APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC)

AIDWG organized a roundtable on the side of ABAC 2 to examine the key digital trends shaping the digital economy, the implications for businesses and societies, and the policy recommendations needed to navigate today’s complex geopolitical and technological landscape. The 2025…

AI and Digital Innovation WG Chair Jan De Silva of ABAC Canada presents the 2025 Work Plan for adoption. Highlights include developing recommendations to sustainably meet the energy demand of the digital economy; enabling MSMEs to access digital tools; future proofing the digital…

Sustainability WG Chair Frank Gaoning Ning of ABAC China, leads discussions of the Work Plan for 2025. Focus will be on developing recommendations of policies and actions to achieve green growth and low carbon economy, energy security and energy transition, and food security.

ABAC 3 meeting held in Hai Phong, Vietnam has concluded with a call to APEC to recommit to open, rules based, and predictable trade and take actions to ensure inclusive and sustainable growth. Here’s the media release that highlights the outcomes of the meeting.…

ABAC Chair 2025 H.S. Cho presides over the Opening Plenary of ABAC 3 in Hai Phong.

H. E. Luong Cuong, President of Vietnam, welcomed ABAC delegates assuring them of Vietnam’s commitment to support innovative, sustainable and inclusive growth. That today’s challenges makes public/private even more crucial and acknowledged the important role of ABAC in this…

The first of 3 drafting sessions completed work on the first batch of Letters to Sectoral Ministers. A few more to go before tackling the 2025 Report to APEC Leaders, the culmination of ABAC’s work for the year.

ABAC 3 meeting got underway Tuesday with the Opening Chair’s Meeting where Working Group Chairs outlined their agenda for this meeting. At ABAC 3, the Council will finalize their Report to APEC Leader and Letters to Seven Sectoral Ministers who are holding their meetings this…

ABAC 2, held in Toronto, concluded with a media release of the outcome of the meeting. Read media release: bit.ly/3EQecsK

Food security, disaster resilience, green growth including greener trade, energy security and transition financing were the topics covered by the meeting of the Sustainability WG chaired by ABAC China’s Frank Gaoning Ning.

ABAC’s Finance and Economic WG under Acting Chair Kobsak Duangdee, of ABAC Thailand, discuss solutions addressing: financing investment gaps for digital transformation, energy transition and security; financial inclusions; resilient financial systems for trade, investment and…

Bio and Healthcare Working Group Chair Kyu Ho Lee, of ABAC Korea, presides over the group in discussing issues relating to facilitating the development and use of new medical innovations and technology to enhance inclusive health care security particularly given the aging and…

ABAC Canada’s Jan de Silva leads the meeting of the AI and Digital Innovation WG on digital economy issues including sustainably powering the digital economy, enabling the responsible use of AI, bridging the digital divide, and greater engagement between ABAC and APEC.

ABAC New Zealand’s Anna Curzon, Chair of the Regional Economic Integration Working Group (REIWG), presides over their meeting to tackle critical issues including navigating the rise of protectionism, strengthening supply chains, enabling seamless digital trade and inclusive…

Ambassador Seongmee Yon, APEC 2025 SOM Chair, shared the outcome of the firsts Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) held Feb 24- March 2025 and previewed SOM2 and MRT meetings to be held in Jeju. She also shared Korea’s deliverables during its Chairmanship including on “AI Cooperation”…

Andrew Grantham, Senior Economist of CIBC, briefed ABAC Members on the global economic outlook amid growing volatility in the regional trade and financial markets. The presentation focused on the near term and long-term effects on various sectors and economies of the ongoing US…

ABAC 2 is officially underway under ABAC Chair 2025 H. S. Cho amidst deep concern about the deterioration of the global trade and finance landscape. At this meeting, ABAC will continue to work on their recommendations to achieve APEC goals of sustainable, inclusive and innovative…

ABAC Chair 2025 H. S. Cho gets ABAC 2 rolling with the Opening Chairs’ Meeting where Chairs of the 5 Working Groups outline their respective agenda for this meeting. A key deliverable of this meeting will be ABAC’s letter and report to APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade who…

ABAC concluded their meeting in Brisbane calling for business and government to work together to face escalating challenges posed by rising protectionism, regulatory complexity and other challenges including climate change, ageing populations, declining growth rates for member…

ABAC 2025 created a new WG dedicated to bio and healthcare, recognizing the challenges that aging population, rising healthcare costs, and inequities in accessing medical services. ABAC Korea’s Kyu Ho Lee presides over its first meeting to begin discussion in implementing its…