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Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

APEC Business Advisory Council Calls for Collaboration and Shared Prosperity

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's (APEC) Business Advisory Council (ABAC) has concluded its annual meeting, preparing for its dialogue with APEC leaders to address the region's pressing challenges. ABAC has developed a series of recommendations across trade and investment, sustainability, AI and digital innovation, healthcare, and finance to foster a more resilient, inclusive, and dynamic regional economy. The council emphasizes the need for collaboration across economies and with business to secure long-term prosperity.

Key Takeaways:

  • ABAC has developed 41 actionable recommendations for APEC Leaders, representing the collective voice of business from across the region.
  • The recommendations focus on Regional Economic Integration, Sustainability, AI & Digital Innovation, Finance & Economics, and Bio & Healthcare.
  • ABAC calls for rules-based trade, resilient supply chains, and sustainable innovation to secure stability and opportunity for all.
  • The council emphasizes the need for bridges, businesses, and beyond, reflecting its call for renewed collaboration across economies and with business.
  • Key recommendations include:

+ Championing the rules-based multilateral trading system

+ Accelerating the practical realization of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP)

+ Creating a more level playing field for women and others

+ Enabling seamless and coherent digital trade

+ Supporting resilient supply chains via stronger maritime infrastructure and a new APEC Centre of Excellence on Paperless Trade

+ Advancing ambitious, realistic, and inclusive energy transitions

+ Adopting a Greener Trade Framework to minimize climate impact

+ Promoting circular, low-carbon supply chains

+ Ensuring equitable access to secure, sustainable digital infrastructure

+ Shaping responsible and safe AI deployment and governance

+ Developing interoperable and coherent digital trade rules

  • ABAC has released two strategic policy documents: the ABAC Roadmap for Smarter and Inclusive Healthcare and a report highlighting innovative solutions for sustainably powering data centers across APEC.

Statistics:

  • USD 2.5 trillion: the annual investment gap to fund energy transitions, digital infrastructure, and disaster response
  • 41: the number of actionable recommendations developed by ABAC for APEC Leaders
  • 5: the number of domains addressed by ABAC's recommendations: trade and investment, sustainability, AI and digital innovation, healthcare, and finance

Sources:

  • APEC news release: "ABAC Calls for Collaboration and Shared Prosperity at APEC Leaders' Dialogue"
  • Original text: https://www.apec.org/press/news-releases/2025/abac-calls-for-collaboration-and-shared-prosperity-at-apec-leaders--dialogue

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