ICYMI: Vice President Harris Continues Her Leadership on the World Stage While Participating in the Annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Week

While welcoming APEC leaders to her home state of California, the Vice President held critical conversations with APEC leaders, spoke at the APEC Business Advisory Council, and launched an innovative Women in the Sustainable Economy Initiative with $900 million of investments from public and private sectors

SAN FRANCISCO – Vice President Kamala Harris continued her leadership on the world stage this week while participating in the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Week. She welcomed APEC leaders to her home state of California, spoke at the APEC Business Advisory Council meeting, held critical conversations with APEC leaders, and announced more than $900 million in public and private sector investment towards an innovative initiative to bolster women's economic empowerment around the world. This week's events followed the Vice President's 14th foreign trip as she has visited 20 countries to strengthen America's alliances and partnerships.

ICYMI, here are four key moments from the Vice President's time at APEC this week:

1. While speaking at the Women's Economic Participation in the Industries of the Future event, Vice President Harris launched the Women in the Sustainable Economy Initiative. As part of this launch, she announced more than $900 million in commitments by governments, private sector companies, foundations, and civil society to bolster women's economic participation.

This innovative program will bolster women's economic empowerment globally by expanding access to employment, training, leadership roles, and financial resources in the industries critical to our future and the future of our planet. The announcement follows the Vice President's announcements in Accra, Ghana of $1 billion in public and private sector commitments to help close the digital gender divide. In the past eight months, the Vice President's leadership has generated more than $2.4 billion to empower women economically around the world.

2. The Vice President held timely and productive conversations with world leaders. This includes a meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines – their fifth meeting in the past year. The two leaders committed to continuing to work together to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, and continued their work together to defend international rules and norms in the South China Sea. They also discussed strengthening economic ties.

The Vice President announced the conclusion of a historic "123" civil nuclear cooperation agreement, which will deepen our partnership to build a global clean energy economy and strengthen our shared commitment to improving energy security and advancing the global nonproliferation regime. The Vice President announced the launch of the "123" agreement negotiations while in Manila in November 2022. This agreement will provide the legal basis for U.S. exports of nuclear equipment and material to the Philippines, which will support American workers and businesses

Vice President Harris also met with Prime MinisterJames Marape of Papua New Guinea, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to the Pacific Islands region. They discussed advancing security and economic cooperation between the two nations. She has met with more than 150 world leaders since being sworn in.

3. The Vice President delivered remarks at the APEC Business Advisory Council Meeting alongside APEC leaders and CEOs. She underscored that the Indo-Pacific is critical to the security and prosperity of the American people while highlighting the important partnership with APEC economies that represent more than 60% of the global GDP. These remarks were a continuation of the Vice President's commitment to strengthening public-private partnerships as a significant way to grow economies around the world.

4. Vice President Harris welcomed APEC leaders to the United States at a reception alongside President Biden. "Under our president, Joe Biden, the United States will continue to lead on innovation, economic cooperation, and a shared vision for the future," she said during her remarks. "Together, through APEC, we can grow our economies, unlock industries of the future, and ensure that all people prosper."

Vice President Harris also spoke about the Bay Area and how she learned of the power of innovation to lift communities from a young age. She added that as Vice President, she has seen how new ideas and new technologies that started in the Bay Area have gone on to move all of humanity forward. She noted that APEC is an opportunity to continue our work together to "improve the human condition."