APEC Senior Officials Outline Key Priorities for 2025 in Gyeongju
Senior officials are gathering in the historic city of Gyeongju to outline the year’s key priorities, focusing on enhancing regional connectivity, fostering innovation, and promoting prosperity that benefits all. The discussions are a critical step in shaping the policies that will guide APEC through a rapidly changing global landscape.
“This is a pivotal moment for our region,” said Ambassador Yoon Seongmee, Chair of the 2025 APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting as she opened the meeting on Saturday. “Our goal is to reinforce our shared commitment to a future that benefits all of our people.”
“The theme for 2025, ‘Building a Sustainable Tomorrow’, reflects the shared ambition of fostering an open, dynamic, and resilient Asia-Pacific,” Ambassador Yoon added. “To realize this vision, we must prioritize both connectivity and innovation to secure long-term prosperity.”
Ambassador Yoon also emphasized that 2025 will see APEC prioritize discussions on how to explore avenues for cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) technology and address the impacts of demographic changes.
Stressing that rapidly advancing AI technology and demographic shifts have far-reaching impacts across all aspects of our members' societies, Ambassador Yoon emphasized the need for the region to work together to address these challenges and identify new opportunities in a way that is both sustainable and beneficial to all.
“It is time for APEC to tackle these trends to ensure that the region remains adaptable and capable of sustained growth,” she stated.
Eduardo Pedrosa, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, highlighted the concerns of businesses around the region, noting the unpredictable environment where investments are put on hold and fewer jobs are created.
"Ensuring connectivity means ensuring that trade continues to flow smoothly and that economies across the region remain integrated. APEC plays a key role in fostering these connections and promoting collaboration, especially as we navigate global uncertainties," said Pedrosa.
"Through dialogue, stakeholder engagement and partnership, we can continue to create opportunities that benefit everyone, regardless of the challenges that may arise,” Pedrosa added.
The meeting will see senior officials adopt strategies for deepening regional cooperation. These include bridging digital divide, promoting sustainable growth and fostering innovation through digital trade and policy alignment across member economies.
Additionally, Ambassador Yoon emphasized that for APEC, often referred to as an “incubator of ideas”, to develop collective responses to these challenges, it is essential to further strengthen cross-fora collaboration among APEC’s various forums, as well as public-private engagement, one of APEC’s key characteristics.
In the next session on Sunday, senior officials will delve deeper into APEC’s plans to strengthen digital economy integration and tackle issues such as public health, food security, supply chain disruptions and sustainable development.
“This meeting sets the stage for continued dialogue and collective action, ensuring that the initiatives discussed today will lead to concrete outcomes in the coming months,” conclude Ambassador Yoon.
A series of sectoral ministerial meetings will follow in the year, further shaping the policy directions that will guide APEC’s work.
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