VZCZCXRO5253
RR RUEHCHI RUEHFK RUEHHM RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHPB
DE RUEHGP #0179/01 0480520
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 170520Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7822
INFO RUEHZU/ASIAN PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 6031

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SINGAPORE 000179 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
EAP FOR TONG AND STANTON 
STATE PASS USAID FOR ANE/YOUNG 
STATE PASS USTR FOR CUTLER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: APECO ECON EAID ETRD SN
 
SUBJECT:  ENGAGING WITH THE APEC SECRETARIAT IN SINGAPORE 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  New leadership and a further strengthening of 
the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat offer an 
opportunity to increase engagement with Secretariat staff.  With the 
U.S. year to host APEC set to begin in 2011 after the 2010 Japan 
year, there is a need for strong links with APEC to help shape the 
development of policy.  Although the Secretariat plays primarily an 
administrative rather than policy role (or, as the new Executive 
Director describes it, a "customer service" role), its role in 
supporting the policy process, in particular through its research on 
APEC issues, gives it the ability to accelerate and enhance the 
development of sound policies.  Embassy Singapore recommends regular 
contact between Embassy and the Secretariat at various levels, full 
staffing of the U.S. detail to the Secretariat, regular visits to 
the Secretariat by Washington leaders and experts, and financial 
support for policy research at the Secretariat's new Policy Support 
Unit and the independent Pacific Economic Cooperation Council.  The 
Embassy will continue to coordinate closely with the USG-funded 
Technical Assistance and Training Facility (TATF) in promoting U.S. 
cooperation with APEC.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) In a move towards strengthening and professionalizing the 
APEC Secretariat, Ambassador Muhammad Noor Yacob was hired by APEC 
Senior Officials as the new Executive Director of the 
Singapore-based APEC Secretariat, taking office on January 1. 
Ambassador Noor, formerly Malaysia's Permanent Representative to the 
World Trade Organization in Geneva, is the first Executive Director 
to be appointed for a fixed three-year term.  Prior to his 
appointment, the position was filled by a representative from the 
host economy of APEC for that year, usually after serving for the 
previous year as Deputy Executive Director. 
 
Engaging with APEC Secretariat 
------------------------------ 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The conjunction of Ambassador Noor's appointment and the 
upcoming U.S. hosting of APEC in 2011 gives the USG the ability and 
the need to engage more closely with the APEC Secretariat in 
Singapore.  The Secretariat is an administrative organization rather 
than a policy-making body, with policy driven by the 21 member 
economies.  However, as it can be difficult to organize 21 senior 
APEC officials and because much of the APEC expertise resides in the 
Secretariat, the support provided by the Secretariat is a 
significant factor in promoting the development of policy.  Experts 
at the Secretariat provide counsel on APEC procedures and on 
effectively utilizing APEC's range of working groups and other 
sub-fora.  Such assistance can be essential in pushing forward 
policy initiatives. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Embassy Singapore is preparing to welcome a new U.S. 
Ambassador and we will be suggesting regular contact for the Embassy 
with Ambassador Noor, who appears disposed to working well with the 
USG.  Ambassador Noor's six-year tenure in Geneva was reportedly 
well-regarded, where he demonstrated a willingness to work with 
Americans.  In a January 29 meeting with Charge, Noor commented that 
he found the direct American approach to discussing issues to be 
refreshing and useful.  Noor also spoke fondly of his experience in 
the United States as a student at the University of Wisconsin and 
Harvard University, and also of his children's recent university 
education in the United States.  He stated that "customer service" 
was one of his priorities and considered local missions in Singapore 
to be among his customers. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) We also recommend adding the Secretariat to visit 
schedules of Washington visitors, including congressional 
delegations as well as USG officials involved in work of relevance 
to APEC.  Regular contact with USG officials and Congressmen would 
give the Secretariat a more nuanced feel for USG priorities in APEC 
and other issue areas.  In particular we recommend that the U.S. 
Senior Official (SOM) for APEC spend a day with the Secretariat 
early in 2010 to share ideas with Secretariat leadership and Program 
Directors.  The SOM could also constructively meet with the Pacific 
Economic Cooperation Council (PECC), an official observer of the 
APEC process and a frequent producer of studies and reports on APEC 
issues.  The Institute of Southeast Asia Studies is steps away from 
both PECC and the Secretariat and its Singapore APEC Study Center 
would be an excellent venue for a roundtable on APEC issues. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The USG also has an opportunity to develop contacts with 
the newly formed Policy Support Unit at the Secretariat, an 
Australian initiative to provide APEC with an ability to handle 
policy research and analysis.  As APEC host in 2011 following the 
2010 Japan year, the United States has a seat on the PSU's board for 
the next three years.  This seat offers an opportunity to discuss 
the research agenda for this and future years.  Since the PSU 
started up in August 2009, the unit has produced research on trade 
 
SINGAPORE 00000179  002 OF 002 
 
 
creation, cross-border investment and supply chain connectivity. 
Current research on APEC issues will help drive the APEC agenda in 
future years.  The PSU is funded through the end of the year, 
primarily from an Australian grant together with nominal funding 
from Japan and Singapore.  If available, USG funding would give the 
United States a longer term seat at the PSU table.  According to PSU 
Governance Arrangements, a board seat is given to economies that 
donate more than US$400,000 to the PSU budget during the calendar 
year. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) In addition, to engage with the APEC Secretariat, the USG 
should fully staff its delegation at the organization.  Each APEC 
economy provides a Program Director to staff the Secretariat and 
provide support and coordination in issue areas.  The next APEC host 
is also expected to fill a Host Economy Representative position to 
work with the Secretariat to prepare for the next year's meetings. 
At the moment the Host Economy Representative position is vacant and 
there is no known funding source to pay for the position.  In a 
recent meeting with the Charge, Ambassador Noor said the Secretariat 
would welcome a Host Economy Representative from the USG and 
encouraged the USG to staff the position well in advance of the 
first USG-hosted APEC meetings scheduled to be held near the end of 
¶2010. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Finally, in doing all of the above, it will be useful for 
the Embassy to coordinate closely with the USG-funded Technical 
Assistance and Training Facility (TATF).  TATF, located in 
Singapore, is tasked with implementing USG-funded APEC projects, in 
cooperation with the Secretariat, the Washington inter-agency and 
APEC working groups, but it also has a mandate to provide technical 
assistance and training to strengthen APEC operations. 
 
SHIELDS