Brunei will host the APEC meetings in 2000 to be followed by China in 2001, Mexico in 2002 and Thailand in 2003. At the top of APEC's organisational structure are the yearly informal meetings of APEC Leaders. These meetings provide an opportunity for Leaders to share their vision for the future of the region and to chart APEC's long-term development. The Leaders' meeting is held around the same time as the annual joint meeting of APEC Economic and Foreign Ministers who report and make recommendations to Leaders on key policy issues and directions. APEC Ministers representing other areas such as finance, energy and telecommunications also meet periodically.
Senior Officials make recommendations to Ministers and carry out their decisions.
The APEC Secretariat is based in Singapore and has a professional staff of around 20. It provides the central link and core support mechanism for APEC activities and is responsible for managing the budget, coordinating and assisting with work projects, media and public relations, and the distribution of APEC publications and documents.