Over the past couple of weeks, Access Partnership has been in South Korea attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s (APEC) first Senior Official’s Meeting (SOM1). Our experts participated in key discussions across multiple panels and committees, covering a range of topics and working with key partners in government and the private sector to shape policy frameworks.
Shaping Health in APEC
At SOM1, we joined the Health Working Group to:
Enhance Pandemic Preparedness – We shared insights on regulatory flexibilities that support pandemic readiness, including remote inspections, e-labelling, rolling submissions, and hybrid clinical trials, in our role as advisors to the Regulatory Harmonisation Steering Committee.
Advance Life-Course Immunisation – As Secretariat for the APEC Vaccines Task Force, we advocated for healthy ageing through vaccination and faster access to innovative immunisation solutions.
Enable Digital Health Transformation – We explored ways to leverage health data for R&D collaboration, AI adoption, and telemedicine through a potential new project.
Unlock Health Financing for Women’s Health – We presented a project proposal, developed with Peru and co-sponsored by Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Chile, to enhance financial support for women’s healthcare.
Protect Infants Against RSV – We convened over 150 policymakers and healthcare professionals in a side event focused on overcoming barriers to timely access to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for RSV protection.
Impacting the Agenda
Beyond the health sector, we contributed to discussions across APEC’s broader policy agenda, participating in working groups and committees focused on:
- Regulatory convergence to improve access to medical products
- Harmonising international standards and conformance
- Trade liberalisation and facilitation in the chemical sector
- Advancing digital trade and emerging technologies
- Promoting sustainability in fisheries and marine trade
- Driving cross-sector partnerships in STEM
At Access Partnership, our strong network across APEC, spanning both the public and private sectors, enables us to drive policy innovation and shape a more resilient, sustainable future. Get a look behind the scenes – scroll through our photos from SOM1 to see our experts in action, leading discussions, driving panels, and collaborating with key partners.
To learn more about our work with APEC and how we can help you, get in touch here.
