APEC Travel Facilitation Initiative Monthly Progress Report January 2013

______

2013/SOM1/SCCP/021

Agenda Item: 15

APEC Travel Facilitation Initiative Monthly Progress Report – January 2013

Purpose: Consideration

Submitted by: United States

APEC Travel Facilitation Initiative

Monthly Progress Report – January, 2013

Executive Summary:

The movement of travelers across the Asia-Pacific region for both business and tourism is a critically important aspect of commerce and economic growth. The region represents the world’s biggest passenger aviation market, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Given the economic importance of travel and projected increases in traveler volume in the region, the APEC Travel Facilitation Initiative (TFI) seeks to enable more efficient, more secure and less stressful travel across the Asia-Pacific region.

Travel facilitation by APEC would benefit travelers, the private sector, and governments while enhancing the potential for regional commerce and economic growth.

• For travelers: it would mean an easier, more efficient, and less stressful travel experience.
• For the private sector: it would mean operational and cost efficiencies, streamlined procedures, and a better environment for providing travelers an enjoyable travel experience. For facility operators such as airports, it would mean reducing passenger wait times, as well as more efficient and cost effective use of infrastructure.
• For governments: it would mean enhanced ability to manage the flow of travelers, while simultaneously ensuring high-levels of security and border integrity in a more efficient, cost-effective way.

The established TFI Steering Council will coordinate the five APEC sub-fora – TPTWG, BMG, SCCP, CTTF and TWG – involved in the six cross-cutting TFI components,which include the Airport Partnership Program, APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC), Trusted Traveler, Facilitation of Air Passenger Security Screening, Advance Passenger Information (API), and Checked Baggage Facilitation.

Progress Report for the Month of January, 2013

1. TFI Steering Council
2. Charter and Objective:
3. The SCE at SOM2 2012 established the TFI Steering Council, with one representative from each of the five relevant sub-fora, to be led by a TFI coordinator. The United States was nominated and accepted the role of coordinating economy.
4. 2013 Objectives as stated at SOM September 2012 Meeting:
5. Explore the value of holding a stakeholder’s workshop of both public and private stakeholders during 2013.
6. Provide an annual comprehensive update to SOM.
7. Provide progress updates as requested.
8. Increase communication via monthly conference calls and issuance of a activity reports to appropriate stakeholders
9. 2013 Council Activity Objectives:
10. Establish monthly Council meetings to monitor progress, update the Council and enhance coordination.
11. Confirm project deliverables for TFI in 2015 to SOM
12. Generate quarterly report for approved distribution across APEC.
13. Update – Next Steps:
14. The Council held two working sessions during the month. The objective of the first session was to:
15. Kick off 2013
16. Introduction of the new TFI Coordinator.
17. Review prior meeting minutes to establish the frame for 2013.
18. Develop a plan for the Council’s activity objectives for 2013.

1. Airport Partnership Program:
2. Charter and Objectives:
3. APEC seeks to convene a broad range of experts and private sector stakeholders where they can discuss with airports and other relevant stakeholders throughout the region to showcase best practices and build capacity on the efficient and secure processing of travelers for international departures and arrivals.
4. This program is unique with the TFI in that involves all five sub-fora. Individual working groups will lead specific activities, e.g. BMG on immigration and entry processing, TPTWG on passenger screening, and SCCP on customs clearance.
5. 2013 Objectives as stated at SOM September 2012 Meeting:
6. Develop and execute a survey by November 2013to:
7. Identify sister airport programs.
8. Identify potential partners/stakeholders.
9. Review the scope of such partnerships.
10. Update – Next Steps:
11. Council agreed to meetthe International Air Transport Association(IATA) to brainstorm opportunities to leverage IATA’s competencies and progress to date.
12. TPTWG agreed to identify other associations such as Airport Council International (ACI) to gain knowledge and insight to potential resources and leverage technical opportunities.

1. APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC):
2. Charter and Objectives:
3. APEC to underscore its support for ongoing efforts by the Business Mobility Group to enhance the ABTC program as a means to facilitating frequent business travel in the region.

1. Trusted Traveler:
2. Charter and Objectives:
3. APEC economies to explore and support development – on a voluntary basis – of trusted traveler programs for use at ports of entry across the Asia-Pacific region as part of the “next generation” efforts of travel facilitation.
4. Such efforts to be led by the BMG and SCCP, in cooperation with the CTTF. Other relevant fora to be included as appropriate.
5. Update – Next Steps:
6. Project proposal and questionnaire on developing APEC consensus on the characteristics for trusted traveler programs were approved by BMG. The BMG was in the process of providing responses to questionnaire.
7. Next steps include presenting the survey results and beginning to draft the trusted traveler characteristics/vetting standards document.
8. Document could lead to workshops and pilot projects among interested APEC economies.

1. Facilitation of Air Passenger Security Screening:
2. Charter and Objectives:
3. APEC to undertake stepped-up cooperation to explore and address travel facilitation issues related to passenger security screening, with the goal of fostering technologies and approaches that can lead to a more efficient and secure travel system in the APEC region. These efforts will take into consideration the variation in capacity between developed and developing economies, seek to identify a range of solutions that could be used in varying circumstances across these economies, and foster capacity building cooperation among APEC members.
4. These efforts to be led by BMG, with cooperation of CTTF.
5. 2013 Objectives as stated at SOM September 2012 Meeting:
6. Address travel facilitation issues related to passenger security screening, fostering technologies and approaches that will increase travel efficiency and security in the APEC region.
7. TPTWG will hold “Low Cost/No Cost Security & Checkpoint Optimization Capabilities Workshop” to leverage expertise across region and establish optimized checkpoint and travel facilitation.
8. TPTWG Aviation Security Experts Group and CTTF to conduct workshop on canine training.
9. Explore outreach to individual APEC economies and multilateral organizations such as International Civil Aviation Organization and World Customs Organization to gain insight to capacity building and facilitation initiatives.

1. Advance Passenger Information (API):
2. Charter and Objectives:
3. Identify the challenges APEC economies face in implementing API systems. This effort could lead to development of a lessons learned document, which could serve as the foundation for future capacity building activities for interested economies.
4. Update – Next Steps:
5. At SOM 1 in 2013 in Jakarta, the revised questionnaire will be considered for approval. Next steps include economies responding to the questionnaire for commencing drafting a lessons learned document.

1. Checked Baggage Facilitation:
2. Charter and Objectives:
3. In addition to facilitating travel of passengers, APEC could establish a public-private effort to explore ways to facilitate the delivery of checked baggage to passengers when they arrive at their final destination or (if applicable) for re-checking during transit, with specific focus on passengers who are members of port of entry trusted traveler programs.
4. The effort to be led by the TPTWG, working with the private sector and potentially other APEC working groups such as the BMG and SCCP.
5. 2013 Objectives as stated at SOM September 2012 Meeting:
6. Explore public-private effort to facilitate delivery of checked baggage or the rechecking of baggage during transit.
7. TPTWG and CTTF to explore synergistic opportunities with IATA and their “Simplifying the Business” program.
8. Update – Next Steps:
9. Establish a joint meeting between IATA and the Council to brainstorm opportunities to leverage IATA’s competencies and progress to date.
10. Identify other associations such as ACI to gain knowledge and insight to potential resource and technical leverage opportunities

Respectfully submitted,