At its Standing Committee meeting in August 2025, the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) endorsed the Mission Statement, reaffirming the Council’s role in advancing regional cooperation in the region. The Mission Statement “ Actively support economic cooperation and sustainable growth for an open and stable Pacific Community by leveraging tripartite collaboration and expertise to deliver evidence-based research insights, fostering inclusive and effective dialogues, and proactively...

PECC Co-Chair Dr. Richard Cantor attended the APEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting and Structural Reform Ministerial Meeting in Incheon from Oct. 21-23 where he offered a presentation to Ministers on the outcomes of PECC work this year. He focused his remarks on the adoption and pillars of the Yeouido Declaration, outcomes of the signature project on demographics, topical updates on AI and innovation, advancing the FTAAP, and offered a first look at the 2025-2026 PECC State of the Region Report....

By Mia Mikic (NZPECC) Promoting Youth Engagement in PECC: Building the Next Generation of Regional Leaders Engaging young people in regional cooperation is not just about preparing the next generation—it is also about enriching today’s policy discussions with fresh perspectives, creativity, and energy. As the Asia-Pacific confronts profound structural changes—digital transformation, climate challenges, demographic shifts, and evolving trade patterns—there is increasing recognition that youth...

Roleplayers for the 32nd PECC General Meeting - Group Photo ( Photo Credits: KOPEC/KIEP ) The 32nd PECC General Meeting, co-hosted by the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) and the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), was held on August 12, 2025. The meeting, themed “Reimagining Asia-Pacific Cooperation: Trade, AI, and Demographics in a Shifting Global Landscape”, provided valuable insights and fostered discussions on a range of economic, social, and policy challenges....

The Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) has released the 2025 Yeouido Declaration at its 32nd General Meeting in Seoul, marking 20 years since the landmark 2005 Seoul Declaration. The Declaration underscores the urgent need to renew multilateral cooperation and open regionalism to address today’s most pressing challenges—rising protectionism, demographic transformations, technological disruption, and climate change. Key calls to action include: Building trust in the rules-based trading...

On June 10, 2025, Dr. Kaewkamol (Karen) Pitakdumrongkit, Interim Secretary General of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC), participated as a speaker in the hybrid session titled “Digital Trade Interface: When Sound Regulation and Innovative Technologies Produce Economic Payoffs.” The event was co-organized by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as part of UNESCAP’s Paperless Trade Week, held at the United Nations Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand. Dr. Karen highlighted the...

(L to R: Mr. Stephen Olson, Dr. Cassey Lee, Mr. Eduardo Pedrosa, Dr. Kaewkamol Pitakdumrongkit) (Photos Credits to ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute) On March 25, 2025, Dr. Kaewkamol Pitakdumrongkit, PECC Interim Secretary General, participated in a hybrid seminar hosted by the Singapore APEC Study Centre at ISEAS. The event, titled "The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in 2025: Challenges and Opportunities," provided invaluable insights into the economic outlook for APEC economies in 2025...

The Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Kaewkamol (Karen) Pitakdumrongkit as the Interim Secretary General of the PECC International Secretariat, effective 3 February 2025. She succeeds Mr Eduardo Pedrosa, who has been appointed as Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat. Prior to this role, Dr Pitakdumrongkit served as Head of the Centre for Multilateralism Studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang...

Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) committees from the United States and the France Pacific Territories convened this seminar, a partner event of the Paris AI Action Summit 2025, to bring together experts from AI labs, regulatory bodies, civil society, and academia in the Asia-Pacific region to discuss the responsible development and governance of general-purpose AI systems (GPAIS). The Asia-Pacific region hosts the most critical actors in AI research, chip manufacturing, development,...

The 30th PECC General Meeting concluded on 15th August 2023. The event was hosted by the US PECC Committee during the APEC SOM 3 cluster of meetings held in Seattle. Over 100 delegates from 22 economies participated in person and virtually in the discussions. Participants came from different sectors of society; government; business; academia; civil society; and local governments. The conference featured in-depth discussions on: Digital Solutions to Environmental Challenges and Climate Change;...

A multi-year project led by AUSPECC to advance regional thinking on inclusive growth, economic integration, stability and cooperation in the region. The intention is to lead a fresh conversation about the value of enhanced cooperation and regional integration, in order to better develop ideas about how to proceed to those goal, and to use the concept of an FTAAP as a framework for this conversation. The aim is to: Explore how an FTAAP work program based on advancing the concept of an FTAAP can...