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

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 2 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.

ABAC Meetings 2022

  • ABAC I 2022 – February 15-18, Singapore, Singapore
  • ABAC II 2022 – April 25-28, Vancouver, BC, Canada
  • ABAC III 2022 – July 26 -29, Halong, Vietnam
  • ABAC IV 2022 – November 13 -16, Bangkok, Thailand

ABAC Reports to Leaders

Wellington, New Zealand, 2021: People, Place and Prosperity - Tāngata, Taiao me te Taurikura

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2020: Integration, Innovation, Inclusion - Moving towards Economic Recovery and Resilience

Santiago, Chile, 2019: Inclusive and Collaborative Growth in the Digital Era

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 2018: Digitization and Innovation – Advancing Social Harmony

Da Nang, Vietnam, 2017: Creating New Dynamism, Fostering a Shared Future

ABAC Press Releases

Asia-Pacific Business Leaders to APEC Leaders: Speed up economic recovery and regain growth momentum

Deepening Economic Integration and Equipping Business for Dynamic, Inclusive and Sustainable Growth are Key to Economic Recovery Say Business Leaders

Innovations to Solve for Pandemic Challenges to be Showcased in 3-Day Virtual Symposium

People, place and prosperity: Asia-Pacific business community’s call to action

Business Leaders submit recommendations to APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade to address the COVID-19 pandemic

Malaysia, 2020, APEC Collaboration the First-best Strategy to Combat COVID-19, says Business  

Sydney, Australia, 2020, Achieving Integration and Inclusion in the Age of Disruption

Jakarta, Indonesia, 2019, Never more important to affirm openness and economic integration, says ABAC Chair

Atlanta, USA, 2019, The digital economy can deliver massive gains – if we get policies right

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 2018, Resolve trade tensions and drive regional cooperation to lift APEC living standards

Toronto, Canada, 2017, APEC must be a beacon of openness, inclusivity and innovation