APEC business leaders call for prioritizing people's needs

WELLINGTON, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) unveiled this year's Report to Economic Leaders on Thursday, calling for putting people's needs at the heart of measures to address the health and prosperity of the Asia Pacific region.

Unveiling the report, Chair of ABAC for 2021 Rachel Taulelei said that the Council's theme for this year had been "People, Place and Prosperity".

Taulelei pointed out that at the challenging time of fighting against COVID-19 pandemic, the need for universal vaccination is still of priority importance to the region.

She said, "Getting everyone vaccinated is key to overcoming the health crisis, enabling us to reopen borders safely and seamlessly, and also the critical work of restarting the engines for growth".

Taulelei also addressed the importance of sustainable and inclusive way of heading towards recovery and prosperity.

She explained that ABAC had made 43 separate recommendations developed through an extensive round of virtual meetings across the five pillars of Regional Economic Integration, Sustainability, Inclusion, Digital, and Economy.

Taulelei noted, "The pandemic illustrates the fact that our world is deeply interconnected. Our wellbeing, and a prosperous, peaceful and resilient future, will only be achieved together. The challenges we face are profound, but they are also shared."

"That idea of 'community' is fundamental to APEC's Putrajaya Vision 2040 adopted just last year. But we can't wait twenty more years to achieve these ambitious goals. The time for action is now," she concluded.