U.S. officials will travel to Detroit, Michigan, from May 14-26 to participate in the Second Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM2) and related meetings of the U.S. APEC 2023 host year.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg will chair the APEC Transportation Ministerial Meeting from May 15-17, and United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai will chair the Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting from May 25-26.
The upcoming APEC SOM2 cluster in Detroit will build on the success of the previous cluster held in February in Palm Springs, California. With dozens of workshops, dialogues, field visits, and meetings planned, the U.S. government aims to cover a wide range of topics, including:
- Sara Minkara, Special Advisor on International Disabilities Rights (SAIDR), will chair a dialogue on the economic inclusion of persons with disabilities. SAIDR Minkara will also speak to transportation ministers about the importance of inclusion in the transportation sector.
- Ambassador Nina Hachigian, U.S. Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy, will lead a discussion and Secretary Buttigieg will deliver keynote remarks on electric vehicle infrastructure financing by minority-serving institutions.
- Ambassador Chris Lu, U.S. Representative to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform, will deliver a keynote address on the need for cooperation among multilateral and intergovernmental institutions to adopt policies that promote universal and labor rights and address the education and employment needs of underserved populations.
- U.S. Senior Official for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Matt Murray will attend the APEC Second Officials’ Meeting (SOM2) and engage with counterparts and local stakeholders from diverse sectors to foster collaboration and achieve the United States’ host year goals of creating a more interconnected, innovative, and inclusive APEC region.
These meetings will lay the foundation for continued cooperation among APEC economies and will play a crucial role in advancing this year’s APEC theme of “Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All.”
The United States is committed to hosting a productive and meaningful SOM2 and looks forward to welcoming APEC economies to Detroit to continue this important work.
