It has been a pleasure for me to serve and represent American business interests in APEC first as NCAPEC Chairman in 2007, and then as a U.S. ABAC member from September 2007 through 2009. 
 
       My work with APEC and ABAC has given me a profound understanding of the importance of both institutions. In addition, I have come to appreciate the work that NCAPEC has done facilitating U.S. private sector engagement in the APEC process, elevating issues of concern to senior levels of APEC member governments, and working hard to identify potential solutions.
 
       With APEC economies leading the way, the global economy is recovering from its worst downturn since the Great Depression. I can tell you that, having returned to Europe, the pace of economic activity here is in stark contrast to many of the economies of APEC, and the switch of economic power is evident. APEC members have worked on their own and together to help stimulate economic growth while ensuring that the recession did not lead to a depression. I firmly believe that APEC and ABAC must continue to reinforce the view that a robust trading climate and policies that enable innovation and entrepreneurship are essential to sustaining a healthy global economy. 
 
       In parallel, we need continued vigilance against protectionism as well as strong business support for the Free Trade Area of Asia Pacific (FTAAP) and one of its potential building blocks, the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Other issues related to trade at the border, behind the border, and across the border also remain as relevant today as ever.
 
       APEC has made significant progress. However, its ultimate achievement will come when it meets the goals it set for itself in 1994 - namely the Bogor Goals. They include the achievement of free and open trade and investment in Asia Pacific no later than 2010 for industrialized economies and no later than 2020 for developing economies. There is still a lot more work to do.
 
       At the last APEC Leaders Summit in Singapore, a common message from the U.S. business community to the U.S. government was that the private sector needed the strong engagement of the U.S. in APEC and in the Pacific Rim in general. As the host of APEC 2011, the U.S. is in an excellent position to demonstrate strong leadership and continue APEC's progress toward meeting the Bogor Goals. At the same time, the U.S. private sector has a prime opportunity to become engaged more than ever before.
 
       I would like to thank APEC, NCAPEC, ABAC, and their members, as well as the representatives from the U.S. government for your support and for making my time with APEC so rewarding. U.S. ABAC is in good hands under Deb Henretta and Peter Scher. Please continue your strong support of them and I encourage you all to continue playing an active role and raising your issues with NCAPEC and ABAC members. 
 

Nick Reilly
President
General Motors Europe

        In November 2011 when President Obama hosts APEC leaders in Honolulu, it will be the culmination of four years of determined work stemming from the 2007 Australia APEC Leaders Meeting, when the United States first announced it would host APEC.  The U.S. year starts in earnest immediately after the Yokohama APEC meetings this November, with the first informal meeting of Senior Officials slated for December.  This meeting will identify key objectives and set the tone for the year. Through strong leadership, the United States has the opportunity to project a vision that can set APEC - and the United States - on an ambitious path toward an economically integrated Asia-Pacific.
 
       Ever since the U.S. announced it would host APEC 2011, both the U.S. government and the private sector have been developing long-range initiatives within a broad spectrum of APEC work streams. Private sector committees and working groups coordinated by the National Center have been laying out strategic frameworks. They have also been setting objectives for APEC action in energy security, trade facilitation, food security, information and communications technology, life sciences, health innovation, and digital prosperity. The U.S. Government, U.S. ABAC members, and National Center members have been working intensely to position issues, build support from key economies, and coordinate closely with the previous APEC chairs from Singapore, and Japan to build a robust agenda for the U.S. year.
 
       The private sector led APEC 2011 USA Host Committee has been launched, and already a number of companies have committed their support. Craig Mundie of Microsoft and Michael Ducker of FedEx - both veterans of many APEC summits - will serve as chair and vice-chair, respectively, of APEC 2011 USA. The Committee will be charged with organizing, coordinating, and conducting meaningful private sector activities to be held in conjunction with APEC meetings in the United States throughout 2011. In addition to organizing and conducting the CEO Summit in November, the Committee will also organize and support complementary business activities with the Senior Officials' meetings, as well as Ministerial meetings. It will also undertake an extensive outreach effort to entrepreneurs, small businesses, and the policy/academic community throughout the United States. On April 16, the Steering Committee of the APEC 2011 USA Host Committee will meet for the first time.
 
      The U.S. Government has begun to name the host cities for 2011 APEC meetings including Big Sky, Montana for the Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Trade; Honolulu, Hawaii for the Leaders Meeting; and Washington, D.C. for the first Senior Officials meeting. National Center President Monica Whaley recently returned from Honolulu after attending an APEC Honolulu Host Committee launch with veteran Senator Daniel K. Inouye. 

Left to Right: U.S. Senior Official to APEC Amb. Kurt Tong, Bank of Hawaii CEO & President Peter Ho, Senator Daniel K. Inouye, and Governor Linda Lingle attended the Honolulu Host Committee Launch last week.

The APEC 2011 USA Host Committee will be working closely with the Honolulu Host Committee on local issues in advance of the Leaders Meeting in November. The National Center will be co-sponsoring an APEC policy discussion with the Mansfield Foundation later this month, as well as
co-hosting a major APEC address by Deputy USTR Demetrios Marantis in May.

December
Informal Senior Officials' Retreat	Honolulu, HI
January
NCAPEC 2011 Executive Roundtable	TBD
February
SOM I	Washington, DC
ABAC I	Beijing, China (tentative)
May
ABAC II	Seoul, South Korea
SOM II	Big Sky, MT
Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Trade	Big Sky, MT
Meeting of Ministers Responsible for SMEs	Big Sky MT
August
ABAC III	TBD
September
SOM III (tentative)	TBD
Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Energy and Transportation (tentative)	TBD
APEC Clean Energy Transport Symposium (tentative)	TBD
Digital Prosperity Summit	TBD
Health Innovation Summit	TBD
APEC Life Sciences Innovation Forum	TBD
November
APEC Concluding Senior Officials Meeting	Honolulu, HI
APEC Joint Ministerial Meeting	Honolulu, HI
Concluding ABAC Meeting	Honolulu, HI
APEC CEO Summit	Honolulu, HI
APEC Leaders Dialogue with ABAC	Honolulu, HI
APEC Economic Leaders Meeting	Honolulu, HI

       APEC 2010 SOM Chair Amb. Shigeru Nakamura of Japan and U.S. Senior Official for APEC Ambassador Kurt Tong, joined in discussions on principal themes for APEC Japan 2010 such as: increasing regional economic integration, promoting balanced, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, as well as furthering emphasis on human security issues to protect societies against a multitude of threat.

      A full summary of the event will be available in the coming weeks.