The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada serves as the secretariat for Canada’s National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation (CANCPEC). CANCPEC is one of 25 member committees in the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC), a non-profit international organization committed to the promotion of co-operation and dialogue to promote economic development in the Asia Pacific.
Founded in 1980, PECC is a tripartite network of 25 member committees comprising individuals and institutions dedicated to this shared mission. Of the 25 member committees, 22 represent the economies of Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands Forum, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, the United States of America, and Vietnam. The PECC also has one associate member, France (Pacific Territories), and two institutional members, the Pacific Trade and Development Conference and the Pacific Basin Economic Council.
As the only non-governmental official observer of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), PECC provides independent research input for the regional policy-making process.
In 2024-25, APF Canada initiated a collaboration between PECC Canada and PECC Australia to craft recommendations for updating the CPTPP’s e-commerce chapter (Chapter 14). Through a series of virtual workshops, the two groups have produced a joint policy paper outlining pathways to make the agreement "fit for purpose" in an era of rapid digitalization – covering cross-border data flows, consumer protection, and cybersecurity.
The recommendations will be delivered to both governments in 2025-26, and forwarded to other CPTPP economies for consideration.
For more information on our CANCPEC and PECC activities, email info@asiapacific.ca.
Current Members
Feature Publication
APF Canada’s Distinguished Fellow, Sharon Zhengyang Sun, represented the Canadian National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation (CANCPEC) at a workshop hosted by Japan and Korea’s Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) committees focused on addressing labour shortages due to low birth rates and aging populations in the APEC Region. The workshop was held at the 32nd PECC general meeting in Seoul, South Korea.
As demographic pressures are increasingly impacting economic growth across APEC, Sharon presented insights from her commentary: “Successes and Failures of Cross-Border Temporary Labour Migration Policies in Addressing Labour Shortages and Enhancing Economic Productivity.” The commentary highlights lessons learned from Canada’s experience with the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the International Mobility Program for APEC policymakers to consider when tackling this issue. Read the full commentary here.
Key Takeaways:
• Demographic pressures across APEC, predominantly aging populations and low fertility rates, are shrinking workforces, straining economic productivity, and drawing greater policy attention to temporary cross-border labour migration as a potential solution.
• Canada’s temporary labour migration programs have been successful in addressing labour shortages and population growth, especially in low- and medium-skilled sectors, but have also revealed structural vulnerability and socio-economic trade-offs, including instability, limited residency pathways, wage pressures, housing and service strains.
• Rapid policy swings – whether to expand or restrict immigration – have weakened domestic support for immigration, damaged the economy’s international reputation and deepened the precarity faced by temporary workers, increasing the risk of becoming undocumented migrants.
• APEC economies – including Canada – should adopt a coordinated, long-term approach to labour migration that balances workforce needs with sustainability, infrastructure, and social capacity.
• Canada also struggles with underutilised migrant skills due to significant challenges in recognizing foreign credentials, particularly in healthcare, engineering and law. Foreign degrees from non-Western institutions are 2.7 times more likely to be devalued than Canadian or Western credentials, resulting in systemic underemployment among high-skilled immigrants and declining productivity and talent underutilization in critical sectors.
• Other APEC economies such as Japan, China and Australia have made greater strides in credential recognition and alignment. Strengthening regional cooperation through tools such as APEC’s Mutual Recognition Agreements can improve cross-border credential harmonization, support migrant integration, and enhance professional mobility across the region.
Authors:
• Sharon Zhengyang Sun, Distinguished Fellow, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and Senior Manager of Research at the School of Public Policy, University of Calgary
• Stephany Laverty, Senior Policy Analyst, Canada West Foundation
Note: This commentary is a product of the PECC Signature Project (2024–2025) ‘Addressing Labor Shortages Due to Low Birth Rates and Aging Population in the APEC Region’, co-organized by KOPEC and JANCPEC. As a PECC Signature project, it is only available in English, the official working language of PECC and APEC.
CANCPEC Activities
2025
February 2025: Second Virtual Roundtable for the Track 1.5 Process to Review and Update the CPTPP Chapter 14 on Electronic Commerce
March 2025: Third Hybrid Roundtable for the Track 1.5 Process to Review and Update the CPTPP Chapter 14 on Electronic Commerce
April-May 2025: Convey final recommendations to the CPTPP Commission Chair (Australia)
Addressing Labor Shortages Due to Low Birth Rates and Aging Population in the APEC Region – led by JANCPEC and KOPEC, Co-sponsored by CANCPEC
Project aimed at addressing labour shortages due to low birth rates and an aging population to shape regional approaches on these issues and highlight sectoral cooperation that leads to long-term integration in the APEC region.
CANCPEC will provide one commentary article and participate in an in-person workshop.
2024
Meetings
The 31st PECC Annual General Meeting (AGM) and High-Level Dialogue – August 2024:
Under the overarching theme of “The Role of Regional Cooperation in a Disrupted World,” the PECC AGM was held in Lima, Peru and convened five panel discussions. Donald Campbell, CANCPEC Chair, participated as a panellist for the fifth panel on “A World Disrupted: The Imperative of International Cooperation.”
The high-level dialogue on “The Role of Regional Cooperation in the Governance of Artificial Intelligence,” featured global experts on artificial intelligence where discussions were held on the benefits and risks of AI, AI governance, responsible AI frameworks and next steps for APEC.
The PECC Executive Committee Meeting: CANCPEC was represented by Chair Donald Campell who presented on CANCPEC activities of 2024 which included gathering Canadian participants for PECC’s annual State of the Region Survey, and an Australia (AusPECC) led signature project on the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP). Current and future CANCPEC activities include co-sponsorship for the next phase of the AusPECC FTAAP pathways to prosperity project, co-sponsorship of a Japan and Korea led signature project on addressing labour shortages due to low birth rates and ageing populations, and a CANCPEC and AusPECC project for a Track 1.5 dialogue on the review of CPTPP Chapter 14 on electronic commerce.
Current CANCPEC Projects
Track 1.5 Process to Review and Update the CPTPP Chapter 14 on Electronic Commerce – led by CANCPEC and AusPECC
AusPECC and CANCPEC are jointly leading a PECC proposal to provide a set of recommendations to contribute to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) General Review for Chapter 14 on Electronic Commerce (E-Commerce). A key objective is to promote the enhancement of the e-commerce provisions of the agreement so that it can contribute to more collaborative, open and integrated economies across the Asia-Pacific region.
The project will provide a set of recommendations on how to enhance Chapter 14, drawing on the expertise across PECC member networks. The recommendations will be presented to the CPTPP Commission during Australia’s year as CPTPP Chair in 2025.
See the project proposal here.
Background
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a free trade agreement between 11 economies in the Asia-Pacific: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. To ensure that the CPTPP remains of the highest possible standard, and its disciplines continue to be relevant to trade and investment issues, CPTPP members have agreed for the general review of the CPTPP to begin in 2024 under the chairmanship of Canada, and to continue with Australia as chair in 2025.
The review provides an opportunity to review and update Chapter 14 on E-Commerce - an area which has undergone rapid advancements in digitalization and e-commerce over the last decade. A PECC multistakeholder review can provide recommendations to ensure the agreement promotes interoperability and new 'gold standards' for the region. Recommendations can also inform existing Free Trade Agreements and digital trade frameworks to identify best practices.
Timeline:
October 2024: Invitation to PECC network to nominate digital experts
November 27, 2024: Hybrid Roundtable for the Track 1.5 Process to Review and Update the CPTPP Chapter 14 on Electronic Commerce
- Find the event read-out here.
PECC Publications
About Publications
To meet PECC's objective to promote economic cooperation and the idea of a Pacific Community, PECC undertakes research on salient issues in the region. PECC brings together thought leaders from business, government, the research community and civil society and its multistakeholder approach brings a wider range of views to bear on the pressing issues of the day.
Find All Past PECC Publications here
PECC Signature Project: State of the Region Report
Since 2009, PECC conducts an annual survey on the State of the Region to gauge regional views on issues affecting Asia-Pacific economic cooperation.
2025
Commentary: APF Canada Distinguished Fellow Sharon Zhengyang Sun’s commentary on the signature PECC project, "Addressing Labor Shortages Due to Low Birth Rates and Aging Population in the APEC Region." Read her commentary, Successes and Failures of Cross-border Temporary Labour Migration Policies in Addressing Labour Shortages and Enhancing Economic Productivity.
Read all seven project commentaries from experts in the PECC network.
PECC Press Releases
2025
2024
2020
2017
All Releases
Find All Past PECC Press releases here
About PECC
About
PECC's first meeting (PECC I), which was then called "the Pacific Community Seminar", was held in September 1980 in Canberra, Australia, at the initiative of Mr. Masayoshi Ohira and Mr. Malcolm Fraser, then Prime Ministers of Japan and Australia.
The meeting called for the establishment of an independent, regional mechanism to advance economic cooperation and market-driven integration. A vital characteristic of the new body was its independent, unofficial status which would permit it to address economic issues and measures free from constraints of formal governmental policies and relationships. It, hence, agreed on the need for an informal process involving business and independent research institutions alongside governments.
Since its establishment, PECC has been a unique tripartite partnership of senior individuals from business and industry, government, academic and other intellectual circles. All members participate in their private capacity and discuss freely on current, practical policy issues of the Asia Pacific region. Currently composed of 25 member committees, is the only non-government official observer of APEC and has provided information and analytical support to APEC ministerial meetings and working groups, facilitating private sector participation in the formal process.
PECC Objective: Aims to serve as a regional forum for cooperation and policy coordination to promote economic development in the Asia-Pacific region, based on the following premises:
- 1. The respective strengths of business and industry, government, academic and other intellectual circles can be better focused to promote the acceleration of economic growth, social progress, scientific and technological development and environmental quality in the region.
- 2. Trade, joint ventures, mutual aid and other forms of linkage, when developed in a spirit of partnership, fairness, respect and genuine cooperation, strengthen the foundation needed for a prosperous, progressive and peaceful Asia Pacific region.
Read more about PECC here
