This year has so far seen the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) – the private-sector arm of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) – hold two separate meetings. The results of these will be presented to the 2022 APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting (MRT) on May 21 and 22.
ABAC President Supant Mongkolsuthree said the council’s first meeting for 2022 was held in February in Singapore and the second in April in Canada. Business representatives from the 21 APEC economies will submit suggestions on eight topics to the MRT meeting later this month.
Among these are recommendations on preparing for future disease outbreaks, implementing FTAs in Asia-Pacific and supporting the World Trade Organization (WHO) and multilateralism in trade. Other topics include enhancing trade and services, safely reopening borders, food and energy security, and climate change management. Other topics include digital governance development and the promotion of MSME business participation in foreign markets.
Supant said the 3rd ABAC meeting for 2022 will be held in Vietnam from July 26-29. The year’s final ABAC meeting will take place in Bangkok from November 13-16.