WT/GC/254  
 
29 November 2022  
(22-8893) Page: 1/4 
General Council  Original: English  
 
 
2022 APEC ECONOMIC LEADERS' DECLARATION  
BANGKOK, THAILAND, 19 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 Economic Leaders of APEC, met in -person for the first time in four years in Bangkok 
on 18 -19 November 2022. We continue the implementation of t he APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040, 
including through the Aotearoa Plan of Action. This year, under the APEC theme "Open. Connect. 
Balance. ", we advance work through three priorities: to be open to all opportunities, connected in 
all dimensions, and balanced in  all aspects, to advance long -term robust, innovative and inclusive 
economic growth as well as sustainability objectives in the Asia -Pacific region.  
 
2. We have been intensifying our efforts in responding to the COVID -19 pandemic and mitigating 
its impact on our people and economies to promote health and wellbeing, as well as improving the 
overall standard of living for all.  
 
3. This year, we have also witnessed the war in Ukraine further adversely impact the global 
economy. There was a discussion on the is sue. We reiterated our positions as expressed in other 
fora, including 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 absen t) deplores in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation 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 i mmense human suffering and 
exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy – constraining growth, increasing inflation, 
disrupting supply chains, heightening energy and food insecurity, and elevating financial stability 
risks. There were other view s and different assessments of the situation and sanctions. Recognising 
that APEC is not the forum to resolve security issues, we acknowledge that security issues can have 
significant consequences for the global economy.  
 
4. We reaffirm our commitment to r ealise the APEC Putrajaya Vision of an open, dynamic, 
resilient and peaceful Asia -Pacific community by 2040, for the prosperity of all our people and future 
generations. We will continue to promote efforts to strengthen APEC 's leadership and standing as 
the premier economic forum of the Asia -Pacific, as well as a modern, efficient and effective incubator 
of ideas. APEC 's cooperation will contribute to practical solutions for common challenges and 
complement global efforts including the UN 2030 Agenda for Su stainable Development. To that end, 
we resolve to build momentum of the work carried out in 2022 and coordinate our APEC -wide actions 
on sustainability through the Bangkok Goals on Bio -Circular -Green (BCG) Economy.  
 
5. Trade and investment play a critical and indispensable role in enhancing the prosperity of our 
people by assisting with global challenges and can open up opportunities that offer tangible benefits. 
We underscore the importance of international trade and th e World Trade Organization (WTO) in 
facilitating global economic recovery, growth, prosperity, alleviation of poverty, the welfare of all 
people, sustainable development, and facilitating cooperation in relation to the protection and 
conservation of the en vironment. We reaffirm our determination to deliver a free, open, fair, non -
discriminatory, transparent, inclusive and predictable trade and investment environment. We will 
continue to work to ensure a level playing field to foster a favourable trade and i nvestment WT/GC/254  
 
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  environment and reaffirm our commitment to keep markets open and to address supply chain 
disruptions.  
 
6. We welcome the successful outcomes of the Twelfth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) and 
are determined to uphold and further strengthen the rules-based multilateral trading system, with 
the WTO at its core. We look forward to the early and effective implementation of the MC12 
outcomes. We will cooperate in the WTO to continue to support its necessary reform to improve all 
its functions, in ord er to ensure that it can better address existing and emerging global trade 
challenges. We commit to working together with a view to achieving meaningful progress by the 
Thirteenth WTO Ministerial Conference.  
 
7. Recognising the useful contributions of the Lima Declaration and the Beijing Roadmap on 
progressing the Free Trade Area of the Asia -Pacific (FTAAP) agenda, we welcome the advancement 
of this agenda this year through a refreshed conversation on the FTAAP in the COVID -19 pandemic 
and beyond. We will c ontinue to build on this momentum towards high quality and comprehensive 
regional undertakings through the FTAAP Agenda Work Plan. We task officials to report progress in 
carrying out the Work Plan to the AMM in the following years. At the same time, we wi ll further 
strengthen our engagement with stakeholders, including the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) 
and increase public -private sector dialogues. We note with appreciation of ABAC 's recommendations 
in advancing the FTAAP Work Programs. We commend t he public and private sector collaboration 
between the Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) and ABAC, which underscores APEC 's emphasis 
on advancing an inclusive economic development. We will also continue our efforts in capacity 
building to improve trade  negotiation skills of economies.  
 
8. In order to achieve post -COVID -19 economic recovery, it is our priority to drive growth -
focused structural reform that is designed to be inclusive, sustainable, and innovation -friendly. This 
includes fostering an enabl ing environment for businesses of all types, particularly micro, small and 
medium -sized enterprises (MSMEs) and start -ups, and collaborating to improve opportunities for 
them to be competitive, specialised, innovative, and expand into the international mar kets. We 
reaffirm our commitment to the Enhanced APEC Agenda for Structural Reform (EAASR) and 
endeavour to make collective and individual progress, including on the ease of doing business.  
 
9. Furthermore, we recognise the urgency of enhancing the competi tiveness of the services 
sector, especially travel, transport, and other services that have been hit hardest by the COVID -19 
pandemic. We reiterate our commitment to accelerate work in response to the APEC Services 
Competitiveness Roadmap (ASCR) Mid -Term R eview, with the aim to fully implement the ASCR by 
2025. By increasing APEC’s global share of trade in services, we will be able to inject dynamism in 
our economy and underpin APEC 's position as the world’s growth engine.  
 
10. Macroeconomic and structural policies are vital to tackling rising inflation, ushering in 
sustained economic recovery, and raising living standards in the region. We reaffirm the importance 
of sustainable financing, capacity building, and technical assistance for innovation and growth  as 
well as for addressing all environmental challenges, including climate change. We will continue to 
advance digital tools to facilitate economic activities and the provision of public services, including 
the delivery of assistance and stimulus packages to the people, and to drive financial inclusion.  
 
11. We commend APEC 's work on safe passage, including under the Safe Passage Taskforce. We 
will further our cooperation to promote safe and seamless cross -border travel within our region as 
we emerge from t he COVID -19 pandemic, including for essential workforces, including air and 
maritime crew, as well as improve infrastructure and tools, such as the interoperability of vaccination 
certificates and ensuring the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) is inclusive.  
 
12. We reaffirm our commitment to enhance an open and interconnected Asia -Pacific region, 
including through the implementation of the APEC Connectivity Blueprint (2015 -2025). We will 
strengthen physical, institutional and people -to-people connectivity as  well as take advantage of 
digital connectivity, and will intensify efforts to promote regional, sub -regional and remote area 
connectivity through quality infrastructure development and investment. We will promote 
regenerative tourism that is sustainable, inclusive and resilient, and to connect the entire tourism 
eco-system. We support efforts to foster open, secure and resilient supply chains, enhance supply 
chain connectivity and minimise supply chain disruptions. We encourage economies to continue 
effort s to remove barriers to logistics -related services. We welcome the endorsement of Phase Three 
of the Supply Chain Connectivity Framework Action Plan by the APEC Ministers.  WT/GC/254  
 
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  13. Digital technology and innovation have a greater role to play in advancing inclu sive and 
sustainable growth, improving access to services as well as opportunities to generate income and 
better the livelihoods of our people, including by encouraging the transition of economic actors from 
the informal to the formal economy. We will deep en cooperation to bridge digital divides between 
and within economies, including on facilitating access to digital infrastructure and supporting 
development of digital skills and digital literacy. We will cooperate on facilitating the flow of data, 
and str engthening business and consumer trust in digital transactions.  
 
14. We recognise the power of digital transformation in facilitating and reducing barriers to trade 
and unlocking exponential growth, including through nurturing the interoperability of digit al systems 
and tools across the region. We encourage APEC to incubate more cutting -edge and comprehensive 
cooperation initiatives on digital economy. We will, therefore, accelerate the implementation of the 
APEC Internet and Digital Economy Roadmap (AIDER)  to harness new and emerging technologies 
and the full potential of our society as well as create an enabling, inclusive, open, fair and non -
discriminatory digital ecosystem for businesses and consumers.  
 
15. We affirm our commitment to promote strong, bal anced, secure, sustainable and inclusive 
growth. We recognise that more intensive efforts are needed to address today 's challenges, including 
climate change, extreme weather and natural disasters, food security, and sustainable energy 
transitions that redu ce greenhouse gas emissions, while ensuring energy resilience, access and 
security in the region, including by facilitating investments in relevant activities. We recall our 
commitment to rationalise and phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that enc ourage 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 will also 
continue to take concrete steps to implement th e APEC Roadmap on Combatting Illegal, Unreported 
and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing and the APEC Roadmap on Marine Debris. To this end, we will 
expedite efforts to promote economic policies, cooperation and growth which support global actions 
to comprehensively  address all environmental challenges and call for deepened collaboration with 
stakeholders to make substantive progress.  
 
16. We endorse the Bangkok Goals on the Bio -Circular -Green (BCG) Economy as a comprehensive 
framework to further APEC 's sustainabilit y objectives. We will advance the Bangkok Goals in a bold, 
responsive and comprehensive manner, building upon existing commitments and workstreams as 
well as considering new aspirational ones. We also welcome the launch of the APEC BCG Award this 
year to r ecognise the achievements of sustainability in the region.  
 
17. We continue to mobilise our resources to combat the COVID -19 pandemic and reinforce our 
systems to prevent and prepare for, and respond to future health threats. We are determined to 
ensure ex tensive immunisation of our people against COVID -19 as a global public good. It is 
imperative that we further strengthen the public health workforce, acknowledging their tremendous 
contributions to protecting our people 's lives and safeguarding their healt h. We should continue our 
efforts to improve digital solutions and access to health services, and strengthen health systems 
with a view to achieving universal health coverage.  
 
18. We pledge to expedite and intensify our work to promote agricultural develo pment, including 
in rural areas, and promote long -term food security by ensuring our agricultural and food systems 
are more resilient, productive, innovative and sustainable, strengthening global food supply chains, 
and reducing food loss and waste. We als o reaffirm our commitment to work towards the sustainable 
resource management of agriculture, forestry and marine resources and fisheries. We welcome the 
Implementation Plan of the Food Security Roadmap Towards 2030 as a pathway to achieve sufficient, 
safe, nutritious, accessible and affordable food for all.  
 
19. Recognising that long -term economic growth can only be achieved through realising the full 
potential of our society, we welcome the continued efforts to use a gender mainstreaming approach 
in relev ant APEC processes and accelerate the full implementation of the La Serena Roadmap for 
Women and Inclusive Growth (2019 – 2030). We are committed to building an environment where 
all, including MSMEs and women, are empowered to access economic opportunitie s and contribute 
to and benefit from our economy. Building on these initiatives, we encourage further efforts to 
expand APEC 's work with other groups with untapped economic potential, such as Indigenous 
Peoples as appropriate, people with disabilities, and  those from remote and rural communities, while 
also promoting the role of youth in advancing inclusive and sustainable economic growth. We will 
place a special emphasis on human resource development, particularly access to resources, WT/GC/254  
 
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  reskilling, upskillin g, lifelong learning, and other support, to advance employment and decent work 
for all as well as enable our workforce to participate and lead in the digital and green economies.  
 
20. Recognising the detrimental impact of corruption on economic growth and development, we 
are committed to taking practical actions and a united approach, to jointly fight cross -border 
corruption and deny safe haven to corruption offenders and their illicit assets.  
 
21. We reiterate our commitment to expedite the real isation of the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040, 
including through the Aotearoa Plan of Action. In this endeavour, we will improve APEC 's governance 
and organisational structure, with a view to efficiently and effectively delivering upon all elements 
of the APEC  Putrajaya Vision 2040 and deepen engagement with stakeholders, including the ABAC, 
and international and regional organisations.  
 
22. We welcome the outcomes of the 2022 APEC Ministerial Meeting as well as the 2022 Sectoral 
Ministerial Meetings for Trade,  Tourism, Health, Forestry, Food Security, Women and the Economy, 
Small and Medium Enterprises, and Finance.  
 
23. We thank Thailand for hosting APEC in 2022, and we look forward to APEC 2023, which will 
be hosted by the United States of America. We also we lcome Peru and the Republic of Korea as 
hosts of APEC 2024 and 2025, respectively.  
 
 
 
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