| Project Detail |
Project No. SMEWG_205_2024A MSMEs are disproportionately impacted by global business risks, including corruption, which can hinder their growth and access to markets. Strengthening business ethics is critical to fostering an enabling business environment that supports MSME success and sustainable innovation. Multi-stakeholder collective action plays a key role in advancing ethical business conduct by leveling the playing field through best practice setting across the health system, including with industry associations, governments, and healthcare professional bodies. This in turn fosters an enabling business environment and empowers the success of MSMEs, which aligns with the goals of APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040. The Aotearoa Plan of Action specifically calls for strengthening multi-stakeholder cooperation to promote responsible business conduct, particularly with the private sector. This Initiative and its work in promoting multi-stakeholder cooperation in health-related sectors has also been cited in the Small and Medium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting Statements for most years of its fifteen year history, most recently in the 2024 iteration. To support these objectives and further advance the Business Ethics for APEC SMEs Initiative, this project will: (1) convene the 2025 APEC Business Ethics for SMEs Forum in Korea to provide a platform for collaboration and capacity-building among key stakeholders in health systems across the APEC region; (2) develop a guiding document for 2030, outlining the roadmap and key milestones for enhancing ethical business practices among MSMEs; and (3) continue the Initiatives monitoring reports to assess progress in the implementation of the modernized APEC Kuala Lumpur and Mexico City Principles. |
