New Zealand’s hosting of APEC has ‘shifted the dial’, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says – Stuff.co.nz

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand's hosting of APEC has shifted the dial for the regional forum, which has for years been troubled by power struggles, protest, and the Covid-19 pandemic.

The final week of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation will take place next week, culminating in a virtual summit for the leaders of the forum's 21 countries, which include Russia, the United States, China, Japan, Mexico and Peru among others.

New Zealands year of hosting APEC, conducted entirely online due to the Covid-19 pandemic, came after Malaysias 2020 event was disrupted by Covid-19, Chiles 2019 summit was cancelled due to protests, and Papua New Guineas 2018 summit was so marred by US-China tensions that leaders failed to agree on a final statement.

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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks during the APEC Informal Leaders' Retreat in July.

The team has done a fantastic job, there's really tangible stuff there, and it will make a difference in the long term. I think it shifted the dial of APEC, Ardern said, of the outcome this year's event.

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Leaders, when they meet on Friday, will participate in the APEC tradition of wearing a distinctive garment from the host country. They will also agree to a series of goals the countries will meet to realise the Putrajaya Vision a statement already agreed upon for how the region will economically operate by 2040.

One of the long-term changes that we've been able to embed is just the position of climate change in the work that we will do from here, Ardern said.

Climate-based analysis, analysis on inclusivity, particularly given women and girls have been so heavily impacted by Covid across APEC economies, and also the role of indigenous peoples going forward for APEC ... those are really big, tangible things that New Zealand's done.

Earlier in the week, there will be an event for youth delegates, a meeting of APEC ministers, and an APEC chief executives summit.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel will speak at an APEC event this week.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will attend the second day of the chief executive summit to discuss the state of the world with Ardern. Other speakers will include international human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, former prime minister Helen Clark, and US author Jonathan Haidt.

As chair of this APEC, New Zealand has decided on both the garments and the title for the 2040 goals. The last set of goals were called the Bogor Goals, as they were agreed upon in the Indonesian town of Bogor.

Ardern was unwilling to reveal the garments chosen for the leaders, the title of the goals, or the goals themselves.

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Ministry of Foreign Affairs deputy secretary Vangelis Vitalis looks on during the APEC Informal Leaders' Retreat in July.

I don't think I'm allowed to do the big reveal. There's always a large interest; I won't say large, I won't overstate it. There's always an interest in APEC attire.

What I would say is that it will speak to New Zealand's fibre sector and design ... It will not be polyester.

Ardern has already claimed APEC a success, however, due to an informal leaders meeting held in July. It was the first such meeting of APEC leader outside the formal summit, and the outcome was to reduce tariffs and trade barriers on Covid-19 vaccine-related goods.

Countries also committed to review tariffs on the vaccines themselves. Ardern said 17 of the economies had either lowered or removed tariffs on Covid-19 vaccines.

We should be proud of how agile we've been able to be, that we haven't just waited on leaders. We haven't waited on leaders declarations, we moved quickly, and we used interim [meeting].

Ministry of Foreign Affairs deputy secretary Vangelis Vitalis said that despite tensions, the 21 APEC economies have really pulled together to try to find areas where we can indeed work together.

The crisis that the pandemic and the scar it has left, in terms of the human cost as well as economic costs, has actually driven us closer together to try to find ways in which we can really, genuinely work together.

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New Zealand's hosting of APEC has 'shifted the dial', Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says - Stuff.co.nz