Organisational structure of APEC

Economic Leaders’ Meeting

Since 1993, the apex for each APEC year is the meeting of Economic Leaders. Since the Chair of APEC rotates annually, there is a different host every year. The 2011 host was the USA [external link] and the current host is Russia [external link].

Indonesia will host in 2013.

Throughout the APEC year there are many meetings held at different levels aimed at preparing issues for decision by Leaders, as well as carrying out directions issued by Leaders in previous years.

Read an orgaisational chart for APEC [external link].

Ministerial Meetings

The joint annual meeting of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministers is the highest level ministerial meeting in APEC. Sectoral ministerial meetings include annual meetings of Trade Ministers and Finance Ministers and less frequent meetings in some other areas, eg Science Ministers.

APEC Senior Officials’ Meetings (SOMs)

Below the level of Ministers, APEC Senior Officials meet regularly throughout the year. These "SOM" meetings both prepare for the Leaders'/Ministers' Meeting later in the year and respond to directions set by earlier meetings.

Committee Meetings

APEC has four committees below SOM:

• Committee on Trade and Investment and its various sub-committees address trade and liberalisation/trade facilitation issues;
• a Steering Committee on Ecotech oversees APEC’s capacity building activities
• the Budget Management Committee manages APEC’s budget and allocates funding to priority capacity building projects
• the Economic Committee seeks to address behind-the-border issues relevant to economic growth such as structural reform.

In addition APEC has a range of Working Groups covering issues such as energy, fisheries, human resource development, industrial science and technology, telecommunications, trade promotion, transport and tourism, health, counter-terrorism, and on emergency preparedness.

Back to APEC introduction