APEC is a multilateral forum that operates through a series of carefully scripted meetings. Unlike the World Trade Organisation, it does not make binding decisions or agreements. Government leaders come to APEC as leaders of ‘economies' not elected leaders of governments. This means that political accountability is effectively side-stepped. APEC commitments bypass parliamentary ratification and there are no formal channels for engagement with civil society. As a forum for leaders of economies, the ‘non-economic' effects of trade liberalisation on people and the environment are effectively silenced.

APEC's main game is to achieve what is known as the Bogor Goals for ‘free and open trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific by 2010 for developed economies and 2020 for developing economies. Within APEC member countries, these policies have fuelled a race to the bottom on workers rights and environmental standards, as transnational investment has moved to export processing industries in the Global South to take advantage of low wages and lax environmental regulations.

In response to APEC coming to Sydney, AFTINET organised the "Asia Pacific People for Environment and Community" (APPEC), a community forum to come together and work towards building a better world, free of APEC's free trade agenda.