Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on APEC toward 2020 and Beyond | Hanoi, Vietnam | May 16, 2017

The Multi-stakeholder Dialogue on APEC Toward 2020 and Beyond was co-organized by Vietnam APEC SOM Chair's office and PECC. The event was attended by about 300 participants including APEC Senior Officials, other representatives from member economies, academia, businesses, regional and international institutions. The Dialogue is a follow up to the APEC Leaders’ Lima Declaration made in November 2016 to start “a series of high-level dialogues on APEC Toward 2020 and Beyond.”

H.E. Tran Dai Quang, the President of Vietnam, opened the Dialogue and shared his vision of a peaceful, dynamic, inclusive, seamless, and people and business-centered Asia–Pacific Community in the 21st century. 

Pascal Lamy, chair of the French committee for PECC (FPTPEC) and former Director General of the WTO reminded that realizing open trade is a painful process but that the governments should place more focus on social inclusion in order to mitigate the negative impact of open trade and globalization....

APEC Environmental Services Trade Policy Dialogue | Hanoi, Vietnam | May 11, 2017

APEC Policy Support Unit, Japan METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry), and PECC co-organized a one-day workshop on environmental and energy services with various industry experts and related business representatives from both large multinational corporations such as Veolia Environment (France) and Nalco (US) as well as smaller international companies such as Natel Energy (US) and Barghest Building Performance (Singapore). 

This workshop/ trade policy dialogue follows from APEC's ongoing work on Environmental Services Action Plan (ESAP) that was endorsed in 2015 in the Philippines. The main purpose of the workshop was to discuss trends, challenges, value creation, and business models found in specific industries that comprise environmental services. 

Starting with speakers from the WTO and OECD, who provided the background on the classification of environmental goods and services, the following five sessions covered: 1) water business; 2) refuse disposal and recycli...

PECC Standing Committee Meeting | Hanoi, Vietnam | May 14, 2017

The annual Standing Committee meeting of PECC took place in Hanoi, Vietnam, on the eve of the 24th PECC General Meeting. The SC representatives reviewed work in progress and considered new project proposals. The three signature projects underway are: 1) State of the Region report; 2) Asia-Pacific Connectivity Index; and 3) APEC Beyond 2020. 

APEC Senior Official for Papua New Guinea, Ambassador Ivan Pomaleu addressed the Standing Committee members of PECC in Hanoi, Vietnam. As the host economy of APEC in 2018, he said the PNG government will focus on the following four priorities: 

1) Connectivity and regional economic integration - including FTAAP, global value chains and unfinished business and emerging issues beyond the Bogor Goals and 2020
2) Sustainable and inclusive growth - including natural disaster resilience, climate change, MSMEs, women empowerment, food security, and the blue economy
3) Structural reforms 
4) Human capital development and capacity building, in...

24th PECC General Meeting | Hanoi, Vietnam | May 15, 2017

24th PECC General Meeting 'Vision for an Asia-Pacific Partnership' took place in Hanoi to coincide with a series of workshops and policy dialogues in the lead up to the APEC meeting for ministers responsible for trade (MRT). 

What are the key challenges and opportunities for the future of the Asia-Pacific partnership? Are current processes sufficient for dealing with the reality of deeper trade and integration in the region? What role should the region be playing in global leadership now and beyond 2020? How can the next phase of growth be made more inclusive, sustainable and innovative, taking into consideration digital revolution? These were some of the issues deliberated at the 24th PECC General Meeting (full program agenda with presentations for download) which drew about 150 guests including PECC members and local guests. 

H.E. Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, in his opening remarks, shared his vision “to build a peaceful, dynamic, resilient, inclusive...

INCPEC: Mari Elka Pangestu and Yose Rizal Damuri Appointed as New Co-chairs

Dr. Mari Pangestu and Dr. Yose Rizal Damuri have been appointed as the co-chairs for INCPEC (Indonesian committee for PECC), succeeding Dr. Djisman Simandjuntak following the meeting of the Indonesia National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation held on April 12th, 2017.

Professor Mari Pangestu served as Indonesia’s Minister of Trade from 2004 to 2011, and as Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy from 2011 until October 2014. She obtained her bachelor’s, master’s and doctor HC degrees from the Australian National University (ANU), and a PhD from the University of California, Davis, where she specialized in macroeconomics and international trade. Prior to becoming a minister, she was one of Indonesia’s well-known economists working in various areas of international trade, financial sector, macroeconomics and policy reforms at the University of Indonesia and Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Indonesia, as well as being a consultant to many international orga...