The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) was established in 1989 in response to the growing interdependence among Asia-Pacific economies. APEC has become the primary international organization that promotes open trade and economic cooperation among its 21 members around the Pacific rim. Mexico joined APEC in 1993 to intensify its trade relations with the Asia-Pacific economies. APEC's member economies represent both, a rich diversity of the region, as well as differing levels of economic development. Despite such differences there is a growing sense of common purpose and cooperation aimed at sustained regional and world growth. The initial years of APEC were focused largely on exchanges of views and project-based initiatives. The concerns were simply to advance the process of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and to promote a positive conclusion to the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations.Today, APEC has evolved with the needs of its members to be a forum of greater substance and higher purpose, aiming to build the Asia-Pacific community through achieving economic growth and equitable development through trade and economic cooperation. The APEC Chair rotates annually among its members, and each chair is responsible for hosting the annual ministerial meeting of foreign and economic ministers. China holds APEC's 2001 chair and Mexico will be hosting it in 2002, Thailand in 2003, Chile 2004 and South Korea in 2005. APEC's goal is to advance Asia-Pacific economic dynamism and sense of community. Asia-Pacific is one of the fastest growing regions in the world and a major contributor to global prosperity and stability. APEC's members have a combined population of over 2.4 billion inhabitants, that imported goods worth more than 2.6 trillion dollars in 1999, and its Gross Domestic Product hit US$16 trillion in 1998. Mexico is the APEC Chair for the year 2002.In this fifth international meeting of Ministers of Energy of APEC, the importance of sharing information in terms of energy standards was stated, as well as the advantage of reducing the barriers to the marketing of electric home appliances and energy-efficient products, as to promote energy efficiency in the region. The document of the joint declaration is the collection of the objectives in terms of energy in face of the next Meeting of Economic Leaders and Heads of State which will be headed by Mexico's President Vicente Fox Quesada, and which is scheduled for October this year, in order to enhance and update APEC's objectives and standards according to the challenges and opportunities of the world economic development.


 
 



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