Economic Leaders of the 21 member economies of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) adopted a Busan Declaration before they conclude their two-day meeting Saturday, emphasizing, among others, human security.

The Declaration said APEC Economic Leaders condemned terrorist acts in the region that took thousands of lives and aimed to destabilize economic prosperity and security in the Asia-Pacific region.

It said APEC Economic Leaders reaffirmed their commitment made in Bangkok and Santiago to review progress on their efforts to dismantle trans-boundary terrorist groups, eliminate the threat of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, and confront other direct threats to the region.

They encouraged implementation of APEC counter-terrorism, secure trade and safe travel commitments.

They recalled the horrific regional natural disasters of the past year and conveyed their condolences to the bereaved families. They committed to protecting their economies by taking action to lessen the impact from future disasters and improve their collective response capability.

They endorsed the APEC Initiative on Preparing for and Mitigating an Influenza Pandemic, which commits our economies to effective surveillance, transparency and openness, and close domestic, regional and international coordination and collaboration.

The Declaration said the APEC Economic Leaders agreed on collective, practical measures, including: strengthening cooperation and technical assistance among APEC economies to limit avian influenza at its source and prevent human outbreaks.

They shared their concern on the impact of high oil prices and agreed to respond to it urgently by addressing the supply and demand of the energy market simultaneously.

They also agreed to intensify regional cooperation to deny a safe haven to officials and individuals guilty of corruption, those who corrupt them and their illicitly-acquired assets, and to prosecute those engaged in bribery, including in international business transactions, the Declaration said.

Source: Xinhua