HR12.DOC

WHEREAS, the Asia–Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, is a forum of twenty-one Pacific Rim countries established in 1989 to promote free trade and economic co-operation throughout the Asia-Pacific region; and

WHEREAS, from November 12-13, APEC will convene its 23^rd annual summit in Honolulu, Hawai‘i; and

WHEREAS, there will be heads of state and officials from the twenty-one member countries but, Hawai‘i has just 4 honorary consuls from those member countries; and

WHEREAS, the role of the honorary consul is to undertake and safeguard the interests of the sending country as well as to further the development of commercial, economic, cultural and scientific relations between the sending state and the host state; and

WHEREAS, the honorary consul would help expedite the processing of visas and provide communications between diplomats and Washington D.C.; and

WHEREAS, the APEC conference can potentially result in the establishment of economic trade relations between the state of Hawai‘i and member countries; and

WHEREAS, having honorary consuls can be instrumental in the retaining of and fostering the growth of such relations; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawai‘i, Regular Session of 2011, that the Governor of the State of Hawai‘i is urged to request to all APEC-member countries to establish honorary consuls in Hawai‘i before the 2011 APEC summit; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Office of the Governor, Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism, and the U.S. Department of State.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

APEC countries; honorary consuls

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	12
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011
STATE OF HAWAI‘I