* Atleast Project Title is Required.
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Project No. |
EC_101_2024A
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Project Title |
Structural Reform to Advance Just Energy Transitions for Women and Other Groups with Untapped Economic Potential
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Project Status |
Project in Implementation
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Publication (if any) |
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Fund Account |
APEC Support Fund
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Sub-fund |
ASF: Structural Reform for Sustainable Green Growth (SRSGG)
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Project Year |
2024
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Project Session |
Session 1
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APEC Funding |
94,803
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Co-funding Amount |
95,000
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Total Project Value |
189,803
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Sponsoring Forum |
Economic Committee (EC)
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Topics |
Legal Infrastructure; Structural Reform; Gender
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Committee |
Economic Committee (EC)
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Other Fora Involved |
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Other Non-APEC Stakeholders Involved |
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Proposing Economy(ies) |
United States
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Co-Sponsoring Economies |
Australia; Canada; Indonesia; New Zealand; Peru; Chinese Taipei; Thailand
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Expected Start Date |
01/07/2024
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Expected Completion Date |
31/12/2024
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Project Proponent Name 1 |
Lianne Canarick
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Job Title 1 |
APEC Policy Officer
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Organization 1 |
US Department of State
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Postal Address 1 |
Not Applicable
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Telephone 1 |
+1-202-919-0521
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Fax 1 |
Not Applicable
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Email 1 |
[email protected]
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Project Proponent Name 2 |
Tess Perselay
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Job Title 2 |
Deputy Chief of Party, US-SEGA Project
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Organization 2 |
Cadmus Group
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Postal Address 2 |
Not Applicable
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Telephone 2 |
+1-703-516-7714
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Fax 2 |
Not Applicable
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Email 2 |
[email protected]
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Declaration |
Lianne Canarick
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Project Summary |
A key component of just energy transitions is the community-centered approach, which aims to build low-carbon economies in a manner that does not disproportionately hurt groups with untapped economic potential, such as women, Indigenous Peoples, and others, while also maximizing new opportunities. The Non-binding Just Energy Transition Principles for APEC Cooperation promote efforts to advance energy transitions that engage communities in an equitable and inclusive way. Amongst the principles is a priority to support inclusion and gender equality when developing future energy transition policies and programs. The APEC Economic Committee (EC) has initiated discussions on how structural policies for green economies could simultaneously promote sustainable outcomes and higher rates of economic growth. Through a toolkit resource and workshop, this project seeks to examine the role of structural reform in just energy transitions, and to equip APEC economies with structural reform options to advance inclusive and equitable energy transitions for women and other groups with untapped economic potential.
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Relevance |
Benefits to Region | Across the APEC region and globally, economies are developing, adopting, and reforming policies and programs to shepherd green, low-carbon energy transitions that support long-term sustainable economic growth. However, without embedding equality and justice into this transition, we may replicate and exacerbate current inequalities. Energy transition efforts can be accompanied by individual- or community-level negative effects. For example, green infrastructure projects can lead to the displacement of communities, and the benefits of those projects, including jobs, cleaner air and water, and economic growth, may not flow to the communities they impact. Further, decreased reliance on carbon-intensive industries can lead to substantial job losses. These consequences disproportionately impact women and groups with untapped economic potential, including Indigenous Peoples, as appropriate, who continue to face barriers to full economic and social participation caused by restrictive legal, policy, and regulatory environments. At the same time, economies can achieve the full transition to green, low-carbon economies more efficiently by promoting the engagement of all members of society in the transition. As such, women and groups with untapped economic potential can access new job opportunities through green energy transitions so long as the enabling environment supports these opportunities. Further, women and groups with untapped economic potential can access the economic benefits and non-energy related benefits associated with the energy transition. Structural reform is a valuable tool that can be used by all APEC economies to simultaneously advance specific social goals and broad-based economic growth. This project seeks to offer APEC economies the knowledge and skills to use structural reform to advance equitable and inclusive energy transitions that support inclusion and gender equality, facilitate greater participation by women and groups with untapped economic potential in the green economic transition, and foster sustainable economic growth. | Eligibility and Fund Priorities | The SRSGG Sub-fund funds capacity building projects to develop and implement structural reforms that support sustainable growth. By providing long-standing toolkit resources and a platform for information and experience sharing, this project seeks to equip APEC members with the knowledge and skills to implement inclusive structural reforms that simultaneously facilitate the transition to low-carbon economies and promote positive outcomes for women and groups with untapped economic potential. Capacity building opportunities will be targeted to government officials with the responsibility for undertaking structural reform initiatives within their domestic contexts. Through cross-fora collaboration with the Energy Working Group (EWG) and Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy (PPWE), this project will engage policy officials focused on energy and women’s participation in society and the economy, thereby promoting dialogue and the exchange of expertise across multiple dimensions of the issue. Through these capacity building opportunities, this project contributes to APEC’s policy agenda on sustainable and inclusive growth, with direct linkages to the EASSR’s pillar on inclusive, sustainable growth and greater well-being; the APA’s third economic driver on Strong, Balanced, Secure, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth; the | | Non-Binding Just Energy Transition Principles for APEC Cooperation’s principle on inclusion and gender equality; and the La Serena Roadmap for Women and Inclusive Growth’s key action area to create an enabling environment for women to participate in the economy. | Capacity Building | This project seeks to build APEC members’ capacities through two distinct deliverables. The toolkit will serve as a long-standing resource to capture and distill regional experiences, global trends, and thought leadership on the opportunities to use structural reform as a tool to advance just energy transitions for women and groups with untapped economic potential. This resource aims to strengthen APEC members’ knowledge and skills for current applications, and serve as a reference for future applications. The capacity building workshop will provide a platform for APEC member participants to engage with subject matter experts and other economies to exchange information and experiences regarding the benefits, challenges, effective solutions, lessons-learned, and opportunities in the domestic context related to structural reform and just energy transitions for women and groups with untapped economic potential. To maximize capacity building outcomes, Project Overseers will disseminate the toolkit to all members of the EC for review, as well as the EWG and the PPWE for information. In addition, Project Overseers seek to use APEC funding for travel and related costs to facilitate the participation of speakers and participants from the APEC travel-eligible economies in the capacity building workshop. This funding support will help ensure that representatives from all APEC economies have the opportunity to participate in the exchange of information and experiences, and to obtain knowledge and skills from the project. |
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Objectives |
The objective of this project is to increase APEC members’ knowledge of effective and emerging opportunities to apply structural reform as a tool to advance just energy transitions, which can help economies establish and update energy transition policies and programs that support inclusion and gender equality, facilitate greater participation by women and groups with untapped economic potential in the green economic transition, and advance sustainable growth. By offering resources and a knowledge-sharing platform, the deliverables are expected to inform policy responses and reforms to build equitable, inclusive, low-carbon economies.
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Alignment |
APEC | This project supports the use of structural reform for more inclusive and sustainable growth by examining energy-related policy reform options that simultaneously promote the transition to green, low-carbon economies; mitigate the negative impacts faced by women and groups with untapped economic potential; and maximize new opportunities for women and groups with untapped economic potential to participate both economically and socially. The outcomes of this project also support the Aotearoa Plan of Action (APA)’s third economic driver on Strong, Balanced, Secure, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth. More specifically, the workshop and toolkit resource will contribute to the APA’s collective actions to “[share] experiences and best practice to promote inclusiveness and quality of life, including through promoting structural reform to remove barriers to economic participation,” and to “promote capacity building programmes that address all environmental challenges - including climate change - and support sustainable growth, such as through structural reform.” Further, this project supports the goals, key areas, and aspirational targets of the Bangkok Goals on the Bio-Circular-Green Economy, specifically to “[ensure] diversity and inclusion in our collective efforts to address climate change.” This project also aligns with the Non-Binding Just Energy Transition Principles for APEC Cooperation, endorsed by APEC Energy Ministers and welcomed by Leaders in 2023, by offering information exchange and capacity building on supporting inclusion and gender equality in just energy transition activities. In addition, this project advances the La Serena Roadmap for Women and Inclusive Growth’s key action area to create an enabling environment for women to participate in the economy through measures such as structural reform. This project also supports Peru’s Host Year priorities for 2024, specifically, “Sustainable growth for resilient development, which seeks to promote energy transition, decarbonization of economic activities, and promotion of food security.” | Forum | Guiding APEC’s policy agenda on structural reform through 2025, the Enhanced APEC Agenda for Structural Reform (EAASR) includes a pillar to “[ensure] that all groups in society have equal access to opportunities for more inclusive, sustainable growth and greater well-being.” This project will build on the EC gender equality and structural reform work program – which was launched by New Zealand in 2018 and continued by the United States in 2019-2023 with a focus on employment, entrepreneurship, and access to capital and financial services – by examining an additional policy dimension that could benefit from structural reforms that support inclusive and sustainable growth. In addition, the 2022 APEC Economic Policy Report (AEPR) on Structural Reform and A Green Recovery from Economic Shocks, published by the EC, discusses the importance of green skills in the labor market for the transition to a low-carbon economy, and how low female labor force participation creates challenges in fostering greater participation of women in the green transition. |
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TILF/ASF Justification |
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Beneficiaries and Outputs |
Outputs1) ToolkitThe toolkit (estimated to be 20-40 pages excluding annexes) serves as a comprehensive resource that captures and distills regional experiences and global trends in advancing just energy transitions for women and groups with untapped economic potential, with a specific focus on women and Indigenous Peoples. To tailor the focus on women and Indigenous Peoples to the domestic contexts of individual APEC economies, Project Overseers will conduct economy-level research and consultations to gain deeper understanding of the situations of women and Indigenous People as appropriate across the APEC economies, and leverage these insights to develop a practical toolkit. Its purpose is to strengthen knowledge and skills as a long-standing reference for APEC members. The toolkit outline commenced on April 5, 2024, followed by desk research and consultations. The toolkit is anticipated to be structured as follows, to be amended as needed based on the outcomes of research and consultations: 1) introduction to the risks that energy transitions pose to women and Indigenous Peoples as appropriate, as well as the benefits that can flow to women and Indigenous Peoples as appropriate through inclusive and just energy transitions; 2) a series of sections on specified structural reform approaches to mitigate the risks and maximize the benefits of just energy transitions to women and Indigenous Peoples as appropriate, organized by the nature of the reform approach, and integrating thought leadership and economy examples of each specified approach, as well as actional next steps that economies may consider to pursue the approach (including proposed agencies and stakeholders involved and their respective roles); 3) a set of high-level recommendations for APEC and the EC to advance work on just energy transitions for women and groups with untapped economic potential, including specifically Indigenous Peoples as appropriate, following the completion of this project. Key questions to guide the development of the toolkit include, but are not limited to: i. What are just energy transitions? What risks do energy transitions pose to women and groups with untapped economic potential, specifically focusing on women and Indigenous Peoples as appropriate? What benefits can properly- designed just energy transitions offer to women and groups with untapped economic potential, specifically focusing on women and Indigenous Peoples as appropriate? ii. Why is structural reform relevant in energy transitions? Broadly, what are examples of laws, policies, regulations, and programs that interplay with energy transitions? iii. Why is structural reform relevant to just energy transitions? How can inclusive structural reform play a role in just energy transitions for women and groups with untapped economic potential, specifically focusing on women and Indigenous Peoples as appropriate? iv. How have APEC economies endeavored to use structural reform as a tool for just energy transitions for women and groups with untapped economic potential, specifically focusing on women and Indigenous Peoples as appropriate? What are the observed benefits, challenges, and lessons learned? v. What are the global innovations and trends for the use of structural reform for just energy transitions for women and groups with untapped economic potential, specifically focusing on women and Indigenous Peoples as appropriate? Are these approaches well-suited for APEC economies? vi. What key considerations and adaptations should APEC economies take into account when looking to apply structural reform in just energy transitions for women and groups with untapped economic potential, specifically focusing on women and Indigenous Peoples as appropriate? What forward-looking initiatives can APEC (and, specifically, the EC) pursue to apply structural reform in just energy transitions as a means to improve the economic and social well-being of people in the APEC region. Though the toolkit drafting will begin before the workshop, it will be tailored with the outcomes and policy recommendations resulting from the workshop (described below) prior to finalization in order to create a comprehensive resource that draws upon existing literature, economy consultations, and workshop proceedings. Finalization is expected by October 31, 2024. As this deliverable may be of interest to EWG and PPWE members, following endorsement by EC members, the final toolkit will be circulated to EWG and PPWE members for information via the working group listservs. 2) Capacity Building WorkshopThe one-day (8 hour), in-person, APEC-wide capacity building workshop – scheduled on the margins of the Third APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM3) in August 2024 – will build on the draft findings of the toolkit. Guided by the regional experiences, global trends, and thought leadership conveyed in the toolkit, this workshop provides a platform for APEC members to engage with experts and exchange information on structural reform and energy transitions, and to consider whether shared approaches could be adapted and applied within their own domestic contexts. The workshop is anticipated to include a lecture-based scene- setting session to contextualize the importance of just energy transitions for women and groups with untapped economic potential; an interactive discussion session detailing how structural reform can play a role in advancing just energy transitions, based on the draft findings of the toolkit; a panel session with speakers from select participating economies’ discussing regional experiences to provide more in-depth information on the approaches taken, stakeholders involved, challenges faced, benefits accrued, and lessons learned; a panel session of subject matter experts and other stakeholders presenting additional considerations and global trends for economies as they continue to leverage structural reform as a tool for just energy transitions; and an interactive exercise that facilitates discussion on how to ensure the toolkit remains a useful and relevant resource into the future, and on possibilities for the EC to advance work on these issues after the completion of this project. Sessions may be adapted or added to the final agenda based on the findings resulting from the research process for the toolkit. The workshop will ensure broad participation, maximize learning outcomes, and inform final tailoring of the toolkit to ensure the toolkit remains relevant and practical for all APEC members. Project Overseers will share the invitation to nominate participants with EC members; and will share an informational invitation document with EWG and PPWE members to notify economy delegates of the event, welcome their self-funded participation, and direct them to their economy’s EC representatives for any requests to be nominated for funded participation. Project Overseers aim for workshop proceedings to generate recommended next steps for each APEC economy to launch or advance initiatives that integrate structural reform as a tool for just energy transitions for women and groups with untapped economic potential. Outcomes
1) Replication and adaption of structural reform approaches for just energy transitions by economies. The project aims to facilitate the replication and adaption of structural reform approaches by economies, guided by the overarching objective of enhancing APEC members’ understanding of effective avenues for just energy transitions. By doing so, the project ensures alignment with its broader mission of influencing policy responses and catalyzing reforms that foster the development of equitable, inclusive, and low-carbon economies. Through this concerted effort, the project seeks to promote a collaborative environment where economies can learn from each other's experiences and collectively advance towards sustainable energy transitions that prioritize equity and inclusivity. Considering the timeframe of this project, outcomes will be measured in the post workshop survey by examining the percent of participants who express interest in replicating or adapting discussed approaches in their home economies. A follow-up activity may be implemented to enable longer-term monitoring of implemented structural reforms. 2) Enhanced participant knowledge and understanding. The project aims to improve participants' understanding of effective practices and their grasp of inclusive and equitable energy transitions, especially for women and other groups with untapped economic potential. This directly supports the project's goal of boosting APEC members’ knowledge of effective pathways for just energy transitions. Through a post-workshop survey, Project Overseers will collect participants’ views on the usefulness of project components, and further will evaluate the project's impact and effectiveness in equipping participants to contribute to inclusive and equitable energy transitions in their economies. 3) Recommendations for policy and programmatic changes to advance just energy transition. The project aims to catalyze policy and programmatic changes to advance just energy transitions, contributing to informed policy responses and reforms that build equitable, inclusive, and low-carbon economies. By formulating actionable recommendations for implementing best practices, the project seeks to influence decision-making processes and drive practical changes in the energy sector. The number of recommendations generated through project activities will be meticulously tracked, offering a quantitative measure of the project's impact on policy and practice development. This systematic approach provides valuable insights into the project's effectiveness in shaping policy discourse and fostering tangible advancements towards sustainable energy transitions that prioritize equity and inclusivity. BeneficiariesThe primary beneficiaries include government officials in APEC member economies who will receive the toolkit resource and be invited to participate in the workshop, and will have the opportunity to use the deliverables to inform policy responses and structural reforms. Given the topic, Project Overseers will target workshop participant nominations from ministries responsible for structural reform and energy-related policies. Nominations for representatives from women’s ministries in policy roles will also be accepted. Project Overseers will strongly encourage APEC members to select and nominate suitably skilled and qualified women as participants. In the longer-term, this project also aims to benefit women and groups with untapped economic potential by mitigating the negative impacts faced and maximizing new opportunities as a result of energy transitions to low-carbon economies. In addition, non-governmental organizations may find the research helpful in advocating for laws, policies, and reforms.
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Dissemination |
Project Overseers plan to publish the toolkit as an APEC Publication, emphasizing its official status and relevance to member economies. At the discretion of the APEC Secretariat, dissemination channels can encompass various platforms, including APEC's social media channels and the APEC Economic Committee (EC) website. Additionally, direct email distribution to member economies via listservs for the EC, the Energy Working Group (EWG) and the Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy (PPWE) will ensure wide accessibility and readership by APEC fora delegates. The target audience comprises government officials and policymakers responsible for structural reform, energy-related policies, the green economy, and women’s economic empowerment, alongside industry stakeholders, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society, academic and research institutions, and the general public. By reaching out to these diverse stakeholders, including by inviting non-member speakers and participants to the workshop, the project aims to maximize its impact and contribute to informed decision-making and actions on just energy transitions and structural reform across the APEC region and beyond.
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Gender |
Please see Project Proposal in Supporting Document folder.
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Work Plan |
Please see Project Proposal in Supporting Document folder.
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Risks |
Please see Project Proposal in Supporting Document folder.
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Monitoring and Evaluation |
Please see Project Proposal in Supporting Document folder.
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Linkages |
Due to the cross-cutting nature of this topic, apart from the benefits to EC members, this project is expected to benefit the EWG, which is tasked to develop a Just Energy Transition Initiative and seek opportunities to incorporate the APEC Non-Binding Just Energy Transition Principles for APEC Cooperation to future workstreams for information exchange and capacity building. Considering the focus on women and groups with untapped economic potential, this project is also expected to benefit members of the PPWE in its goal to advance the integration of women in the APEC region. In addition, with consideration for the 2022 AEPR on Structural Reform and a Green Recovery from Economic Shocks, Project Overseers will coordinate with the APEC Policy Support Unit (PSU) to ensure that the project outcomes build upon, but are not duplicative of, AEPR outcomes.
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Sustainability |
The extent to which APEC economies utilize and leverage the key messages, economy experiences, and findings from the project; begin to consider gender equality and inclusion in their energy transition-related reforms; develop and/or adopt structural reforms to advance just energy transitions for women and groups with untapped economic potential; and request follow-on capacity building assistance will be indicators to measure the progress and outcome of this project. The principal mechanism through which the POs will seek to evaluate the outputs and outcomes will be via participant questionnaire. The questionnaire will not only seek the views of participants on the usefulness and impact of the workshop and toolkit findings, but also elicit information that can inform the design of follow-up capacity building activities. The design of the questionnaire enables sex-disaggregated data collection, which will ensure that Project Overseers can assess impacts on women participants. Responses to the participant questionnaire will be compiled and summarized by the Project Overseers and the results will be presented to members for information. POs will also distribute a one-year follow-up questionnaire.
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Project Overseers |
Lianne Canarick is an APEC Policy Officer in the Economic Policy Office of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. At the U.S. Department of State, Lianne focuses on trade, investment, and digital policy as part of the U.S. APEC team. Lianne previously worked in finance for over five years in the private sector.
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Cost Efficiency |
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Drawdown Timetable |
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Direct Labour |
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Waivers |
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Are there any supporting document attached? |
Yes
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Attachments
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