Moon urges APEC leaders to establish common standards on mutual recognition of vaccine certificates

President Moon Jae-in on Friday proposed to Pacific Rim leaders the establishment of common standards on mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccine certificates in order to facilitate cross-border movement of people.

Moon made the proposal at a virtual summit of leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) bloc, which accounts for about 60 percent of the global economy and nearly 40 percent of the world population.

Speaking at the APEC Leaders’ Summit, virtually hosted by New Zealand, Moon called for APEC leaders to “set up specific and common standards” for mutual recognition of vaccine certificates, while welcoming efforts by nations to discuss mutual vaccine recognition.

President Moon Jae-in attends the virtual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit from the presidential office in Seoul on Nov. 12, 2021. (Yonhap)

To drive the Asia-Pacific region’s economic recovery from the pandemic, Moon said free trade and a multilateral trading system are essential.

The growth of the Asia-Pacific region with many open trading economies hinges on economic cooperation schemes where free trade can benefit everyone, Moon said.

In this vein, Moon said South Korea will contribute to ensure the success of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference, which will be hosted by Seoul later this year.

Before the summit, APEC’s finance ministers agreed to boost efforts for COVID-19 vaccine manufacture and support global vaccine sharing.

Moon told the APEC leaders that South Korea has taken actions for a fairer distribution of vaccines by expanding its aid for low-income nations.

South Korea has been sharing medical supplies and the lessons learned from infectious disease control, Moon said, adding that Seoul has provided US$180 million worth of medical supplies to some 120 nations.

Economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, global supply chains and carbon neutrality were high on the agenda during the APEC summit.

Moon told the leaders that South Korea finalized a decision to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent from 2018 levels by 2030.

Moon also briefed the leaders on South Korea’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, as the nation started tackling the challenge of simultaneously responding to climate change and attaining sustainable growth.

At the APEC summit, Moon repeated South Korea’s pledge to complete the phaseout of coal-fired power generation by 2050.

During the APEC summit, Moon said member economies made progress toward promoting regional economic cooperation, solidarity, and inclusiveness, describing the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040 as a meaningful outcome that manifests the APEC’s commitment to solidarity and cooperation.