APEC’s Vision for the Future of the Asia-Pacific Region: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Role of Youth in APEC
On 18 December 2025, the Graduate School of Public Policy (GraSPP), The University of Tokyo, hosted the 95th Public Policy Seminar titled APEC’s Vision for the Future of the Asia-Pacific Region: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Role of Youth in APEC. The seminar featured Mr. Eduardo Pedrosa, Executive Director of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat, and brought together students, faculty members, and policy practitioners to explore APEC’s evolving role in regional cooperation and the contributions of youth in shaping the region’s future.
The seminar opened with remarks by Professor Daiji Kawaguchi, Dean of GraSPP, who emphasized GraSPP’s longstanding engagement with APEC-related initiatives and its commitment to nurturing the next generation of policy leaders. He highlighted the value of creating platforms where students can interact directly with practitioners working on frontline policy issues. This was followed by opening remarks from Ambassador Shige Watanabe, Ambassador in Charge of Economic Diplomacy and APEC Senior Official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Ambassador Watanabe underscored APEC’s continued relevance amid global uncertainty, noting its significant share of global trade and population and Japan’s active leadership within the forum.
In his keynote lecture, Mr. Pedrosa provided a comprehensive overview of APEC’s historical evolution, institutional architecture, and strategic priorities. He explained APEC’s distinctive characteristics as a non-binding, consensus-based forum that convenes government, business, and academic communities from 21 member economies to advance sustainable growth, trade liberalization, and regional economic integration. He also stressed the growing importance of youth participation in the context of demographic change in the Asia-Pacific, inviting students to reflect on the kind of world they wish to create over the next 15 years and the roles they may play as future policymakers.
An engaging Q&A session followed, addressing key issues facing the region today. Participants raised questions on geopolitical fragmentation, the proliferation of bilateral and plurilateral trade agreements, and the so-called “spaghetti bowl” of overlapping frameworks such as CPTPP and RCEP. Mr. Pedrosa emphasized that multilateral cooperation remains essential for managing fragmentation and enhancing regional resilience. The discussion also covered rising protectionism and economic security strategies in sensitive sectors, particularly semiconductors and high-technology supply chains, where cooperation can strengthen collective stability.
Further questions addressed Japan’s role within APEC, with Mr. Pedrosa noting Japan’s active participation across multiple regional frameworks and reaffirming APEC’s member-driven nature as a strength in setting priorities through dialogue and shared learning. He also reflected on emerging linkages between Asia-Pacific initiatives and groupings, pointing to opportunities for deeper cross-regional cooperation.
In his closing remarks, Dean Kawaguchi summarized the seminar’s key messages, stressing the dynamism of economic development in the region, the importance of international collaboration in addressing shared challenges, and the value of diversity among APEC member economies. He reaffirmed that educational institutions such as GraSPP play a crucial role in equipping young leaders to contribute to APEC’s vision of a resilient, open, and prosperous Asia-Pacific region.
(Written by Tanawat Papaeng, PhD Student)
