your philosophy is very much in line with that of the IOC.”
This year, the CSEL is hosting more than 30 young boarders and 80 day students from football, ice hockey, badminton, tennis and dance.
The Centre is also currently hosting six coaches from African countries (Algeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon and Togo), who are taking part in an eight-week sports science training course with the help of Olympic Solidarity. Their sports are football, handball, swimming, table tennis and taekwondo.
The IOC supports this training course, which is held twice a year (spring and autumn sessions) in Lausanne. Since 2001, some 156 coaches from 30 countries and specialising in 21 different sports have been hosted at the CSEL.
“The presence of these international coaches contributes to the richness of this Centre. It is a great illustration of the exchanges that can take place thanks to sport,” the IOC President observed.
Accompanied by the Director of Relations with the National Olympic Committees and Olympic Solidarity, Pere Miró, the IOC President then visited the facilities and met several of the athletes and coaches.

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Youth share their vision for the Asia-Pacific at APEC Leaders Week

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Issued by The APEC Secretariat

12 November 2014, Beijing, China - Students from across the Asia-Pacific engaged in a dialogue with APEC Leaders, regional experts and business executives and presented their vision for the future during the 2014 APEC Leaders’ Week.

Two separate youth programs—the 2014 APEC Youth Program, hosted by the All-China Youth Federation, and the APEC Voices of the Future Program—brought together promising young leaders from across the Asia-Pacific to represent the views of the future generation on key APEC issues.

After the 7-day program, university students from the 2014 APEC Youth Program presented a set of policy recommendations on various topics of the APEC agenda, including people-to-people connectivity and the internet economy, which was delivered to APEC Senior Officials.

Recalling the evolution of APEC’s 25-year history, former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke and one of the key founders of APEC, spoke with students at the 2014 APEC Youth Program on Saturday.

“It is a matter of considerable pride to be here on 25^th Anniversary of the formation of APEC,” said Hawke. “There is no doubt that the region’s economic development has been facilitated by the processes and principles of APEC.”

“It is a very simple concept that no economy can begin to optimize its economic potential unless it integrates with and takes advantage of the resources of economies around it. It’s a simple economic truism and the basic principle on which APEC has operated on and the principle that has allowed so much success for the economies in the region,” explained Hawke to an audience of university students.

The 2014 APEC Youth Program and the APEC Voices of the Future Program activities both occurred on the sidelines of the APEC Leaders’ Week during 5-11 November, capturing the voice of the region’s future generation of leaders.

"We are still the creatures of social media and pop culture but we care about economics and international relations,” said Han Xiaomeng, a student at Tsinghua University in Beijing who spoke at the opening ceremony of the 2014 APEC Youth Program. “Together, we can make an amazing difference."

Meanwhile, running on a parallel track, the APEC Voices of the Future brought 116 students and educators from 16 APEC member economies to Beijing this year.

“Youth delegates participated in cultural exchanges and attended the APEC CEO Summit this past week where they had the opportunity to interact with leaders and business executives,” explained James Soh, Executive Director of the National Youth Achievement Award Council who manages the APEC Voices of the Future program. “During this process, students were enriched through their exposure to the Leaders of our region as well as through discussions with each other.”

The APEC Voices of the Future Program selected students based on a competitive essay submission coordinated by the APEC Voices Leadership Council, led by China, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore and the United States.

"I would like to voice my concern on the future of APEC, especially in areas related to food security, education and women';s issues,” said Yin Xiao, a 22-year old student from the Beijing Foreign Studies University, and participant in the APEC Voices of the Future Program.

Kelly Marie Dickson, a 21-year old from Furman University in the United States, explained, “I hope to expand my world-view by experiencing cultures that are different from my own and learning from our differences.”

“I believe the APEC Voices Program will further develop my leadership abilities and challenge me to see policy discussions from a different perspective,” added Dickson.