Hanoi(VNA) – The second SOM Steering Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation(SCE) Meeting took place in Hanoi on May 15 as part of the ongoing second APECSenior Officials Meeting (SOM 2) and related meetings. At the one-daymeeting, delegates from 21 APEC member economies noted the update on theimplementation of the decision by the SCE on Fora Assessment and discussed howto encourage more gender-related planning by the SCE fora using the currentwork plan template. The SCE also deliberateda draft APEC Guidelines on Cross-Fora Collaboration and considered anyStrategic Plans of the SCE fora, including the Emergency Preparedness WorkingGroup (EPWG) Strategic Plan. The outstandingannual Work Plans of the Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy (PPWE) andthe APEC Group of Friends on Disability (GOFD) and the Human ResourcesDevelopment Working Group (HRDWG)’s response to the recommendations of theIndependent Assessment were also tabled during the meeting. In addition, theSCE is scheduled to consider Russia’s revised proposal on convening the HighLevel Policy Dialogue on Bridging Gap in Economic Development and Integrationof Remote Areas for Sustainable Growth in the APEC Region during the thirdSenior Officials Meeting (SOM 3). The SCE coordinates and manages APECmembers' economic and technical cooperation (ECOTECH) agenda, which was outlined in the Osaka Action Agenda. In 1996, an APECFramework for Strengthening Economic Cooperation and Development was adopted to guide members inimplementing the Osaka Action Agenda. The objectives of the SCE are to support implementation of APEC'sECOTECH activities by prioritising work based on the commitments made byLeaders' and Ministers, and overseeing the work of APEC fora; provide policy guidance on ways tocontribute to APEC's ECOTECH goals; and coordinate ECOTECH objectives andpriorities between the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and APEC ministerialmeetings. The SCE was first established as the SOM Sub-Committeefor Economic and Technical Cooperation in 1998. In 2002, it was elevated to the SOM Committee onEconomic and Technical Cooperation. In 2005, the ESC was strengthened andtransformed into the SOM Steering Committee on ECOTECH.-VNA