• January 5, 2010

Nathan to Support the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum

From trade facilitation to structural reform, Nathan Associates will provide a wide range of technical assistance and training to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, one of the world’s premiere organizations promoting regional economic integration, trade, and investment.
USAID awarded the $17 million contract for the APEC Technical and Training Facility (TATF) to the DAI/Nathan group, a joint venture of Nathan Associates and DAI, on September 19. Nathan will lead the four-year project, which will begin mobilizing on October 1, 2008.

Reaching Policy Goals

In supporting APEC, the DAI/Nathan Group will strengthen the operations of the APEC Secretariat and assist APEC in achieving ambitious policy objectives, especially for economic growth and integration. Activities will involve

  • Trade facilitation—customs, standards and conformance, electronic commerce, business mobility
  • Investment facilitation
  • Structural reform—competition policy, regulatory reform, public sector management, corporate governance, and economic and legal infrastructure.

TATF will also study the foundations of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, assist with financial market reforms, and undertake projects in energy and environment, human resource development, regional security, transparency, and intellectual property rights.

Building Capacity for Strategic Management 

The facility will be located near the APEC Secretariat so project staff can build the capacity of Secretariat staff to design, implement, and evaluate activities on a daily basis. The project will work closely with the Secretariat’s project management and policy support units as well as with its public relations and IT sections, and may support efforts to further cooperation with the ASEAN Secretariat.

U.S. Ambassador to APEC, Patricia Haslach, will officially launch the project by introducing Nathan Associates’ Chief of Party and Deputy Chief of Party to the APEC Secretariat and representatives of APEC member economies at meetings in Singapore on October 20 and 21. The Chief of Party will be David Katz, currently the USTR Senior Director for China and Taiwan Affairs and former USTR Director for Southeast Asia, APEC, and Pacific Affairs. The Deputy COP is Victoria Waite, who is also leading work in the LAO PDR to support extensive trade reform and WTO accession work in that country.

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