Mr. Wanchat Suwannakitti, Deputy Secretary-General, along with NESDC officials, represented Thailand at the APEC Economic Committee (EC) Meeting No. 1/2023 with 20 other APEC economies, held on February 23-24, 2023, during the 1st APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting in Palm Springs, California, United States. Key highlights are as follows:
1. APEC Economic Committee Meeting No. 1/2023
The EC meeting discussed the regional economic situation and promoted cooperation among APEC members in addressing economic challenges, particularly advancing EC mechanisms such as the Enhanced APEC Agenda for Structural Reform (EAASR) and Friend of the Chair (FotC), as well as discussing this year’s operational direction through the presentation of FotC work plans.
The NESDC Deputy Secretary-General, as Thailand’s representative, summarized the key elements of the Bangkok Goals on Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy, which were endorsed by APEC economic leaders in Bangkok in 2022, emphasizing: (1) the key elements of the Bangkok Goals aimed at achieving sustainable development goals and approaches to support goal achievement, (2) the presentation of the 13th National Development Plan implementation to promote BCG economy, and (3) support for integrating the Bangkok Goals with APEC Economic Committee operations in all dimensions. The Bangkok Goals received strong support and positive reception from the meeting for implementation.
Additionally, Thailand through NESDC serves as Core Team Co-Lead with the United States, along with 9 other economies as Core Team members, in preparing the 2023 APEC Economic Policy Report (2023 AEPR). Thailand presented the topic “Structural Reform and an Enabling Environment for Sustainable Business for Inclusive, Resilient, and Sustainable Business.” The NESDC representative reported the 2023 AEPR preparation summary to the meeting. This report represents one of Thailand’s successes in promoting initiatives that gained recognition and appreciation from the meeting. Thailand and the Core Team will work with the APEC Secretariat to compile data, analyze, and prepare the complete report for endorsement in November. The complete 2023 AEPR will be presented to policymakers and relevant sectors of all economies for study and utilization in designing policies that support sustainable business operations and align with the Bangkok Goals.
Furthermore, the United States, as host of this year’s APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, proposed the concept “Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All,” focusing on connectivity, innovation, and inclusiveness, while supporting implementation of the Bangkok Goals. This year, NESDC will undertake relevant activities to advance operations under the APEC Economic Committee framework.
2. Related Meetings and Activities
NESDC officials participated in the Competitive Policy and Law Group (CPLG) meeting on February 20, 2023, and reported the 2023 AEPR summary and its connection to CPLG, proposing that the 2023 AEPR will emphasize best practice exchanges and provide recommendations on structural reform, particularly regulatory reform, promoting competitive markets, and eliminating trade barriers, which are key factors in enhancing the Business Enabling Environment (BEE) of economies.
Additionally, NESDC representatives held discussions with the APEC Secretariat and relevant economies to prepare and advance the 2023 AEPR, and participated in policy dialogue activities including: (1) Capacity Building Workshop on Effective and Efficient Competition Litigation and Regulatory Advocacy, (2) APEC Policy Dialogue on Gender and Structural Reform: Achieving Economic Growth through Inclusive Policies, (3) Private Public Dialogue (PPD) on Essential Services: Achieving Better Policies towards Logistics-Related Services, and (4) Group on Services/Economic Committee Public Private Dialogue on Structural Reform and Services, which integrated knowledge and shared experiences across various APEC fora (cross-fora cooperation).
News: Strategic and International Cooperation Coordination Division
Photo: APEC Secretariat