The APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) is an independent high-level group of business people who advise the economic  leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) on priority issues for business in the region.

Peru hosts ABAC in 2024, the third time it has done this since joining APEC in 1998. Peru’s overarching theme for the year is:

People – Business – Prosperity

The overarching goal for the coming year is to advance regional economic integration, sustainability, and human development using catalysts such as digitalisation and innovation, along with finance and investment, in order to promote prosperity for the people and businesses in the APEC region.

In line with that vision, the workplan includes three working groups:

• Regional Economic Integration,
• Sustainability, and
• Human Development.

Additionally, there will be two task forces:

• Digitalisation and Innovation, and
• Finance and Investment.

ABAC New Zealand’s three ABAC Members are Rachel Taulelei, Anna Curzon and Brett O’Riley. They will continue to focus their advocacy in several areas including:

• Pushing for progress on the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP)
• Support for the WTO and the rules-based international economic order
• Support for Indigenous trade inclusion, women and MSMEs
• Delivering paperless trade and making progress on other digital trade issues.
• More rapid progress on climate change and sustainability.

Keeping in touch

The coming year will be a busy and interesting one. If you would like to be added to the circulation list for our Pānui newsletter, which comes out 6-7 times a year, please email ABAC New Zealand’s administrator Christine Connon cconnon@chamber.co.nz and we’ll put you on our distribution list.

NZIBF provides advice and support to New Zealand’s three ABAC members and the Executive Director serves as Alternate Member. On these pages you can find out more about how ABAC works, about New Zealand’s ABAC team and the priorities we pursued when we chaired ABAC in 2021, as well as our current work programme.  We’re keen to hear from you !