Asia Pacific Business Advisory Council (ABAC)

The APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) is a permanent high-level business advisory group created by the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in 1995 as a direct channel for business input into the APEC work program. ABAC brings together three senior business executives from each APEC economy that advise Leaders and Ministers on priority concerns for the private sector in the areas of trade and investment liberalization and business facilitation. ABAC meets three times a year to develop its report and recommendations to APEC, which it delivers to APEC Leaders at their yearly meeting.

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada serves as the secretariat for Canada’s ABAC members, providing research, analysis, and administrative support.

More information on ABAC is available at: www.abaconline.org.

More information on Canada’s involvement in APEC is available at: www.international.gc.ca/apec.

Special Announcements

• The 2009 ABAC Report to Leaders is now accessible online. The report highlights this year’s priority issues and recommendations by businesses in the region. ABAC raised these issues with Leaders at their annual dialogue held on November 14 in Singapore. Please visit the ABAC website to view the full report.
• In January 2008, Canada joined the APEC Business Travel Card Scheme (ABTC), a trusted traveler program in the Asia Pacific. The purpose of the scheme is to facilitate business travel in the APEC region, reducing both wait times and visa requirements at the border. Canada is currently a transitional member and CBSA, CIC and Foreign Affairs and International Trade are responsible for the design and roll out of the ABTC in Canada. Travel cards are not yet available to Canadian business persons but plans to issue cards to eligible Canadians and permanent residents are underway. For more information on the ABTC in Canada, visit http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/media/facts-faits/064-eng.html.
• Video on what APEC can do for business– “Business Speaks up: Why APEC?”