Bill Text: HI SR55 | 2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Encouraging North Korea to Join APEC Working Group

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-03-16 - (S) Referred to EDT/TIA. [SR55 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2012-SR55-Introduced.html

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THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	55
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2012
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

encouraging The democratic people's republic of korea to join the Asia-PAcific economic cooperation's business advisory council working group with the republic of korea.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is an economic forum with the purpose of building a dynamic and harmonious Asia-Pacific community by championing free and open trade and investment, promoting and accelerating regional economic integration, encouraging economic and technical cooperation, enhancing human security, and facilitating a favorable and sustainable business environment; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ("North Korea") and the Republic of Korea ("South Korea") have never formally ended the hostilities known as the Korean War and have been in a state of war for the past sixty years; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation created a working group called the APEC Business Advisory Council that is a permanent high-level business advisory group forum in 1995 as a direct channel for business input into the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's work program; and

 

     WHEREAS, the APEC Business Advisory Council brings together three senior business executives from each Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation country that advise leaders and ministers on priority concerns for the private sector in the areas of trade and investment liberalization and business facilitation; and

 

     WHEREAS, in the 2011 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, delegates from South Korea expressed their belief that enhancing collaborations between large enterprises and small and medium enterprises is vital for the economic development structure for developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region; and

 

     WHEREAS, progress towards peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula would mean greater security and prosperity for the region and the world; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Republic of Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement is a trade agreement between the United States and South Korea that eliminates ninety-five per cent of each nation's tariffs on goods within five years and also creates new protections for multinational financial services and other firms; and

 

     WHEREAS, a working partnership between South Korea and North Korea will help unite the countries and encourage economic development, and could potentially benefit both the United States and South Korea because of the free trade agreement; and

 

     WHEREAS, the APEC Business Advisory Council Working Group Paper submitted by Dr. Joon Ho Lee may be used as a model for economic development for collaboration for large enterprises, small and medium enterprises, and for business development in North Korea; and

 

     WHEREAS, if North Korea adopted foreign and internal policies similar to China and Russia, they could attract international investors for economic development and create a better quality of life for the citizens of North Korea; and

 

     WHEREAS, the participation of North Korea with South Korea in the APEC Business Advisory Council working group will not only help the economy of both nations, but will encourage peaceful political relations between the United States and North Korea; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2012, that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is encouraged to join the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's Business Advisory Council working group with the Republic of Korea; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State of Hawaii wishes to host the signing ceremony that admits North Korea to the APEC Business Advisory Council Working Group along with South Korea, and wishes to invite Kim Jong Un personally to Hawaii for the signing; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States; Majority Leader of the United States Senate; the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives; the United States Secretary of State; the United States Trade Representative Kim Jong Un, the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; the President of the Republic of Korea; members of Hawaii's congressional delegation; the Chairperson of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Advisory Council; and Professor Joon Ho Lee, author of South Korea's ABAC Working Group Paper.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Encouraging North Korea to Join APEC Working Group