At the meeting of the Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI), delegates focused discussion on projects underway under the APEC Work-plan for 2017 and considered newly-proposed projects under the themes of 2017, which are on natural disaster response and support for the APEC science, technology and innovation eco-system. The projects aim at developing and promoting policies that support and provide favorable conditions for scientific research, market-based innovation, capacity building and science-technology connection in the Asia - Pacific region.
At a workshop in preparation for the HLPD HRD
According to the Head of the Malaysian Academy of Sciences’ Bureau of International Affairs, each APEC individual economy has a lot of science, technology and innovation initiatives. However, those initiatives are implemented separately; therefore, the meeting of the PPSTI aims to boost cooperation among APEC members in realizing those initiatives.
* The HLPD HRD dialogue is the initiative of the host Vietnam proposed in the face of giant leaps in information technology, automation, digitization, which have brought benefits to economies as well as the labor market along with challenges to the labor forces. The workshops in preparation for the HLPD HRD discussed advantages and difficulties posed to APEC economies as the world is engaging in the Industry 4.0.
Concerning Industry 4.0, Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Doan Mau Diep stressed, “All groups of laborers will be affected, either positively or negatively, by Industry 4.0, especially vulnerable groups like older or labor-intensive (low-skilled) workers. The responsibility of the APEC economies is to ensure that all laborers can benefit from Industry 4.0 and no one is left behind.”
Delegates at the Workshop on Action Plan of the APEC Education Strategy
The future of employment, labor market, education, vulnerable groups of laborers, the shift of the labor market, advances in technology, globalization and specialized employment... are among topics discussed at those workshops in two days, May 11 and 12.
* The Trade Dialogue on Environmental Services was held by the APEC Committee on Trade and Investment, providing information related to the classification of environmental services; research on the combination of environmental products and environmental services; areas that the APEC forum can support member economy in promoting environmental services negotiation.
Other areas that captured the attention of delegates are water resources, restriction on recycled and disposable products, measures to overcome environmental damages in APEC member economies, effective solutions to renewable power business, etc.
On May 11, APEC delegates also dícussed at other meetings and workshops on a range of important issues such as the Workshop on Healthy Women, Healthy Economies; Workshop on Action Plan of the APEC Education Strategy; Workshop on Modernization of Food Safety Control Systems; Wine Regulatory Forum Technical Meeting; 26th Automotive Dialogue...
Reported by Huu Duong