Apec: Officials brave sceptics to iron out plans

By Andrew Laxon

political reporter

Top Apec officials arrive in New Zealand next week to begin planning this year's summit of Asian and Pacific economies in Auckland.

But their work - on subjects ranging from harmonised customs controls to Internet commerce - will take place amid growing international scepticism about the forum's effectiveness.

Critics accused Apec members of sidestepping their biggest challenge at last November's meeting in Malaysia by referring a deadlocked tariff reduction debate to the World Trade Organisation for a binding decision.

Several countries, including New Zealand, also complained that the body was getting too big to run efficiently.

Next week's timetable for Apec officials in Wellington reflects these concerns. Officials will be asked to consider which of the forum's dozens of committees and working parties can be merged or shut down.

And the number of voluntary action plans or report cards from countries on their progress toward's Apec's voluntary free trade goals has been stepped up from the usual two a year to five.

This year, reports will come from the United States, Japan, Australia, the Philippines and Brunei.

The meeting's chairman, Maarten Wevers, said the topics were not a response to criticism that Apec was losing its way.

But he acknowledged that the free trade agenda which led to Apec's formation five years ago was now spread across a "two-ring circus" since tariff cuts were passed to the World Trade Organisation.