Colombia and the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum: Challenges and Opportunities

In recent years, Colombia has emerged as a regional leader in Latin America and attained the status of an upper-middle-income country. Situated strategically between the Pacific and Atlantic rims, Colombia holds a privileged position, particularly in the context of the geopolitical rivalry between China and the United States. These advantages position Colombia well for engaging in alliances with both states, facilitating efforts to diversify its economic partnerships and enhance international relations.

Presently, the United States is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting from the 15th to the 17th of November. Colombia is participating as an observer in this crucial forum, which addresses economic topics related to the Pacific region and includes major players such as China and the US.

Established in 1989, APEC advocates for economic liberalization, fostering trade and investment among its 21 original members. Notably, it encompasses three Latin American countries – Chile, Peru, and Mexico. Alongside Colombia, these four nations constitute the original member states of the Pacific Alliance, formed in 2011 as a rebranded version of the Latin American Pacific Arch Forum.

Historically, Colombia stands out as an atypical case within the Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific regional architecture. The country joined most regional initiatives belatedly, including the Pacific Basin Economic Council and the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council in the 1990s. Colombia applied to join APEC in 1995, but a moratorium on new members halted its participation, affecting subsequent processes like the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Since then, Colombia has held the status of an 'observer-candidate' within APEC, actively participating in the Energy (1996), Telecommunications and Technology (1997), and Trade Promotion (2000) Working Groups. Despite having been invited twice to the APEC Leaders’ Meeting—first in 2008 with former President Alvaro Uribe in Lima, Peru, and now in 2023 with President Gustavo Petro in San Francisco, California—Colombia is determined to secure membership and become the 22nd participating economy (1).

Nevertheless, the primary impediment to more active participation stems from the lack of continuity in Colombia's foreign policy towards the Pacific Rim. While gaining entry into APEC marks a significant milestone for Colombia after a three-decade wait on the waiting list, it is imperative for the country to pivot its focus towards a comprehensive restructuring of all Colombian policies relevant to this expansive geographical area. This involves fostering robust interaction among diverse social and political actors with vested interests in Pacific affairs, including the national government, private enterprises, academia, NGOs, stakeholders, and think tanks (2).