On behalf of the PECC co-chairs, Ambassador Don Campbell briefed the APEC Concluding Senior Officials Meeting on PECC perspectives on the development of the post-2020 APEC Vision. He noted that PECC had worked closely with APEC officials in the development of the post-2020 vision organizing a number Multistakeholder Dialogues with APEC since the process began back in 2016.

He emphasized the need for the post-2020 to address some of the longer term issues facing the region including the urgent question of income inequality, essential questions of climate change and while rapid technological change did have the potential to enhance prosperity it also has the ability to increase the tendency towards fragmentation.

He noted that there are issues on which APEC can make a difference, including its support for the multilateral trading system, ways to progress regional economic integration and finding ways to address the fragmentation of the digital economy in the months ahead. He emphasized the importance of the role of the business community in addressing sustainability issues.

He noted that the Covid-19 crisis had underscored the critical importance of the role connectivity in the flows of goods and people which needed to be addressed in the months ahead.

In thinking about the post-2020 vision, he said that the Blake Island Vision and Bogor Goals had required a leap of faith, that leap of faith had paid tremendous dividends for the region in terms of poverty reduction, innovation and growth. Such a leap of faith is once again required to restore the confidence of businesses and consumers in the direction of growth and future of the region. He informed officials that many of these issues were addressed in PECC’s forthcoming State of the Region Report and would be discussed in further detail to develop further ideas for regional cooperation on how to implement the post-2020 vision at PECC’s General Meeting in mid-December.