APEC AUSTRALIA 2007
- + Add to Faves
- + Translate
- + Share
العربية
ä¸å›½
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिनà¥à¤¦à¥€
Italiano
日本語
Português
РуÑÑкий
Español
| APEC Australia 2007 |
|---|
 Map of APEC2007 countries ; : Prime Minister John Howard; : Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah; : Prime Minister Stephen Harper; : President Michelle Bachelet; : President Hu Jintao; : Chief Executive Donald Tsang; : President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono; : Prime Minister Shinzo Abe; : President Roh Moo-hyun; : Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi; : President Felipe Calderón; : Prime Minister Helen Clark; : Prime Minister Michael Somare; : President Alan GarcÃa; : President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo; : President Vladimir Putin; : Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong; (Officially ''Chinese Taipei''): Mr. Stan Shih, Special Representative of President Chen Shui-bian[1]; : Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont ; : President George W. Bush; : President Nguyá»…n Minh Triết |
'APEC Australia 2007' comprises a series of political meetings held around Australia between the 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. These meetings culminated in Leaders Week, where the heads of government of each member economy attended Sydney, New South Wales from 2 to 9 September, 2007. The New South Wales government declared the 7th of September
a public holiday that encompassed the Sydney metropolitan area, including Penrith, Camden and Campbelltown, so that people would be kept away from the inner city "to assist with the smooth operation of the APEC event".
Planning for APEC Australia 2007
As the role of APEC host economy rotates between member economies, Australia had been the designated host for 2007 for a number of years. In August 2004, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet established the APEC 2007 Taskforce to allocate a host city within Australia and to organise the event. On 9 February 2005, Prime Minister John Howard announced that Sydney, New South Wales would host the ultimate Leaders Week event. It was also announced that various preliminary meetings would be held in all Australian state and territory capital cities.
Overall security planning was overseen by the Protective Security Coordination Centre (PSCC) of the National Security and Criminal Justice Group from the Attorney-General's Department, through the establishment of an APEC 2007 Security Branch (ASB). The PSCC performed a similar role for the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne.[2]
At state level, the New South Wales Police Force formed an APEC Police Security Command (APSC) to secure the Leaders Week meetings in Sydney in September.
Preliminary meetings
A significant number of meetings have been held all over Australia from January through until August 2007, involving both government departments and businesses from the various APEC member economies:
★ Canberra, Australian Capital Territory was host to a senior officials meeting in January.
★ Perth, Western Australia was host to a meeting of mining ministers in February.
★ Hobart, Tasmania was host to a small and medium enterprises ministerial meeting in March.
★ The Hunter Valley, New South Wales was host to a Food Safety Cooperation Forum in April.
★ Adelaide, South Australia was host to a senior officials meeting in April.
★ Gold Coast, Queensland was host to Fisheries and Marine Resources conservation meetings in April.
★ Brisbane, Queensland was host to the Agricultural Technical Cooperation Working Group in May.
★ Darwin, Northern Territory was host to the Energy Ministers Meeting in May.
★ Port Douglas, Queensland was host to the Digital Economy Forum for Women and Women Leaders Network Meeting in June.
★ Cairns, Queensland was host to separate Senior Officials, Trade and Emergency Management meetings in July.
★ Coolum, Queensland was host to the Finance Ministers Meeting in July and August.
★ Melbourne, Victoria was host to the Small and Medium Business Enterprise Summit in late August.
APEC Leaders Week
Meeting venues
The venues for Leaders Week meetings includes the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre at Darling Harbour. Government House was also utilised.
Entertainment
A giant illuminated APEC Australia 2007 logo has been affixed to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and a fireworks display will occur on Saturday night. It has previously been announced that the spouses of the political leaders will attend an event at Bondi Beach.
Animals from Taronga Zoo will be shipped to Garden Island to create a private zoo for APEC spouses. Source - Daily Telegraph
Transportation of heads of state and government
A significant number of heads of government attending APEC Australia 2007 attended using their own official aircraft. The only confirmed leader to further bring their own vehicular transportation at this stage has been United States President George W. Bush. George W. Bush was the first head of government to arrive in Sydney, arriving several days early, and also having to leave the summit a day early in order to return to the United States of America for commemoration ceremonies to mark the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Criticism and public response
The APEC conference has been widely criticised for having severe security arrangements, which may see roads closed without sufficient warning as leaders and their motorcades commute around the city.[3] Some Sydneysiders also fear similar disruptions to those experienced during the visit by US Vice President Dick Cheney which caused massive transport disruptions, including the closure of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.[4]
Civil liberties and political groups are also concerned about changes to NSW law enacted for the APEC conference giving the NSW Police Force new powers, including a suspension of the normal function of habeas corpus, freedom of movement, and other civil liberties. Police and security forces have also planned a security perimeter around much of inner city Sydney for the APEC leaders summit. Another point of criticism is the cost of security for the event with official budget figures at AU$169 million.
The heavy handed response from the NSW Police force was highlighted by the arrest and 22 hour detention of a 52-year-old father of three who crossed a road in front of an official motorcade while on his way to lunch with his son.[5]
APEC in action
The first test
NSW Transport Minister John Watkins warned Sydney that traffic conditions in the city were only going to get worse during APEC, and traffic will be held up due to arriving leaders and their motorcades moving throughout the CBD and Sydney area. Buses were stopped because of security measures on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Eastern Distributor off ramp, and passengers walked because traffic was not moving during the morning peak on Wednesday. However, so many Sydneysiders took time off or avoided the city that the regular peak hour traffic was greatly reduced.
Bush forgets the summit name
At a pre-summit business conference in Sydney, Australia, Bush took to the stage at the Sydney Opera House and thanked the Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, for hosting the "OPEC" summit. Realizing his mistake, President Bush corrected himself, saying, "I mean APEC summit", then joking that "I've been invited to the OPEC summit next year." (White House officials later said Mr. Bush would not be attending an OPEC summit. Australia has never been a member of OPEC) as Bush then referred to Mr. Howard's visit to Iraq in 2006 as a thank you to "the ''Austrian'' troops there". There are, in fact, no Austrian troops in Iraq but Australia does have about 1,500 military personnel in and around the country.[6]
Chaser incident
Fake security passes used by the comedians.
On 6 September 2007, two members of satirical comedy group, The Chaser, Julian Morrow and Chas Licciardello, were detained by NSW Police outside the InterContinental Hotel after driving a fake motorcade through the Sydney central business district and breaching an APEC security zone.[7]
The two breached the secure area by masquerading as the motorcade of the Canadian delegation to APEC. Police only realised that the motorcade was a hoax when Chas Licciardello, dressed as Osama bin Laden, stepped out of an official-looking car replete with a Canadian flag flying from the hood,[8] outside the hotel (where U.S. President George W. Bush was staying).[9] They were subsequently detained at Surry Hills Police Station for questioning, and charged with "entering a restricted area without special justification" under the ''APEC Meeting (Police Powers) Act 2007''.[10][11]
Licciardello, Morrow and nine other members of the production team were released on bail, to appear in court on 4 October 2007. The incident led to criticisms of the event's security, and the security of APEC restricted areas.[12] Their forged security passes contained the printed phrase "It's pretty obvious this isn't a real pass" above the photograph; the fact they were still permitted entry most likely indicates security personnel did not even scrutinise their credentials.
Saturday 8th Protest
Saturday the 8th of September saw the biggest of the organised APEC protest rallies. Estimates of attendance were put at 3000[13] by police, 5000[14] by the media, and 10,000[15] by event organisers. While police expected crowds of 20,000, heavy rain was thought to have dampened attendance. The rally was largely peaceful, consisting mainly of students, and mothers and fathers.[16] One incident of violence was reported, with 17 protesters arrested. Two police officers were injured, one officer struck in the forehead with a dart and the other officer struck with an iron bar.[17]
Major decisions
Climate change
The "Sydney Declaration on Climate Change" was signed on 8th September 2007 by the leaders present at APEC. It commits signatories to work towards "aspirational" goals.[18]
Images
References
1. Acer Group Founder Stan Shih to Be President Chen's Representative at APEC Economic Leaders Meeting
2. APEC 2007 Security Branch
3. Sky News exclusive interview with President George Bush Skynews August 2007
4. Iemma warns Sydney to prepare for APEC invasion ABC News February 2007
5. Jailed for jaywalking
6. Reuters (September 7, 2007), Bush shows gift of gaffe at APEC summit, ''yahoo.com''
7. Chaser duo held over APEC stunt
8. TV show breaches fortress Sydney
9. Police question Chaser duo over APEC stunt
10. NSW Police Media Release - 11 people arrested in Sydney's CBD, continuing to assist with inquiries
11. 11 charged over Chaser APEC stunt
12. Minister defends APEC security 'overkill'
13. Estimate of 3000 at Saturday protest
14. Estimate of 5000 at Saturday protest
15. Estimate of 10,000 at Saturday protest
16. Mums and dads protesting on Saturday 8th
17. Police officer hit with darts and iron bar
18. APEC climate agreement a 'diplomatic breakthrough'
★ http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/concrete-wall-to-protect-sydneys-soft-centre/2007/08/02/1185648025299.html
★ http://www.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au/holidays/apec+public+holiday.html
See also
★ List of anti-globalization demonstrations
External links
★ Official web-site for APEC Australia 2007
★ Pictures of an Anti-Apec Protest in Sydney
★ ''The Age - Concrete wall to protect''
★ ''Iemma plans an APEC police state''
★ ''Anti APEC protest organisation site''
This article provided by Wikipedia. To edit the contents of this article, click here for original source.
psst.. try this: add to faves
