28th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting adopts 2021 Leaders' Declaration

BEIJING, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- The 28th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting was held via video link on Friday. The meeting adopted the APEC 2021 Leaders' Declaration. The excerpts are as follows:

We, the Economic Leaders of APEC met on Nov. 12, 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to take lives and impact livelihoods, which will create ongoing uncertainty and an uneven economic recovery across the Asia-Pacific region. It is a top priority in 2021 to ensure growth rebounds quickly and to boost the global economic recovery.

This year APEC economies have reaffirmed their commitment to join together to respond to the immediate crisis generated by the pandemic, and to strengthen our cooperation so that our region can return to growth in a way that is more innovative, inclusive and sustainable.

We continue to strongly support equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured and affordable COVID-19 vaccines. Nobody is safe until everyone is safe. We are determined to make COVID-19 vaccines a global public good. It remains a priority that we expand vaccine manufacture and supply.

We have demonstrated that trade and investment is a critical enabler for addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuring our economies recover stronger.

APEC members will continue work to support global efforts to share vaccines equitably and expand vaccine manufacture and supply, including through the voluntary transfer of vaccine production technologies on mutually agreed terms, and through voluntary reduction of the cost of COVID-19 vaccines and related essential COVID-19 medical goods. We support deeper regional and international collaboration on COVID-19, in a way that puts people at the center of our response.

Our macroeconomic policies have played a key role in responding to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, preserving jobs and livelihoods and funding necessary public services. We welcome the work of APEC Finance Ministers and in particular, the New Strategy for the Implementation of the Cebu Action Plan, which contributes to achieving our goal of a more integrated, transparent, resilient, and connected APEC.

Structural reform will also be a critical tool for promoting economic recovery. We welcome the Enhanced APEC Agenda for Structural Reform, which provides for collaboration on growth-focused reforms designed to be inclusive, resilient, sustainable and innovation-friendly.

We will accelerate the implementation of the APEC Internet and Digital Economy Roadmap, further develop digital infrastructure, encourage the development and application of new technologies and work towards a digital business environment that is open, fair and inclusive, including by narrowing the digital divide. We will also strive to implement practices in support of digital connectivity and inclusion.

Trade should be a pillar for the development and future prosperity of all our people. The rules-based multilateral trading system, with the WTO at its core, can play an important role in economic recovery. We will engage constructively to ensure the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) is a success and delivers concrete outcomes.

We will advance economic integration in the region and the APEC Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) agenda, to contribute to high quality and comprehensive regional undertakings.

We also note that APEC Business Advisory Council considers the realization of FTAAP its preeminent economic priority.

We will continue to implement the APEC Connectivity Blueprint to further improve physical, institutional and people-to-people connectivity.

Digital connectivity and innovation are critical across our efforts towards an inclusive, resilient and sustainable recovery.

We need to support the equitable participation of all our people in the economy, so that no one is left behind.

Recognizing the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), women and others with untapped economic potential, we are also taking action to drive a more inclusive economic recovery.

We welcome the Food Security Roadmap Towards 2030. This will guide APEC's work towards our goal of sufficient, safe, nutritious, accessible and affordable food for all. We support efforts to reduce food waste and loss.

We will continue to deny safe haven to corruption offenders and their assets. We will promote transparency, accountability, and integrity as a basis for preventing and combatting corruption.

We acknowledge the need for urgent and concrete action to transition to a climate-resilient future global economy and appreciate net zero or carbon neutrality commitments in this regard.

We commit to work together to ensure that our economic and environmental policies are mutually supportive.

We will continue to work together to support energy resilience, access, and security in the region. We acknowledge the importance of stable energy markets, and supporting clean energy transitions.

Last year we adopted the Putrajaya Vision 2040, which will guide our work for the next 20 years.

We endorse the Aotearoa Plan of Action, which will be key to implementing this Vision. All of this in pursuit of our Vision: an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community by 2040, for the prosperity of all our people and future generations.