Snapshot: Group IV
November 14, 2005
Mario Ignacio Artaza

Second Secretary, Embassy of Chile (Beijing)
Chair, APEC Budget and Management Committee

On November 14, 2005, the Voices of the Future program in Busan, Korea had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Mario Artaza of Chile.

Brief Biography

Mr. Artaza has served as a journalist, covering topics such as sports, economics, war & politics, before joining the Chilean Foreign Service in 1994. Since then, he has been stationed around the globe, including Singapore, Germany and China, where he is presently stationed.

Summary of Mario Artaza’s Speech

Mr. Artaza discussed the following issues:

1. Mr. Artaza emphasized that all 21 member economics of APEC had the “same level of voice…in the deliberations”. Despite the varying degrees of international influence, at APEC, all members are equal. Building on that equal voice concept, Mr. Artaza suggested that APEC was unique as the result of that characteristic.
2. He elaborated on the sheer vastness of APEC’s influence, encompassing 2.5 billion people and a large percentage of the global economy.
3. He also emphasized the utility of APEC in allowing citizens to realize that they are part of an international environment.
4. According to Mr. Artaza, the main reason the delegates have gathered in Busan, Korea is to:

• Send a strong political message to the United States, the European Union, Japan and the Republic of Korea regarding the stalemate in the World Trade Organization meetings;
• Develop a coordinated response to the possibility of the avian flu and other risks to the world; and;
• To address growing discontent towards increasing globalization.

Question Period

Some of the questions asked by the Voices delegates to Mr. Artaza include:

• How did APEC 2004 change Chile in the past year?
  Mr. Artaza expressed a desire that Chileans would appreciate and remember the benefits of APEC over the long term.
• There was concern among the audience members that there was increasing inequality, as a consequence of globalization, both among rich and poor countries and, also between the rich and poor within a country. The students also asked what the world can do to overcome the struggle.
  Mr. Artaza acknowledged that this was an issue and that there must be some difficult decisions made in the future. He identified Singapore as a case study, using their ideology of reinvention to adapt to the changing global economic and political situation.

In Conclusion

In closing, Mr. Artaza addressed the issue of the increasing number of free trade agreements (both bilateral and multilateral) as a way to “increase the welfare of the participating nations through free and fair trade”.