SR122

WHEREAS, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a regional economic forum established in 1989 that aims to create greater prosperity for the people of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative, and secure growth and by accelerating regional economic integration; and

WHEREAS, APEC is the only international intergovernmental grouping in the world committed to reducing barriers to trade and investment without requiring its members to enter into legally binding obligations, but endeavors to achieve its goals by promoting dialogue and arriving at decisions on a consensus basis, giving equal weight to the views of all members; and

WHEREAS, APEC's twenty-one member economies, comprised of Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; People's Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Peru; The Philippines; The Russian Federation; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; United States of America; and Vietnam, represent over forty percent of the world's population and over fifty percent of the world's trade; and

WHEREAS, Seattle, Washington is the headquarters for the National Center for APEC, which includes the top fifty American Blue Chip corporations; and

WHEREAS, in August 2023, the National Center for APEC in Seattle will host the APEC Ministerial and United States Senior Official Meetings to showcase the United States' economic leadership in the Asia-Pacific region, with the theme of having cultural and language diversity and highlighting indigenous Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders throughout the communities of the Asia-Pacific region; and

WHEREAS, from November 12, 2023 to November 14, 2023, APEC Summit meetings will be held in San Francisco, California; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii is actively seeking to expand its international ties and has an abiding interest in developing friendship, goodwill, and economic and educational relations between the people of Hawaii and the people of Asia-Pacific regional economies; and

WHEREAS, the State would be able to expand these ties and further develop connections in the Asia-Pacific region by participating in the 2023 APEC Events; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, that the Governor is requested to establish a 2023 APEC Hawaii delegation team to participate in the 2023 APEC Events; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 2023 APEC Hawaii delegation team is requested to:

(1) Help to pass the torch during the Opening Ceremony of the November 2023 APEC Summit;

(2) Serve as the Welcome Committee with the "Aloha Spirit" and open an Expo Pavilion to showcase the Hawaiian "Aloha" goods and services and participate in the 2023 APEC trade-shows during the APEC events in Seattle and San Francisco; and

(3) Use APEC Hawaii's strategic business plans to have trade show engagements during the 2023 APEC events in Seattle and San Francisco; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the East West Center of Hawaii is requested to coordinate with Native Hawaiians and South Pacific Islanders to participate during the APEC Ministerial and United States Senior Official meetings in Seattle in August, 2023; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to coordinate with the Hawaii Tourism Authority; Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; and neighbor island chambers of commerce to recommend trade show participants from Hawaii to be included in the APEC Hawaii delegation team; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii is requested to work closely with ethnic chambers of commerce, including but not limited to chambers of commerce from Japan, the Philippines, People's Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, and Thailand, to ensure that ethnic chambers of commerce in Hawaii receive equal representation and may voice concerns; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States; Governor; Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Chief Executive Officer of the Hawaii Tourism Authority; President of the East-West Center at the University of Hawaii; and Executive Director of Chamber of Commerce Hawaii.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation; APEC; Summit

THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	122
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023
STATE OF HAWAII