Auckland,
New Zealand, 28 October 2021 - People need to be at the heart of measures to
address the health and prosperity of the Asia Pacific region, according to this
year’s Report to Economic Leaders by the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC).
Unveiling
the report today, Rachel Taulelei, Chair of ABAC for 2021, said that the
Council’s theme for this year had been ‘People,
Place and Prosperity’ or ‘Tangata,
Taiao me te Taurikura’.
“In these challenging times, when the need for
universal vaccination is acute, we must put people (nga tangata) first,” said Ms. Taulelei. “Getting everyone vaccinated is key to
overcoming the health crisis, enabling us to reopen borders safely and
seamlessly, and also the critical work of restarting the engines for growth”.
“But of course, our challenges do not end
there. We need to move forward in a way
that respects the environment (te taiao) in which we live. And we have
to advance prosperity (te taurikua) in a way that is not just sustainable,
but also inclusive,” said Ms. Taulelei.
Each
of APEC’s 21 economies has three ABAC representatives. In addition to Rachel
Taulelei, New Zealand’s members, appointed by the Prime Minister, are
Malcolm Johns, CEO of Christchurch International Airport (who led work on
climate change) and Anna Curzon, Chief Product Officer of Xero (who led on
digital transformation). Ms. Taulelei
led work on Indigenous economic empowerment in addition to her responsibilities
as Chair.
Ms.
Taulelei explained that ABAC had made 43 separate recommendations developed
through an extensive round of virtual meetings across the five pillars of Regional Economic Integration; Sustainability; Inclusion; Digital; and Economy.
“To
foster the wellbeing of our people, we call for capacity-building and
structural reform to empower small businesses, women and Indigenous
communities. Achieving a digitally-enhanced, trade-friendly and sustainable
food system is also foundational.
“To
safeguard the place in which we live, sustainability must drive all of
APEC’s activity. We have developed a set
of Climate Leadership Principles for Business and a framework for trade and
investment in renewable energy which we want to see adopted more broadly.
“As
for prosperity, APEC can demonstrate real leadership as it has done so
effectively in the past, championing a credible and relevant World Trade Organization
(WTO) and building towards the eventual Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific
(FTAAP). There is an urgent need to realize the potential of the digital
economy through upgrading skills, investing in infrastructure and enabling more
seamless, interoperable digital trade.
These actions need to be supported by ongoing efforts at structural
effort reform.
“The
pandemic illustrates the fact that our world is deeply interconnected,” Ms. Taulelei
noted. “Our wellbeing, and a prosperous, peaceful and resilient future, will
only be achieved together. The challenges we face are profound – but they are
also shared.
“That
idea of ‘community’ is fundamental to APEC’s Putrajaya Vision 2040 adopted just
last year. But we can’t wait twenty more years to achieve these ambitious
goals. The time for action is now”, Ms. Taulelei concluded.
A
copy of ABAC’s full Report may be found at:
https://www2.abaconline.org/assets/2021/ABAC_Report_2021.pdf
_______________________________________________________________________
APEC Member Economies:
Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; China; Hong Kong, China;
Indonesia; Japan; Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Peru;
Philippines; Russia; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; United States of
America; and Viet Nam.
ABAC was created by APEC
Leaders in 1995 to be the primary voice of business in APEC. Each economy has
three members who are appointed by their respective Leaders. They meet four
times a year in preparation for the presentation of their recommendations to
the Leaders in a dialogue that is a key event in the annual Leaders
Meeting.
Under New Zealand’s leadership, ABAC is pursuing a
work program under the theme “People, Place and Prosperity” to respond to the
challenge of maintaining the economic vitality of the Asia-Pacific Region and
ensure it benefits all.
ABAC 2021 Chair is Rachel Taulelei and the
Co-Chairs are Dato Rohana Mahmood (Malaysia) and Supant Mongkolsuthree
(Thailand), with five (5) working group chairs, namely: Ho Meng Kit, Regional
Economic Integration Working Group (REIWG); Ning Gaoning, Sustainability
Working Group (SWG); Julia Torreblanca, Inclusion Working Group (IWG); Janet De
Silva, Digital Working Group (DWG); and Robert Milliner, Economy Working Group
(EWG).
For further information please contact:
Mr. Stephen Jacobi, ABAC Executive Director
2021, Mobile: +64 29 472 5502, Email:
stephen@jacobi.co.nz
Mr. Antonio Basilio, Director, ABAC Secretariat, Mobile: +63 917 849 3351,
Email: abacsec@pfgc.ph
