Community Announcement- APEC Volunteers Needed

The APEC SOM3 Seattle Host Committee is now seeking volunteers willing to serve as General Volunteers and Liaison Officers during the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Third Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM3) to be held in Seattle July 29-August 21, 2023.

General Volunteer Information

To Register as a General Volunteer:

REGISTER HERE

Volunteer Registration Deadline: All positions will remain open until filled.

Questions: som3seattle@gmail.com

General Volunteer Recruitment for:

• Access Control and Directional Support
• Credential/Registration
• Delegate Bag Distribution and Info Desk
• Logistical Support for Bilateral Meetings
• Interpretation
• Directional Guidance at Hotels, Meetings Sites, and Airport
• Willing to Support Any Assignment

General Volunteers need to be 18 years old and have the ability to attend the training on July 23rd or 24th.

Liaison Officer Information

Liaison Officers will be the primary liaisons between the State Department and the visiting delegations from the APEC member economies. Below you can find requirements and qualifications for Liaison Officer positions.

To register as a Liaison Officer:

1) REGISTER HERE

2) Email your resume to David.Kim2@seattle.gov 

Volunteer Registration Deadline: All positions will remain open until filled.

Questions: som3seattle@gmail.com

REQUIREMENTS: 

• Must be available full-time from July 29-August 21, 2023.
• Serve as the key logistical and communications intermediaries between the U.S. Department of State APEC Planning Team and an APEC member economy.
• Location will be mostly downtown Seattle but some events may be held in the      Greater Seattle Region.
• Delegations may take day trips around the Puget Sound region.
• One primary and one alternate Liaison Officer will be appointed for each APEC member economy
• Note: Federal employees are being invited to volunteer with agency approval on temporary duty (TDY). APEC will not be reimbursing agencies for their time.

IDEAL QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ideal candidates have some U.S. government experience (not a requirement), including exposure to the U.S. government interagency process, and experience working with international delegations.
• Liaison Officers must be able to function at a high competency level in a fast-paced environment. Smart and efficient decision-making is needed to successfully execute the tasks associated with this position.
• Liaison Officers must continually communicate all organizational details from the Planning Team to the principal and principal’s staff, and, conversely, be the primary channel of information flowing from APEC delegates to the U.S. government.
• Language ability beyond English is highly desired. Please indicate language skills on the registration form.

Background on APEC

• Here is a short video on APEC SOM3 from Governor Jay Inslee, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, and Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBXOAx4NAZo
• The U.S. will serve as APEC host in 2023 and Seattle is honored to have been selected as one of the host cities.
• Hosting APEC in 2023 provides a unique opportunity to display U.S. economic leadership and multilateralism in the Asia Pacific and highlights the relevance of international economic engagement to promote American prosperity at home. More importantly, hosting APEC meetings offers an important opportunity for the Greater Seattle Region and Washington State, which have always been at the center of U.S. engagement with the Asia-Pacific region, to play an important role in U.S. foreign policy.
• In 1993, the U.S. hosted the first APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting on Blake Island in Puget Sound and Seattle will be a prime venue for the policy priorities the U.S. government seeks to advance during its APEC 2023 host year: creating a resilient and sustainable future for all and building an interconnected, innovative, and inclusive Asia-Pacific region. Read more about APEC.
• During the APEC host year, there are three large meetings that take place before the final Leaders’ Meeting in November. These large meetings are known as Senior Officials’ Meetings (SOM). The first SOM, SOM1, took place in Palm Springs, California February 14-28; SOM2 was held in Detroit May 14-26; and SOM3 will happen July 29-August 21 here in Seattle. We are expecting thousands of delegates from APEC economies, observers, and outside speakers over the span of 3+ weeks of meetings. Below is a list of some of the senior meetings that will take place during SOM 3:

• Third Senior Officials’ Meeting and Related Meetings (SOM3)
• Senior Finance Officials’ Meeting (SFOM)
• Senior Disaster Management Officials Forum (SDMOF)
• SME Ministerial Meeting
• Women and the Economy Forum (WEF)
• Energy Ministers Meeting (EMM)
• APEC Ministerial Meeting on Food Security (FSMM)
• High-Level Meeting on Health and the Economy (HLMHE)

TRAINING: You will need to attend a mandatory training to be scheduled in the days prior to the summit on July 23 or July 4 (exact dates/times TBD).

IMPORTANT: Please note that all volunteers will be required to undergo a background security clearance by the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) in order to be officially credentialed for this event and will be asked for personal information including date of birth and social security number in that clearance process. Once your application has been processed and approved, you will be required to submit a photo for your credential badge.