SINGAPORE, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Preparations are well underway as Singapore gears up to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Week Meetings from Nov. 8 to 15, the meetings' organizing committee said on Tuesday.

    Members of the 11 government agencies of the 2009 APEC Organizing Committee are putting their plans into place, in the areas of meeting venues, accommodation, transportation, security, medical, media coverage and hospitality arrangements.

    "APEC 2009 is a collective effort by the public, private and people sectors of Singapore," said Koh Lin-Net, Deputy Secretary/Trade, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Chair of the APEC Singapore 2009 Organizing Committee.

    "The dedication and commitment of all parties involved has been tremendous, and we are all working towards making the APEC Leaders Week series of meetings a great success," she added.

    A team of about 700 officers from 40 government agencies, and some 17,400 personnel from Singapore and Singapore-based companies are involved in the various aspects of APEC 2009, including the organization of the meetings and social programs. Some 1,800 volunteer ambassadors will be recruited to play host to the international delegates.

    The Organizing Committee said that it is mindful of the need to minimize any potential inconveniences to members of the public while not compromising security requirements.

    The committee said that a decentralized approach has also been adopted in organizing the series of meetings. High-security events such as the Leaders' Retreat, have been deliberately planned to beheld at the Istana, the President's Office.