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Human Resources Development

The goal of human resources development in APEC is to promote the well-being of all people and achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth in the region.

The Human Resources Development Working Group (HRDWG) was established in 1990 and conducts work programs on developing human resources, focusing on issues ranging from education, capacity building to labor and social protection. In addition, the HRDWG has responsibilities to help build cultural awareness and promote gender equality as well as be responsible for including disability issues in its workplan. The mission of HRDWG is “Sharing knowledge, experience, and skills to strengthen human resource development and promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth.” The working group is guided by these three objectives:

  • Develop 21st century knowledge and skills for all
  • Integrate human resources development into the global economy
  • Address the social dimension of globalization

To accomplish these objectives, the HRDWG conducts its work program both through the working group directly and through its three networks:

  • The Capacity Building Network (CBN), which focuses on skills development, human resource management and vocational training through crosscutting collaboration to facilitate 21st century talents, enhance employability and provide quality employment.
  • The Education Network (EDNET), which focuses on fostering strong and vibrant learning systems across APEC member economies, promoting quality and equitable education to enable people of all ages to meet the challenges of rapid change in today’s world through enhancing competencies, accelerating innovation and increasing employability. For more details, please refer to the EDNET webpage available here.
  • The Labor and Social Protection Network (LSPN), which focuses on fostering strong and flexible labor markets and strengthening social protection, including social safety nets, through evidence-based interventions, collaboration, technical co-operation and the provision of labor market and social protection information and analysis to address sustainable human resource development across APEC member economies. 

The HRDWG 2024 theme “Building the Bridge from the Informal to Formal Economy: Promoting Investment in Inclusive and Equitable Human Resources Development in the Asia-Pacific Region” further advances the APEC 2024’s theme “Empower. Include. Grow.” and its three priorities of (i) Trade and investment for inclusive and interconnected growth; (ii) Innovation and digitalization to promote transition to the formal and global economy; and (iii) Sustainable growth for resilient development.

Reflecting shared priorities of all APEC economies through extensive consultations, HRDWG members will continue to spearhead initiatives based on the endorsements of the “HRDWG Arequipa Goals” in 2024 and the “HRDWG Detroit Non-Binding Principles and Recommendations for Equality and Inclusion in Education, Training, and Employment” in 2023 that built upon the aspirations of APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040 and the 2024 host year theme, as well as the Aotearoa Plan of Action.

 

Last page update: January 2025

Contacts

Zhao LI (Mr)
HRDWG Lead Shepherd 2025-2026
Deputy Director, International Relations & Economic Research,
U.S. Department Of Labor

Email: [email protected]; 
[email protected]; and 
[email protected]

Copy: 
[email protected];
[email protected]
[email protected]; and
[email protected]
Siti HARLENA Harris Lee (Ms)
Program Director

Current Activities

HRDWG Friends of the Chair on Promoting Disability Policies Virtual Meeting

 

HRDWG Friends of the Chair on Promoting Disability Policies (FoTC) members, along with the HRDWG Lead Shepherd Zhao Li and Program Director of APEC Secretariat Harlena Harris convene in a virtual meeting on 30 October 2024. Chaired by FotC Coordinator Liang You (China), members from Canada; China; Hong Kong, China; Japan; Korea; Peru; the Philippines; Chinese Taipei and the United States deliberate and adopt the FotC Work Plan May 2024 - December 2025. Following the launch of FoTC and the endorsement of the Arequipa Goals (link), FotC and HRDWG members continue to drive impactful progress in advancing policies and initiatives that empower people with disabilities for sustainable and inclusive growth in the region.

Key achievements and areas of focus:

HRDWG’s project work

In support of these core areas of focus, the HRDWG’s three networks have a number of active APEC projects currently underway related to labor mobility, qualifications recognition, digital literacy, global competencies and youth employment, the details of which are accessible here.

Leadership:

The HRDWG’s lead shepherd serves as the working group’s chair and each network has one coordinator. The lead shepherd and network coordinators will have as their co-chair a representative from the HRDWG host economy who will serve in the co-chair capacity for one year.

The current HRDWG lead shepherd for 2025-26 is Mr Zhao Li (USA), Deputy Director, International Relations & Economic Research, U.S. Department Of Labor
Contact: [email protected]; [email protected]; and [email protected]

(Four advisors to be copied are Mr Patrick Del Vecchio, [email protected]; Christopher Watson, [email protected]; Mr. Simon Nyamu, [email protected]; and Mr. Hughes McLean, [email protected])

The co-chairs for APEC HRDWG is Mr. Kim Min-seok (Korea), Vice Minister of Employment and Labor; and Mr. Oh Seok-hwan (Korea), Vice Minister of Education. Contact: [email protected]; [email protected]
(Coordinating officer to be copied: [email protected])

The current Network Coordinators are:

  • Capacity Building Network:
    Ms. Carmela Torres, Undersecretary, Employment and Human Resource Development Cluster, Department of Labor and Employment (Philippines, CBN Coordinator for 2025-2026)
    Contact: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
    (Coordinating officers to be copied: to be advised; [email protected]; [email protected])

    Mr. Keum Jeong-soo, Director, Skills Development Policy Division, Ministry of Employment and Labor (Korea, CBN Co-chair for 2025)
    Contact: [email protected]
    (Coordinating officer to be copied: to be advised)
  • Education Network:

    • Prof. Yuchi Zhao, Executive Director, UNESCO International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education
    (China, EDNET Coordinator for 2025-2026).
    Contact: [email protected] and [email protected]
    (Coordinating officer to be copied: Ms Xinyi Niu, [email protected]; [email protected])

    Ms. Sujeong Kim, Lead, APEC Education Ministerial Meeting Task Force, Ministry of Education
    (Korea, EDNET Co-chair for 2025). 
    Contact: [email protected]
    (Coordinating officer to be copied: to be advised)
  • Labor and Social Protection Network:

    Mr. Vincent Iung-yu LIN, Assistant Director-General, Ministry of Labor
    (Chinese Taipei, LSPN coordinator for 2025-26).
    Contact: [email protected]
    (Coordinating officer to be copied Mr Eric Lee [email protected]; and Mr Mason Cheng, [email protected])

    Mr. Nam Ho-jae, Director, International Cooperation Division, Ministry of Employment and Labor (Korea, LSPN Co-chair for 2025).
    Contact: [email protected]
    (Coordinating officer to be copied: to be advised)

Coordinators for 2025 Friends of the Chair (FotC) on Promoting Disability Policies are:

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