For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 21, 2001
APEC Leaders' Statement on Counterterrorism
APEC Leaders' Statement on Counterterrorism
Statement on Counterterrorism
President Bush has called for all states to join a sustained
worldwide coalition to defeat global terrorism. APEC Leaders responded
with a statement that unequivocally condemns in the strongest terms the
terrorist attacks in the United States. The statement, a significant
show of unity by economies that account for 60 percent of the world's
GDP and one quarter of the world's Muslim population:
-- Commits Leaders to "strengthen international cooperation at all
levels in combating terrorism" and "to bring the perpetrators to
justice";
-- Declares terrorist acts "committed wherever, whenever, and by
whosoever are a profound threat to the peace, prosperity and security
of all people, of all faiths, of all nations" -- the same language used
in the G-8 statement on counterterrorism; and
-- Proclaims terrorism "a direct challenge to APEC's vision of
free, open, and prosperous economies".
Commitment to Implement UN Resolutions and Conventions
The Leaders' Statement calls on the APEC economies to implement
immediately all relevant UN resolutions and conventions. Specifically,
Leaders:
-- Commit to "prevent and suppress all forms of terrorist acts in
the future in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and
other international law".
-- Pledge to implement "faithfully and immediately" UN Security
Council Resolutions 1368 and 1373. Both resolutions reaffirm the
inherent right of individual or collective self-defense in the Charter
of the United Nations. As UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has noted,
the "military action in Afghanistan" is set "in that context".
Resolution 1373 aims to stop the flow of financing to terrorists and
terrorist groups, such as al- Qaida, by freezing the funds of
terrorists and those who assist them.
-- Call for "early signing and ratification of all basic universal
anti-terrorist conventions, including the International Convention for
the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism."
Specific Actions
Leaders also agreed in the Statement to enhance counterterrorism
efforts across the range of areas in which APEC pursues cooperation:
-- Stopping Terrorism Financing: Leaders agreed to take appropriate
measures to prevent the flow of funds to terrorists, including
accelerating work on combating financial crimes through the APEC
Finance Ministers' Working Group on Fighting Financial Crime and
increasing involvement in related international standard-setting
bodies.
-- Transportation Security: Leaders pledged to adhere to "relevant
international requirements for the security of air and maritime
transport" and called on Transport Ministers to work together to
enhance airport, aircraft, and port security.
-- Energy Security: Leaders agreed to strengthen energy security by
examining measures to respond to temporary supply disruptions and
longer-term challenges facing the region's energy supply.
-- Critical Infrastructure: Leaders agreed to strengthen activities
in the area of critical infrastructure protection, including
telecommunications, transportation, health, and energy.
-- Border Controls: Leaders agreed to develop a global integrated
electronic customs network and electronic movement records to enhance
security while ensuring trade and legitimate travel are not disrupted.
-- Capacity Building: Leaders pledged to strengthen economic and
technical cooperation to enable member economies to put in place and
enforce effective counterterrorism measures.
-- Economic Cooperation: Leaders also pledged close cooperation to
limit the economic fallout from the attacks by taking measures to spur
growth and ensure a stable environment for trade, investment, travel,
and tourism.
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