YIMBA is pleased to announce Damien Barnes appointment to IPETCA and participation in the APEC Summit in San Francisco USA.

Damien is honoured to be appointed by the National Indigenous Australians Agency as an Australian Indigenous representative with Leah Armstrong to the Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Cooperation Arrangement (IPETCA) Partnership Council. IPETCA aims to facilitate Indigenous businesses access to international trade opportunities. The IPETCA inaugural member economies include; Aotearoa New Zealand, Canada, Chinese Taipei and Australia and held its first meeting in San Francisco on Monday 13 November 2023

Damien expressed that it was great to meet the Co-Chairs of IPETCA Traci Houpapa MNZM JP CFInstD, Pita Tipene, Hamza Haidon and my fellow IPETCA Indigenous representatives from participating economies Aotearoa New Zealand, Canada and Chinese Taipei.

IPETCA representatives also participated in the APEC Ministerial Dialogue on Indigenous Trade with the USA Trade Representative Katherine Tai, Canada New Zealand, Chinese Taipei and the Australian delegation of; Trade Minister Don Farrell, the Ambassador for First Nations People Justin Mohamed, DFAT & NIAA representatives in San Francisco USA.