Apec pledges to boost fight against terrorism following deadly terror attacks in Paris
As French jets pound Islamic State stronghold, ministers in Manila vow to target militants’ financing and back risk assessments on air travellers
Ministers from Asia-Pacific economies have pledged to beef up the fight against terrorism by targeting the financing of militant groups and performing risk assessments on air travellers and crews, following the deadly attacks in Paris.
The statement was issued on Tuesday by ministers from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) countries as they wrapped up a two-day conference ahead of a summit for state leaders.
The ministers highlighted the Apec counter-terrorism working group’s efforts to disrupt the financing of terrorism through emerging payment technology and to clamp down on cross-border travel by terrorists.
“We support economies’ efforts to implement the Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record programmes to secure and facilitate legitimate travel within the region,” the statement added.
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The programmes enable authorities to perform risk assessments on air travellers and crew members by collecting personal and luggage information from airlines.
