Output
1) Pre-Workshop Survey Report
Pre-workshop stakeholder consultations, workshop agenda design based on discovery findings, coordination with local partners, and logistics planning for multi-session workshop including dedicated enhancement session.
Online questionnaires will be sent to all member economies to summarize the current status of digital credential adoption and assess their willingness to attend the workshop. Potential workshop participants will be interviewed to identify their key areas of interest, which will shape the workshop topics. A pre-workshop survey report of at least 10 pages will be published, covering (but not limited to) an overview of the digital credential landscape, technology stacks, potential economic value of cross-border interoperability, existing privacy-enhancing frameworks, and shared values.
2) Workshop
Two-day in-person workshop on the margins of SOM1, 2027. The first day will be keynote speeches and panel discussions, covering government credential landscapes, interoperability options, and privacy or personal data safeguards. The second day will be breakout groups of policies and technology discussion for both for interoperability and privacy-enhanced frameworks. Target: at least 10 speakers, total of 50 participants, and representation from 10 economies. Deliverables include agenda, slides, attendance list, and run-of-show.
3) Workshop Summary Report
APEC publication synthesizing discovery findings and workshop inputs, with case snapshots, comparative tables, and a practical menu of privacy- enhanced interoperability options for voluntary next steps, with at least 30 pages, excluding annexes. Includes annexes for survey tools and session notes where appropriate.
Outcome
1) Enhanced Regional Knowledge Sharing – Economies gain a shared understanding of existing government credential systems, interoperability challenges, and privacy approaches through survey findings and workshop exchanges.
2) Improved Policy and Technical Capacity – Officials and stakeholders build capacity in designing and implementing privacy-enhanced credential interoperability frameworks.
3) Accelerated Uptake of Interoperability Solutions – Participating economies adopt and pilot the project’s recommended digital credential interoperability tools and frameworks (including privacy-enhancing measures), leading to tangible improvements in cross-border credential recognition and personal data protection.
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries: Project attendees will benefit significantly from enhanced understanding of advanced digital credential systems, access to technical expertise from developed economies, and capacity building in cross-border interoperability frameworks. Furthermore, attendees will benefit by joining breakout discussion in the workshop, exploring solutions and potential economic values.
Secondary Beneficiaries: With the workshop report, economies will benefit from learning key materials of digital credentials advancement, topics and solutions to the interoperability and privacy issues. The broader APEC community will benefit from replicable frameworks and best practices that can be adapted across the region.
Sectoral Beneficiaries: Private sector organizations that work with government agencies responsible for digital identity and trade facilitation, and ultimately, citizens and businesses engaging in cross-border activities, will benefit from more efficient credential recognition processes. We expect to invite domain strategic experts from Standards Development Organization, e.g. W3C, and established frontline cross- border business manager, to share their insights.
