The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) was established in 1989 in response to the growing
interdependence among Asia-Pacific economies. APEC has become the primary international
organization that promotes open trade and economic cooperation among its 21 members around
the Pacific rim. Mexico joined APEC in 1993 to intensify its trade relations with the Asia-Pacific
economies. APEC's member economies represent both, a rich diversity of the region, as well as
differing levels of economic development. Despite such differences there is a growing sense of
common purpose and cooperation aimed at sustained regional and world growth. The initial
years of APEC were focused largely on exchanges of views and project-based initiatives. The
concerns were simply to advance the process of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and to
promote a positive conclusion to the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations.Today, APEC has
evolved with the needs of its members to be a forum of greater substance and higher purpose,
aiming to build the Asia-Pacific community through achieving economic growth and equitable
development through trade and economic cooperation. The APEC Chair rotates annually among
its members, and each chair is responsible for hosting the annual ministerial meeting of foreign
and economic ministers. China holds APEC's 2001 chair and Mexico will be hosting it in 2002,
Thailand in 2003, Chile 2004 and South Korea in 2005. APEC's goal is to advance Asia-Pacific
economic dynamism and sense of community. Asia-Pacific is one of the fastest growing regions
in the world and a major contributor to global prosperity and stability. APEC's members have a
combined population of over 2.4 billion inhabitants, that imported goods worth more than 2.6
trillion dollars in 1999, and its Gross Domestic Product hit US$16 trillion in 1998. Mexico is the
APEC Chair for the year 2002.In this fifth international meeting of Ministers of Energy of APEC,
the importance of sharing information in terms of energy standards was stated, as well as the
advantage of reducing the barriers to the marketing of electric home appliances and
energy-efficient products, as to promote energy efficiency in the region. The document of
the joint declaration is the collection of the objectives in terms of energy in face of the next
Meeting of Economic Leaders and Heads of State which will be headed by Mexico's President
Vicente Fox Quesada, and which is scheduled for October this year, in order to enhance and
update APEC's objectives and standards according to the challenges and opportunities of
the world economic development.