APEC Needs to Keep Engaging Youth

Let me begin by quoting the Vision we set out for ourselves, as it bears repeating: Our vision is an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community by 2040, for the prosperity of all our people and future generations.

For APEC to achieve our vision of "an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community," we must address public policy challenges of climate change, economic inequalities, growing digital divide, and youth unemployment. To be sure, policymakers and individual governments cannot resolve these by themselves. We need to engage our people, to hear their voices-the voices of our youth.

When I last addressed the Voices of the Future in Bangkok 2022, I used this analogy to describe the youth's role: They are like the yeast for leavening bread. A little goes a long way, the ability of a little yeast to change basic ingredients into food to feed many. Young people have the power to show us up, to break social barriers, to change the way we perceive the world, such that we move from short-term policies to long-term structural reforms to respond to the changes in the socio-economic environment.

Their contribution matters. In 2021, the youth declaration called upon our leaders to, and I quote, "embrace the energy and ideas we as collective young people bring. We want to ensure we are charting a path together to a better future, creating a new reality we can feel proud to pass on" end quote.

In 2022, these young people shared with us their views on promoting equitable access to education and future-ready skills; strengthening existing systems and global standards in trade; strengthening supply chains and connecting economies; facilitating social connection across the Asia Pacific; supporting the Bio-Circular-Green industries for sustainable and resilient economic growth; minimising gender inequality; building a more diversified and resilient environment; and called on leaders to ensure food equity, sovereignty and security.

Let me assure you that much of what they have articulated in their declarations are already integral to our core work at APEC. Still, it is useful for us to have their take on these matters.

This year, Peru has gone further to help us focus on what we must do to ensure that the phrase "for the prosperity of all our people and future generations" becomes a reality. Through the "APEC for the People" initiative, our APEC Peru colleagues have stepped up engagement with a broad spectrum of society, showing us in such tangible terms how we can translate 30,000-feet policies to 3-feet practical measures that all can appreciate. I was fortunate to be small part of this initiative through a very engaging session with students from another university here in Lima, sharing perspectives about the work that we do in APEC and learning about their aspirations and expectations.

As I end my tenure in APEC this year, I do want to repeat my oft stated wish: that of mainstreaming the voices of the youth into the APEC agenda. In my six years with the APEC Secretariat, I have constantly reminded our team of the need to keep engaging our youth. This we have done through the App Challenge as well as the annual Bio-Circular-Green Award, which has a youth category, and through stepping up and expanding our internship programme at the Secretariat. Mainstreaming the VOF will ensure continuity and follow-through of fresh ideas and perspectives.

I am thankful to all these young people for coming to Peru and for being engaged in a process that must become an imperative for all of us at APEC as we strive to make APEC a forum relevant for all.

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Dr Rebecca Sta Maria is the executive director of the APEC Secretariat.