FTAAP Pathways to Prosperity 

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 best achieve prospective opportunities and address regional challenges;  
• Complement and add value to existing discussions on an FTAAP concept in APEC, including in the CTI, ABAC and among member economies;
• Provide a vision of enhanced cooperation and integration in the region, including developing concrete proposals to build momentum as APEC advances towards its 2040 Putrajaya Vision;
• Build understanding and cooperative policy making by engaging all APEC economies, ...

KOPEC: Dr. Siwook Lee appointed as the new KOPEC Chair

Dr. Siwook Lee succeeds Dr. Heungchong Kim as the Chair of the Korea National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation (KOPEC). Dr. Lee is also the President of the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) and professor at the KDI School of Public Policy and Management (on leave).

Dr. Lee earned his B.A. in Economics at Yonsei University, M.A. in applied economics at the University of Parix-IX, France and Ph.D. in Economics at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, U.S., respectively.

Before joining the KIEP, he worked as research fellow at Korea Development Institute (KDI) and taught at Myongji University and the KDI School. He also served as President for the Korean Association of Trade and Industry Studies (KATIS), Associate Dean at the KDI School, Executive Director of the Center for International Development, and Director of the Center for Regulatory Studies at KDI. 

In addition, he contributed several academic journals, as editorial b...

State of the Region 2023 - 2024

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

From March to April 2023 the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) conducted its annual survey of regional policy experts’ views on the State of the Region. Out of the more than 700 respondents, 47 percent expected worse growth for the global economy, a slight improvement over the 60 percent in last year’s survey. At the same time, they were slightly less pessimistic about the prospects for their own economies with 33 percent expecting weaker growth. The continued perception of weaker growth is likely to weigh heavily on business and consumer sentiment, especially with high inflation rates reducing space for discretionary expenditure.

Inflation was still considered the highest risk to growth by respondents with 52 percent of respondents selecting Rising cost of living as a top 5 risk to growth for their economy, almost the same share as last year’s 51 percent who selected inflation. The increasing cost of living stood out as a risk, with 43 percent selecti...

MANCPEC: Professor Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah appointed as the new MANCPEC Chair

Professor Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah succeeds Mr Herizal Hazri as the Chair of the Malaysia National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation (MANCPEC). Professor Faiz is also the Chairman for the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), Malaysia.

A lawyer by training, Professor Faiz graduated with First-Class Honours in LLB from the International Islamic University Malaysia in 1989 and was called to the Malaysian Bar the following year. He later obtained an MBA from the University of Southern Queensland, Australia and a PhD from Putra Business School. His first degree was in English Literature from the University of Malaya.

As author and scholar, Professor Faiz has extensive experience in public policy and research, including as special adviser on international policy and affairs with the Selangor government, and later as adviser in strategic and international relations in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Ministry of International Trade and Industry.

Professor Fa...

MXCPEC: Dr. Gerardo Traslosheros appointed as the new MXCPEC Chair

Dr. Gerardo Traslosheros succeeds Ambassador Sergio Ley as the Chair of the Mexico National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation. Dr. Traslosheros is also the Coordinator of the Global Governance Program at the UDLAP Jenkins Graduate School (UJGS) in Mexico City, and Member of the Mexican Council of Foreign Relations (COMEXI). He is also a newspaper columnist, an analyst on global affairs, and a professor on international economics. 

He has previously served as Ambassador of Mexico to New Zealand (2016-2018), the Consul General of Mexico in Sao Paulo (2011-2016), and Minister-Counsellor for the Ministry of the Economy at the Mexican Embassy to the OECD (2005-2007). He was the Coordinator of the OECD-Ministry of the Economy project for the Strengthening of Competitiveness in Mexico (2007-2009) and negotiations of the Mexico-Japan Economic Partnership-FTA Agreement (2003-2005). He was also a member of the Mexican NAFTA negotiating team.

He served as the APEC SOM Chair when Mexico...