US-APEC Technical Assistance to Advance Regional Integration (US-ATAARI) Quarterly Progress Report: July 1, 2017 – September 30, 2017

The team coordinated with 19 government agencies to develop and/or implement 30 interventions on various technical areas. Key achievements under each program area include: Program Area 1: Green Growth focused on fossil fuels subsidies (FFS) reform. US-ATAARI distributed the final draft report of the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform Peer Review in Viet Nam to counterparts for comment. The team also implemented the APEC FFSR Workshop on Effective Pricing Mechanisms and Mitigation Strategies in Jakarta, Indonesia in July. The workshop highlighted the high level of recent progress on subsidy reform across the region, particularly on transport oil subsidies. Program Area 2: Trade and Investment Facilitation involved the implementation of several activities, including the development of a technical report and the organization of workshops. The team also provided training to 573 participants on various topics related to trade and investment facilitation. Program Area 3: Regulatory Reform focused on the development of technical reports and the implementation of workshops. The team worked with government agencies to develop and implement interventions aimed at improving regulatory frameworks and promoting regulatory cooperation. Program Area 4: Human Security involved the implementation of activities aimed at promoting human security and addressing humanitarian challenges. The team worked with government agencies and other stakeholders to develop and implement interventions aimed at improving disaster preparedness and response. Program Area 5: Women's Economic Empowerment focused on promoting women's economic empowerment and addressing the challenges faced by women in the region. The team implemented activities aimed at improving women's access to education, training, and employment opportunities. Program Area 6: Host Year Capacity Building and APEC Secretariat involved the implementation of activities aimed at building the capacity of host year countries and promoting APEC's work in the region. The team worked with government agencies and other stakeholders to develop and implement interventions aimed at improving capacity building and promoting APEC's work. Cross-Cutting Initiatives involved the implementation of activities aimed at promoting cross-cutting issues such as climate change, sustainable development, and human security. The team worked with government agencies and other stakeholders to develop and implement interventions aimed at promoting these issues. The US-ATAARI team also laid the groundwork for interventions that will be implemented in the last quarter of 2017 and early 2018. The team's progress during this period on key performance indicators (KPIs) is reported in Annex A: Progress Summary. The KPIs generate the performance information necessary to guide adaptive management of the activity and ensure resources are applied where they may have the most positive impact. The US-ATAARI team's work in the third quarter of 2017 was characterized by heavy implementation of activities under all of its program areas. The team's efforts focused on developing and implementing interventions aimed at promoting regional integration, improving regulatory frameworks, and promoting human security and women's economic empowerment. The team's progress during this period laid the groundwork for future interventions and ensured that resources were applied where they may have the most positive impact.