SAN FRANCISCO PREPARES FOR THE WEEK OF APEC ACTIVITIES
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
Contact: Mayor’s Press Office, mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org
SAN FRANCISCO PREPARES FOR THE WEEK OF APEC ACTIVITIES
The international economic forum will be the largest convening of world leaders in San Francisco since the UN Charter was signed in 1945
San Francisco, CA – Today, the U.S. Secret Service, in coordination with the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), held a joint press conference at the Multi Agency Communication Center to discuss planned public safety measures for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting in November. San Francisco City leaders have been working with the federal government, including representatives from the U.S. Secret Service, State Department and White House, to ensure security and operational plans are robust while minimizing impacts to the public wherever and whenever possible.
Due to the national security measures required for the event, the Economic Leaders’ Meeting holds a National Special Security Event (NSSE) designation between November 15 and 18, which allows the federal government to fully implement event security and incident management plans to ensure the safety of all event participants and residents. As part of the NSSE structure, the U.S. Secret Service leads the design and implementation of security plans through an executive network of representatives from agencies holding various primary jurisdictions.
This is the first time an NSSE event has ever occurred in the State of California.
The U.S. Secret Service today outlined thatvehicular, public transportation and pedestrian impacts should be expected in the areas around the Moscone Center, the Embarcadero, and Nob Hill during the designated dates and times.
Though the NSSE designation only applies to one portion of APEC Week from November 15-18, residents and businesses will begin to experience street and access impacts in and around the designated areas beginning several days before, and throughout the entire week of APEC in the areas designated by the NSSE. The areas within the secured perimeter will still be accessible to businesses and residents, but people needing access to these areas should expect to go through additional security screenings. Commuters should plan for transit reroutes and traffic congestion. Everyone in and around the secure areas should expect heightened security throughout the week.
As part of the City’s response to ensure a safe APEC week, the San Francisco Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be activated at its highest level to closely coordinate with federal response entities, as well as real time dissemination of timely and accurate information for residents, businesses, and visitors.
Additionally, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) and the Office of Small Business (OSB) will conduct direct, door-to-door outreach engaging with residents, business owners, and employers in the areas designated by the NSSE. Team members will distribute flyers available in multiple languages to help in planning for the week, including information on how to coordinate deliveries and the process to enter the secure perimeter.
Residents and visitors should plan ahead by accessing the following local resources to ensure they are fully informed about APEC-related activities and expected impacts to the public.
SF.gov, San Francisco’s centralized website for all City services, will serve as a landing page directing residents and guests to information on City services continuity during APEC, including public transit temporary reroutes, adjustments to hours of public-facing services at City buildings, and information for small businesses. Visit SF.gov/apec for more information.
3-1-1
Residents and guests can call 3-1-1 for updates on key APEC-related activities, including traffic disruptions and transit reroutes, from the 311 Customer Service Center. 3-1-1 offers customer service support with translation services in over 200 languages.
AlertSF
San Francisco’s emergency notification system, AlertSF, provides emergency updates to subscribers via email, text message or phone call. AlertSF would be used to inform all who live in, work in, or visiting San Francisco significant APEC related impacts to city services such as transit disruptions and emergency public information and alerts. AlertSF by texting their zip code to 888-777, or by texting APEC2023 to 888-777 for APEC-related emergency information.
Federal and local agencies will hold a press conference the week prior to APEC to reiterate impacts and provide any updates.
APEC in San Francisco
APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) is the premier platform for the United States to advance economic policies in the Asia-Pacific region to promote free, fair, and open trade and investment and advance inclusive and sustainable growth. As part of our enduring commitment to the region and broad-based economic growth, San Francisco is excited to serve as host of the APEC Leaders’ Meeting taking place in San Francisco, November 11-17, 2023.
APEC will be the largest convening of world leaders in San Francisco since the UN Charter was signed in 1945 during the UN Conference on International Organization, also called the San Francisco Conference.
This November, the United States will chair the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting in iconic San Francisco, California. The 21 APEC Member Economies account for nearly 40 percent of the global population and nearly 50 percent of global trade.
APEC’s themes this year are sustainability, inclusivity, innovation and resilience.
San Francisco residents and businesses looking for official City updates and information are encouraged to visit this page. Media, visitors and attendees should visit this page for more information, please visit: https://www.apec2023sf.org.
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