The flag of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum is the banner of the regional economic body linking 21 economies bordering the Pacific. Adopted shortly after APEC's 1989 founding, the emblem signals the bloc's pan-Pacific scope without the heraldic baggage of national symbols.
The design
The Flag of APEC is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 2:3, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses white, blue, green, red, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| White | white | Commonly represents peace, purity, honesty or snow-capped landscapes. |
| Blue | blue | Frequently symbolises sky, sea, freedom, vigilance or perseverance. |
| Green | green | Tends to evoke land, agriculture, hope, Islam or the natural environment. |
| Red | red | Often signifies courage, sacrifice, revolution or the blood of those who fought for the nation. |
Symbolism & heraldry
A white field bearing the APEC emblem — a stylised globe rendered in blue, green, and red, with the continents of the Asia-Pacific region depicted in a flowing, abstract style. The colours represent the diversity of the member economies and the dynamism of trans-Pacific commerce.
Heraldic elements on the Flag of APEC — bands, charges, emblems or stars — each carry meaning agreed at the moment of the flag’s adoption. Re-readings happen across generations: a colour or a symbol that began with one meaning often picks up further layers as the country’s history unfolds.
Adoption & history
The current flag was adopted in 1991. It is credited to APEC Secretariat (Singapore). Earlier banners flown by reflected the politics of their day; each redesign typically marked a moment of independence, regime change or constitutional reform. The current flag was chosen, debated and codified through the country’s official channels and is now protected by flag law.
Etiquette & protocol
The Flag of APEC should be flown with respect: never allowed to touch the ground, never used as drapery for ceremonies it was not made for, and lowered or removed at sundown unless illuminated. When flown alongside other national flags, it takes precedence on home soil and is hoisted first and lowered last. On days of national mourning, the flag is flown at half-mast in line with directives from the head of state. These conventions are common to most nations and are usually written into the flag’s founding statute.
Specifications
| Field | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Country | — | |
| Continent | International | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | 2-letter code | |
| ISO alpha-3 | 3-letter code | |
| Adopted | 1991 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 2:3 | height : length |
| Colours | white, blue, green, red | — |
| Designer | APEC Secretariat (Singapore) | — |
| Emoji | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
The APEC visual identity was refreshed several times to keep pace with summit branding — each year's host economy designs a unique summit emblem, but the underlying organisational emblem has remained recognisable since the early 1990s.
About the organisation
APEC was founded in 1989. Its headquarters are in Singapore.
Member states
APEC has 19 member states. Membership current as of 2024-01.
