ABAC I
23-25 February
Brisbane, Australia
The APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) is the “voice of business” for the Asia-Pacific region. Members are appointed by the Economic Leaders of the 21 economies in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
New Zealand has three members on the Council:
Anna Curzon, Brett O’Riley and Sarah Ottrey.
Stephanie Honey serves as the ABAC New Zealand Lead Staffer (policy advisor) and ABAC New Zealand Alternate Member.
ABAC Members provide advice to Leaders, Ministers and officials on key issues of concern to the region’s business community. They engage in a unique annual Dialogue with Leaders to present their recommendations.
ABAC New Zealand members play a leading role across a range of important issues in ABAC, ranging from championing the WTO, open markets and tackling trade barriers, to creating an enabling environment for digital trade, economic participation by women and Indigenous entrepreneurs, leveraging trade tools for the climate fight and sustainable food production and trade.
Through this advocacy, the New Zealand members are able to influence high-level policy discussions that shape the economic environment across the region. We serve as a bridge between the New Zealand business community and policymakers on many of the issues of greatest importance in our deeply interconnected region.
This year, ABAC is chaired by H.S. Cho of ABAC Korea, with the theme “Bridge. Business. Beyond”. ABAC will meet four times in 2025: in Brisbane in February; in Toronto in April; in Hai Phong in July; and in Busan in October. The annual Dialogue with Leaders takes place in Gyeongju on 31 October.
In 2026, the Chair of ABAC will be taken up by ABAC China.
