The Director-General of the Department of International Economic Affairs attended the virtual APEC Concluding Senior Officials’ Meeting (CSOM) to follow up on the implementation of APEC work plans with the ultimate aim of the prosperity of all people, by giving priority to free trade and investment, digital economy and technology, for post-COVID-19 economic recovery in the region.

On 13 November 2020, Mr. Cherdchai Chaivaivid, Director-General of the Department of International Economic Affairs, as Thailand’s APEC Senior Official, attended the virtual APEC Concluding Senior Officials’ Meeting (CSOM) hosted by Malaysia. Important agendas included follow-up on the implementation of APEC work plans, particularly the drafting of APEC Post-2020 Vision which will be endorsed by APEC Leaders next week. With the ultimate aim of the prosperity of all people, the new APEC Vision gives priority to free trade and investment, digital economy and technology, and resiliency in Asia-Pacific. The Meeting also took stock of APEC’s work towards post-COVID-19 economic recovery in the region, empowering of women through the La Serena Roadmap for Women and Inclusive Growth, MSMEs empowerment, and digital economy.

On this occasion, Thailand underlined its support for the multilateral trading system and APEC 2020 work plan on Post-COVID-19 including the APEC COVID-19 Latest and Immediate Virtual Exchange (LIVE) which is an online-platform of policy trackers on COVID-19 and the APEC Support Fund Sub-Fund for APEC Cooperation on Combatting COVID-19 and Economic Recovery. Thailand also expressed its readiness to assume the position of the Chair of Digital Economy Steering Group (DESG) for 2021-2022 after Chile, and the Chair of Steering Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation (SCE) for 2021 after New Zealand. Thailand is exploring a flagship project relating to COVID-19 recovery and the well-being agenda to be proposed in the SCE.

The APEC CSOM is part of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week (AELW) during 11- 20 November 2020 to prepare for the upcoming APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM) and APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) next week.