APEC Business Advisory Council

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada serves as the secretariat for Canada's APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) members, providing research, analysis, and administrative support. This private sector body presents recommendations to APEC Leaders in an annual dialogue and advises APEC officials on business sector priorities and concerns. ABAC meets four times per year, and ABAC representatives also attend Senior Officials' Meetings, the Annual Ministerial Meeting, and the sectoral Ministerial Meetings.

Current Members

Timothy D. Dattels

ABAC Canada Member 2021-2024, ABAC Regional and Economic Integration Working Group Co-Chair 2022

Janet De Silva

ABAC Canada Member 2022-2025, ABAC Digital Working Group Chair 2022

Follow @desilvajanet

Joseph S. Fung

ABAC Canada Member 2021-2024, ABAC Sustainability Working Group Co-Chair 2022

ABAC Canada Activities

2022

ABAC (APEC Business Advisory Council) Digital Working Group (DWG) Report: Towards a Cybersecure APEC: Building a Shared Regional Platform for Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity sets the foundation for a thriving and inclusive digital economy, making it critical digital infrastructure that must be prioritized across the region. No one economy or business can achieve cyber resiliency on its own. Towards a Cybersecure APEC, released at 2022 APEC Economic Leaders Week, was developed by ABAC’s Digital Working Group (DWG), with cybersecurity experts from across Canada and the APEC region.
The report outlines that strong collaboration between private companies, government, and academic institutions is necessary to minimize the impact of attempted cyberattacks and reduce mitigation costs. It provides recommendations to the leaders of the 21 APEC member economies for collaboration on a shared, regional approach to cybersecurity for business, consumer, supply chain, and trade-related activity.
The report signifies the beginning of a refreshed stream of work to encourage government, corporate, and academic institutions to collaborate on a platform for cybersecurity in the region.
APF Canada, in partnership with ABAC and ABAC (Canada) member Jan De Silva, Chair of ABAC’s DWG and President and CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade, is pleased to share this call to action on a shared, regional approach to cybersecurity across APEC in the report, Towards a Cybersecure APEC: Building a Shared Regional Platform for Cybersecurity.
ABAC 4 and the APEC CEO Summit will be held on November 13-18, 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand.
ABAC 3 was held on July 26-29, 2022 in Halong, Vietnam.
ABAC Canada hosted the ABAC II Meeting in Vancouver, April 25-28. This high profile business meeting convened ABAC and other stakeholders from across the APEC region.
ABAC Canada organized an ABAC Cybersecurity Symposium on April 25, 2022 in Vancouver along the margins of the ABAC II Meeting. The Symposium convened experts, business leaders, and policy-makers to chart a path forward to a more secure digital future across APEC.

2021

ABAC Digital Symposium, 8-11 March, Virtual
ABAC Canada hosted a three-day virtual digital symposium on March 8-11, 2021. The goal of the symposium was to take stock of innovative solutions that could enable member economies to re-open more fully in the midst of the global COVID pandemic, and to explore the enabling conditions needed to deploy them at scale across APEC. To view the recorded event, click here.
ABAC Canada-led Report: Artificial Intelligence in APEC: Progress, Preparedness and Priorities
Artificial Intelligence (AI) promises to revolutionize the global economy, contributing as much as US$16 trillion in additional economic output by 2030 and boosting global GDP by 14 per cent. AI will foster continued economic growth and global integration, particularly in the fast-growing and technologically integrated economies of APEC.
APF Canada, in partnership with ABAC and ABAC (Canada) member Jan De Silva, Chair of ABAC’s Digital Working Group and President and CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade, is pleased to share a critical contextual analysis of APEC’s readiness to capitalize on AI in the new report, Artificial Intelligence in APEC: Progress, Preparedness and Priorities.