WT/GC/253  
 
29 November 2022  
(22-8892) Page: 1/7 
General Council  Original: English  
 
2022 APEC MINISTERIAL MEETING  JOINT STATEMENT  
BANGKOK, THAILAND, 18 NOVEMBER 2022  
The following communication, dated 28 November 2022, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Thailand.  
 
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1. We, the Asia -Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers, met in Bangkok, Thailand, on 17 
November 2022, under the chairmanship of H.E. Mr. Don Pramu dwinai, Deputy Prime Minister and 
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, and H.E. Mr. Jurin Laksanawisit, Deputy Prime Minister and 
Minister of Commerce of Thailand.  
 
2. We welcomed the participation of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), the Asso ciation 
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC), and the 
Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).  
 
3. We reiterate our strong commitment towards the achievement of the APEC Putrajaya Vision 
2040, including through the implem entation of the Aotearoa Plan of Action, to realise an open, 
dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia -Pacific community by 2040, for the prosperity of all our people 
and future generations.  
 
4. This year, under the APEC 2022 theme "Open. Connect. Balance. ", we advanced our work 
through three priorities, to promote trade and investment that is open to all opportunities, to 
reconnect the region in all dimensions, and to drive APEC towards balanced, inclusive and sustainable 
growth through approaches such as the B io-Circular -Green (BCG) Economy.  
 
5. At our meeting, we deliberated on APEC 's achievements in 2022 under this year 's priorities, 
provided guidance on our future work, and discussed the way forward for APEC.  
 
PRIORITY 1: OPEN TO ALL OPPORTUNITIES  
6. As we emerge from the COVID -19 pandemic, trade and investment play a critical and 
indispensable role in accelerating global economic recovery and regenerating growth, and can 
contribute positively to uplifting livelihoods, reducing poverty  and advancing sustainable economic 
development. We will adopt more balanced and inclusive trade and economic policies, and reiterate 
our determination to deliver a free, open, fair, non -discriminatory, transparent, inclusive and 
predictable trade and inve stment environment. We will continue our efforts to keep supply chains 
functioning, secure and resilient. We will continue to work to ensure a level playing field to foster a 
favourable trade and investment environment and reaffirm our commitment to keep m arkets open 
and to address supply chain disruptions.  
 
7. This year, we have also witnessed the war in Ukraine further adversely impact the global 
economy. There was a discussion on the issue. We reiterated our positions as expressed in other 
fora, includin g the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, which, in Resolution No. ES -
11/1 dated 2 March 2022, as adopted by majority vote (141 votes for, 5 against, 35 abstentions, 
12 absent) deplores in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Fede ration against Ukraine 
and demands its complete and unconditional withdrawal from the territory of Ukraine. Most members 
strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed it is causing immense human suffering and WT/GC/253  
 
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  exacerbating existing fragilities in the g lobal economy – constraining growth, increasing inflation, 
disrupting supply chains, heightening energy and food insecurity, and elevating financial stability 
risks. There were other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions. Recognisi ng 
that APEC is not the forum to resolve security issues, we acknowledge that security issues can have 
significant consequences for the global economy.  
 
8. We will further advance economic integration in the region in a manner that is market -driven, 
includ ing through the work on the Free Trade Area of the Asia -Pacific (FTAAP) agenda which 
contributes to high standard and comprehensive regional undertakings. We recognise the useful 
contributions of the Lima Declaration and the Beijing Roadmap on progressing the FTAAP agenda. 
In this regard, we recall the deliberations at the 2022 APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) 
Meeting and welcome a refreshed conversation on the FTAAP in the COVID -19 pandemic and beyond. 
To that end, we welcome the FTAAP Agenda Wor k Plan in responding to Leaders ' commitments in 
the Putrajaya Vision 2040 and the Aotearoa Plan of Action to take forward work on the FTAAP 
agenda. We emphasise the importance of cross -fora collaboration and engagement with other 
economic stakeholders. We task officials to report progress in carrying out the Work Plan to the 
APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in the following years. We note ABAC 's call to accelerate regional 
economic integration by taking prompt action on the Work Plan. We will also continue ou r efforts in 
capacity building to improve trade negotiation skills of economies.  
 
9. We reaffirm the importance of and commit to upholding and further strengthening the rules -
based multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its  core. We 
recognise the important role of the multilateral trading system to support economic recovery from 
global challenges, in particular through the facilitation of the movement of and access to food as 
well as essential goods and services related to t he COVID -19 pandemic. We welcome the successful 
outcomes of the Twelfth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) held during 12 -17 June 2022 in Geneva, 
Switzerland. In this connection, we commit to working constructively to fully implement the MC12 
outcomes. We c ommend the WTO 's role and call on it to continue its work in promoting sustainable 
and inclusive growth. We will continue to work towards positive outcomes at the Thirteenth 
Ministerial Conference (MC13). We will continue to lend our support through our le adership and our 
role as an incubator of ideas. We also note with appreciation ABAC 's support for strengthening the 
multilateral trading system.  
 
10. We welcome the Ministerial Declaration on the WTO Response to the COVID -19 Pandemic and 
Preparedness for F uture Pandemics. We also welcome the Ministerial Decision on the Trade -Related 
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement, in which no later than six months from 
the date of the Decision, WTO Members agreed to decide on its extension to cove r the production 
and supply of COVID -19 diagnostics and therapeutics. We commend the work of the WTO on 
environmental sustainability in support of SDG 14.6 and welcome the Ministerial Decision on the 
Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies that prohibits subsidie s contributing to illegal, unreported and 
unregulated (IUU) fishing, subsidies regarding overfished stocks, and subsidies to fishing on the 
unregulated high seas. In this regard, we note the WTO Negotiating Group on Rules shall  continue 
negotiations based  on the outstanding issues with a view to making recommendations to MC13 for 
additional provisions that would achieve a comprehensive agreement on fisheries subsidies, 
including through further disciplines on certain forms of fisheries subsidies that contr ibute to 
overcapacity and overfishing, recognising that appropriate and effective special and differential 
treatment for developing Members and least developed Members should be an integral part of these 
negotiations, and call upon APEC economies as well a s other WTO Members to make their utmost 
efforts to promptly submit their instruments of acceptance of the Agreement. We welcome the 
Ministerial Declaration on the Emergency Response to Food Insecurity. We also welcome the 
Ministerial Decision on World Foo d Programme (WFP) Food Purchases Exemptions from Export 
Prohibitions or Restrictions, in which WTO Members agreed not to impose export prohibitions or 
restrictions on foodstuffs purchased for non -commercial humanitarian purposes by the WFP. We also 
welcome  the Ministerial Declaration on Responding to Modern SPS Challenges and the Ministerial 
Decision on the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce, the Ministerial Decision on the Work 
Programme on Small Economies and the Ministerial Decision on TRIPS Non -Violation and Situation 
Complaints.  
 
11. We recognise the importance of the global agricultural and food systems, underpinned by WTO 
rules, bringing food, fibre, and other critical products to people all over the world. Despite its 
importance for ensuring globa l food security and sustainable economic development, agriculture 
remains one of the most protected sectors in global trade. We recognise the need for a meaningful WT/GC/253  
 
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  outcome on agriculture at the WTO, reflecting our collective interests and sensitivities, wi th a view 
towards achieving substantial progressive reductions in support and protection, as envisaged in the 
continuation of the agricultural reform process provided in Article 20 of the WTO Agreement on 
Agriculture and existing mandates.  
 
12. Respective APEC member participants welcome the successful conclusion of the negotiations 
on Services Domestic Regulation, as well as the substantial progress made on the JSI on E -
Commerce and the JSI on Investment Facilitation for Development.  
 
13. We remain committ ed to working together in the WTO to continue to support  its necessary 
reform to improve all its functions, in order to ensure that it can better address existing and emerging 
global trade challenges. We welcome the reform pathway that was agreed at MC12, including the 
commitment to conduct discussions with the view to having a fully - and well -functioning dispute 
settlement system accessible to all WTO members by 2024.  
 
14. Mindful of the vast potential that the services sector holds, we underscore the impo rtance of 
continued efforts to implement the APEC Services Competitiveness Roadmap (ASCR) by 2025, 
reiterating the recommendations in the Summary Report of the ASCR Mid -Term Review (MTR) in 
2021. We reiterate our commitment to making services domestic regu lation and policy reform in 
favour of openness, balance, transparency, and inclusivity as a central focus of APEC 's structural 
reform agenda, and enhancing synergy among the APEC Internet and Digital Economy Roadmap 
(AIDER), the La Serena Roadmap for Women  and Inclusive Growth (2019 -2030), and the Enhanced 
APEC Agenda for Structural Reform (EAASR). We task the Group on Services to coordinate with the 
Economic Committee and the Digital Economy Steering Group to examine the role of services 
competitiveness wi thin these for a' s respective agendas up to 2025 and welcome the initiatives 
underway in this regard. We recognise the larger impact on and slower recovery of services relative 
to goods from the COVID -19 pandemic. Considering the importance of sound and ti mely policy to 
ensuring sustainable and inclusive recovery from the pandemic and strengthening resilience against 
future economic shocks, we recognise the need of assessing pandemic recovery in the APEC region 
and welcome the Decision on Monitoring Pandemi c Recovery under the ASCR.  
 
15. We commit to creating a sound and predictable regulatory environment and advance good 
regulatory practices and international regulatory cooperation to further facilitate trade and 
investment and promote greater transparency,  predictability and interoperability in the region. We 
welcome the 15th Conference on Good Regulatory Practices, focusing on the use of digital technology 
and good regulatory practices to support a swift, resilient, inclusive, sustainable, green and 
innova tive economic recovery. We will continue to actively implement all four pillars of the EAASR 
and to cooperate on the Third Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Action Plan, which focuses on 
encouraging inclusive and resilient growth, especially for women and MSME s, as well as to refresh 
the Action Plan to align measurement of our progress with international best practices.  
 
16. We recognise the important role of science, technology and innovation (STI) in driving 
sustainable economic growth and development in this  digital era. We will work to promote an 
enabling environment for new and emerging technologies including through research and 
development, knowledge sharing and capacity building, and note the important role played by the 
private sector and academia in th is regard. We reiterate our commitment to promoting intellectual 
property rights through policies and programmes that support and advance innovation and creativity 
in the digital economy to increase economic benefits.  
 
PRIORITY 2: CONNECT IN ALL DIMENSIONS  
17. After years of COVID -19, it is paramount to reconnect the region in all dimensions.  We remain 
committed to advancing the APEC connectivity agenda, including through implementing the APEC 
Connectivity Blueprint towards a seamlessly and comprehensively connected and integrated Asia -
Pacific by strengthening physical, institutional, and people -to-people connectivity. In this regard, we 
reaffirm the importance of quality infrastructure development and investment.  
 
18. We support efforts to enhance supply chain connectivity and minimise supply chain 
disruptions. We welcome and endorse Phase Three of the Supply Chain Connectivity Framework 
Action Plan (SCFAP III). Trade facilitation is a vital tool in supporting the efficient flow of essential 
goods, including COVID -19 vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics, and other related essential medical 
products during the COVID -19 pandemic. We take note of the APEC definition of "logistics -related WT/GC/253  
 
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  services " and encourage robust implementation of the Declaration on  Facilitating the Movement of 
Essential Goods, the Statement on COVID -19 Vaccine Supply Chains and the Statement on Services 
to Support the Movement of Essential Goods. We remain committed to accelerating the 
implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Ag reement, particularly of provisions relevant to the 
timely and efficient release of essential goods.  
 
19. The rapid rise of the digital economy holds massive economic opportunities and paves the way 
towards the attainment of sustainable, inclusive and inno vative growth. We reaffirm our call to 
accelerate the implementation of AIDER, which prioritises actions on inclusive economic growth, 
including the facilitation of e -commerce and advancing cooperation on digital trade. We encourage 
economies to incubate m ore cutting -edge and comprehensive cooperation initiatives on the digital 
economy.  
 
20. We emphasise the need to strengthen digital connectivity and advance digital transformation 
to further facilitate trade. We welcome the progress made in the digitalisat ion of border clearance 
processes as well as developing and implementing paperless trading facilitation measures including 
electronic payments and acceptance of electronic documentation. We will further our work on port 
and border cooperation and single wi ndow interoperability, including by exploring the use of new 
technologies and innovative solutions, to improve and simplify port clearance and customs 
procedures.  
 
21. We will continue to explore new areas of potential economic growth in the area of digita l trade 
and e -commerce in addition to cooperating on facilitating the flow of data and strengthening business 
and consumer trust in digital transactions through, among others, cooperation on regulatory 
approaches affecting the internet and digital economy as well as appropriate consumer protection in 
the digital environment. We will deepen cooperation to strengthen the digital infrastructure and to 
bridge the digital divide between and within economies and foster a safe and secure online 
environment. Effort s should be intensified in accelerating digital transformation, enhancing digital 
literacy, strengthening capacity building, and promoting digital skills to build workforce capacity in 
the digital age. We take note of work on smart cities.  
 
22. We will con tinue our efforts in increasing MSMEs ' participation in the digital economy and e -
commerce. We will further projects that constructively formulate recommendations to help MSMEs 
thrive in e -commerce marketplaces and reach more consumers through cross -border  e-commerce.  
 
23. Safe and seamless resumption of cross -border travel continues to be a critical issue for our 
region as we emerge from the COVID -19 pandemic, especially with regard to the movement of 
business people and essential workforces, including air  and maritime crew. In this regard, we 
commend the work of the Safe Passage Taskforce (SPTF) in coordinating APEC efforts that contribute 
to the facilitation of cross -border travel in the APEC region and welcome the continuation of safe 
passage work to pro mote resilience in the face of future disruptions. In this regard, we welcome the 
Voluntary Principles for the Interoperability of Vaccination Certificates in the APEC Region. We 
welcome the recommendations in the APEC Policy Support Unit (PSU) Study on "COVID -19 and 
Cross -Border Mobility in the APEC Region: Addressing Uncertainties at the Border ". 
 
24. We welcome the deliberations at the Twelfth High -level Meeting on Health and the Economy 
and commend economies ' efforts for the voluntary sharing of technic al specifications on the 
interoperability of vaccination certificates and the development of an information portal to share safe 
passage information, the use of innovative and digital health technologies, with a view to ensuring 
safe and seamless cross -border travel. We recognise the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) 
significantly contributes to the facilitation of travel of business people in our region. We encourage 
economies to make the ABTC more inclusive for MSMEs, and welcome economies ' uptake and 
acceptance of the virtual ABTC which further supports efficient and seamless cross -border travel.  
 
PRIORITY 3: BALANCE IN ALL ASPECTS  
25. Amidst heightened challenges and disruptions facing the region, we reaffirm the commitments 
made by our Leaders in the Put rajaya Vision 2040 to pursue strong, balanced, secure, sustainable 
and inclusive growth in the Asia -Pacific and will fulfill them in a bold, responsive and comprehensive 
manner. We will promote economic policies, cooperation and growth which support global  efforts to 
comprehensively address all environmental challenges, including climate change, extreme weather 
and natural disasters, for a sustainable planet.  WT/GC/253  
 
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  26. We will continue to implement the EAASR and encourage economies to take concrete steps to 
imple ment the actions identified in the Individual Action Plans (IAPs). We welcome the 2022 APEC 
Economic Policy Report (AEPR) on Structural Reform and a Green Recovery from Economic Shocks 
and encourage economies to take into account its recommendations. We we lcome the varied and 
continuous efforts, as well as the contribution of additional resources across APEC to support 
structural reforms that promote sustainable green growth, and welcome the newly established fund 
in this regard. We look forward to the 2023  AEPR on Structural Reform and Enabling Environment 
for Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable Business.  
 
27. We welcome the deliberations at the 29th Finance Ministers ' Meeting, with a particular focus 
on promoting sustainable finance and the usage of digit alisation for fiscal policy and inclusive finance. 
We encourage closer coordination between the APEC Economic Committee and the APEC Finance 
Ministers ' Process to advance APEC priorities.  
 
28. We will continue to support environmental sustainability throug h trade and economic 
cooperation. We welcome the endorsement of the APEC Environmental Goods Workplan to further 
strengthen our cooperation in the area of environmental goods. In this connection, we welcome the 
substantial progress of the work to update th e 2012 APEC List of Environmental Goods to 
Harmonised System (HS) 2022 for reference purposes, and reiterate the importance of the 
completion of the transposition work as soon as possible. We welcome the progress of the 
discussions on how to increase trade  in environmental and environmentally related services as well 
as the discussions on developing recommendations for potentially producing a voluntary, non -
binding reference list of new and emerging environmental goods, and instruct officials to continue 
these works. In this regard, we welcome recent work that builds APEC economies ' capacity to 
schedule commitments on environmental and environmentally related services.  
 
29. We recall our Leaders ' commitment to rationalise and phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies 
that encourage wasteful consumption, while recognising the importance of providing those in need 
with essential energy services. To reach this goal, we will continue our efforts in an accelerated 
manner. We call for officials to continue their efforts, for those member economies that are in a 
position to do so, to implement a voluntary standstill on inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. We welcome 
economies ' use to date of the APEC temp late for voluntary self identification of inefficient fossil fuel 
subsidies measures, and encourage others to do so.  
 
30. We will continue to work together to support sustainable energy transitions that reduce 
greenhouse gas emissions, while ensuring energ y resilience, access and security in the region, 
including by facilitating investments in relevant activities. We welcome the particular attention paid 
this year to regional interconnectivity, energy transitions as well as sustainable and inclusive growth 
through the BCG Economy and call for deepened collaboration in this area.  
 
31. In this endeavour, we will ensure that no one is left behind. We adhere to our Leaders ' Vision 
of fostering quality growth that brings palpable benefits and greater health and w ell-being to all, 
including MSMEs, women and others with untapped economic potential.  
 
32. MSMEs contribute significantly to our economies ' GDP, providing an essential foundation of 
employment and economic growth. We therefore remain committed to globalising MSMEs and 
increasing their access to finance. We welcome the deliberations at the 28th APEC Small and Medium 
Enterprises Ministerial Mee ting. We will collaborate to improve opportunities for MSMEs to be 
competitive, specialised, innovative and increase their participation in regional and global markets 
as well as their integration into global supply and value chains, building on the achiev ements under 
the Boracay Action Agenda to Globalise MSMEs. Reaffirming its importance, we task officials to 
advance with updating the APEC Strategy for Green, Sustainable and Innovative MSMEs.  
 
33. We welcome the deliberations at the APEC Women and the Eco nomy Forum (WEF). We 
reaffirm our commitment to accelerate the full implementation of the La Serena Roadmap for Women 
and Inclusive Growth (2019 -2030) to promote the empowerment of women, including women of 
diverse backgrounds, and advance gender equality and inclusion in our region. We recognise that 
the increased adoption of approaches such as the BCG Economy as well as the rise of digital 
platforms and education in digital literacy and skills can create additional employment pathways for 
all women. To th is end, we emphasise the importance of gender mainstreaming through women 's 
full, equal and meaningful participation in all economic activities as well as in leadership at all levels 
and decision -making, recognising also the need to remove barriers to thei r economic participation WT/GC/253  
 
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  and welcome the continued efforts to use a gender mainstreaming approach in relevant APEC 
processes. We recognise the importance of promoting and facilitating cooperation in the public and 
private sector to help ensure that women -led MSMEs, including those led by women of diverse 
backgrounds, can access capital and assets in both local and international markets.  
 
34. While acknowledging that all segments of society can contribute to economic recovery and 
growth, we also recognise th e need to reduce existing barriers and promote the social, economic 
and financial inclusion of others with untapped economic potential, such as Indigenous Peoples as 
appropriate, people with disabilities, and those from remote and rural communities. We cal l for the 
continued implementation of the APEC Action Agenda on Promoting Economic, Financial and Social 
Inclusion.  
 
35. Our people need to be ready for the future of work in order to fully reap the benefits of 
technological advancements. We recognise the need to improve the quality of education as well as 
vocational training, advance employment and decent work, enhance reskilling and upskilling efforts, 
and encourage lifelong learning opportunities to create a skilled, productive and agile workforce.  
 
36. We also reiterate the importance of achieving universal health coverage, including through 
health investment and health financing to build a strong and resilient health system that is supported 
by a competent and skilled health workforce and to advance hea lth security, which in turn promotes 
economic growth and productivity. Recognising the role of extensive COVID -19 immunisation as a 
global public good, we strongly highlight the need to promote an equitable access to safe, effective, 
quality -assured and af fordable COVID -19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.  
 
37. We welcome the Implementation Plan of the Food Security Roadmap Towards 2030, endorsed 
at the Seventh APEC Food Security Ministerial Meeting, for the long -term food security, food safety 
and im proved nutrition for all, as well as for the reduction of food loss and waste in the region by 
sustainably and innovatively transforming food systems. We are committed to making food supply 
chains more resilient against disruptions. We encourage the use of  STI in the agri -food sector, and 
will support smallholders, especially those in rural areas, to prepare for this change by equipping 
them with the knowledge and skills that they need, including digital technologies, while continuing 
to promote their acces s to regional and global markets.  
 
38. We recognise the importance of efficient and sustainable management of natural resources 
and agricultural policies in creating positive environmental outcomes.  
 
39. We support the sustainable management and conservati on of marine and coastal resources 
and the protection of our oceans. We recognise the essential role of fisheries and aquaculture in 
ensuring global food security and therefore the need to ensure sustainability of fisheries resources. 
We remain committed t o the implementation of the APEC Roadmap on Combatting IUU Fishing and 
the APEC Roadmap on Marine Debris. In this regard, we will carry out robust and effective measures 
based on the principles of implementing the PSMA to Prevent, Deter, and Eliminate IUU Fishing.  
 
40. We welcome the deliberations at the Eleventh Tourism Ministers ' Meeting which highlighted 
the importance of regenerative tourism that is sustainable, inclusive and resilient and connects the 
entire tourism eco -system, one which contributes to  all types of wellbeing locally, while respecting 
the unique biodiversity and the rich cultural diversity and local knowledge of each place. We note 
the Policy Recommendations for Tourism of the Future: Regenerative Tourism and the Updated APEC 
Guidelines for Tourism Stakeholders endorsed by the 11th TMM.  
 
41. We welcome the deliberations at the Fifth Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Forestry. In 
this regard, we will continue our work in combatting illegal logging and associated trade, enhancing 
the sus tainable use of wood and wood products, promoting sustainable forest management including 
legal timber trade, which also supports climate change efforts, among others.  
 
42. We continue to highlight the serious threat posed by corruption, which undermines 
government accountability and public trust and impedes economic growth. To facilitate the 
implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption, by relevant economies, we are determined 
to further implement the Beijing Declaration on Fighting Corruption an d the Santiago Commitment 
to Fight Corruption and Ensure Transparency, as well as the APEC Principles on the Prevention of 
Bribery and Enforcement of Anti -Bribery Law. We reaffirm our commitment to deny safe haven to 
corruption offenders and their illicit assets, in accordance with domestic laws, and to combat cross -WT/GC/253  
 
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  border corruption. We are committed to learning from each other, taking practical action and a 
united approach, including through collaboration with other international organisations, the privat e 
sector and civil society, as appropriate. We reaffirm our commitment to combat cross -border 
corruption. We will continue to address corruption that prevents women 's empowerment and reduces 
their opportunities for economic development.  
 
43. In order to ad vance our APEC -wide agenda on sustainability, we welcome the Bangkok Goals 
on BCG Economy and submit it for Leaders ' endorsement. The Bangkok Goals will support the BCG 
Economy as an approach to achieve an inclusive, balanced and sustainable recovery from COVID -
19, long -term resilient economic growth, and environmental and climate objectives in the APEC 
region in a comprehensive and holistic manner, creating synergy across multiple policy areas and 
building on APEC 's existing commitments and workstreams. We  also welcome the launch of the APEC 
BCG Award this year to recognise the achievements on sustainability in the region and look forward 
to APEC awarding the first winners next year.  
 
44. We will further improve APEC to be an institution that is both future -oriented and fit for the 
purpose of implementing the Putrajaya Vision 2040, including through the Aotearoa Plan of Action. 
We also emphasise the importance of cross -fora collaboration, as well as engagement and outreach 
with various stakeholders, includin g the business community. We will continue our efforts to improve 
APEC governance and organisational structure, with a view to efficiently and effectively delivering 
upon all elements of the Vision. We strongly support capacity building efforts as well as economic 
and technical cooperation within APEC for the benefit of all members.  
 
45. We also recognise the important role of the Policy Support Unit (PSU) in providing research 
and analysis to support APEC 's work. We welcome Carlos Kuriyama as the new PSU D irector, 
effective from 1 January 2023, and thank Dr. Denis Hew for his outstanding contribution throughout 
his tenure.  
 
46. We recognise and appreciate the continued active engagement of ABAC  in the APEC process 
and call for deepening their involvement in APEC at all levels. We also acknowledge the contributions 
of various stakeholders throughout the year, including PECC, ASEAN, PIF, and the APEC Study 
Centers Consortium. We encourage addition al engagement with a broader range of economic 
stakeholders, such as NGOs and civil society, and increased outreach to youth to reflect the breadth 
of the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040.  
 
47. We welcome and note the 2022 APEC Senior Officials ' Meeting (SOM) Ch air's Report and the 
Senior Officials ' Report on Economic and Technical Cooperation. We endorse the Committee on Trade 
and Investment Annual Report to Ministers. We also note the ABAC Chair 's report. We approve the 
2023 APEC Secretariat Account Budget and corresponding level of Members ' Contributions for 2023. 
We also thank members for their corresponding contributions including to general and specialised 
sub funds.  
 
48. We thank Thailand for hosting APEC in 2022 and welcome preparations for APEC 2023, whic h 
will be hosted by the United States of America. We reiterate our welcome to Peru and the Republic 
of Korea as hosts of APEC 2024 and 2025, respectively. We look forward to continuing our important 
work in building the Asia -Pacific we aspire to become.  
 
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