Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
APEC Ministerial Meeting 2024 Session I
November 14, 2024
On November 14 (November 15 JST), Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, together with Mr. MUTO Yoji, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, participated in the APEC Ministerial Meeting held in Lima, Republic of Peru. The session I of the meeting was chaired by H.E. Mr. Elmer José Germán Gonzalo SCHIALER SALCEDO, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Peru, under the theme of “Innovation and Digitalization to Promote Transition to the Formal and Global Economy.”
- In the meeting, Minister IWAYA stated as follows;
- Japan welcomes “the Lima Roadmap to Promote the Transition to the Formal and Global Economies”. We also commend that the Roadmap underlines special attention to the economic empowerment of women and offers a variety of effective measures aimed at tangible results.
- In many places around the world, a large number of women and vulnerable groups are engaged in the informal economic sector and depend on unstable employment and income. Consequently, they are forced to live in harsh conditions without the adequate protection of laws or social security. In order to address this issue, which is prioritized in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Japan has been taking various initiatives to support female entrepreneurs as well as Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through Official Development Aid (ODA).
- Japan will commit to continuing to deliver such capacity building support and to enhance women’s economic empowerment in pursuit of realizing a community which is fair to all people.
- Many of the participating ministers expressed their appreciation for Peru on hosting APEC and commended the priorities set for APEC 2024, including the transition to the formal economy. They reaffirmed their commitment to advancing cooperation to realize a sustainable and inclusive APEC.