Taipei, June 30 (CNA) Taiwan recently shared the stage with Canada, New Zealand and Australia to inaugurate a new multilateral mechanism aimed at empowering Indigenous peoples to set up businesses on a global scale, the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP) said Thursday.

Taiwan was invited to launch the Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Cooperation Arrangement (IPETCA), an international trade framework for Indigenous entrepreneurs, on June 22, hosted by Global Affairs Canada, which overseas Canada's international engagement, the CIP said.

At the two-day event in Ottawa, Taiwan was represented by Pingtung-based company executive Yeh Chih-ping (葉治平) in his capacity as a business consultant to Taiwan's Indigenous Peoples, the CIP said via a press release.

Yeh also joined Sara Wilshaw, Canada's chief trade commissioner, and Traci Houpapa, a New Zealand Māori and company director, in a discussion about strengthening partnerships under the trade pact, which was initiated by New Zealand during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum last year.

IPETCA currently includes Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan, also its founding members, and is open to all APEC economies to join, according to New Zealand's Ministry of Māori Development.

The focus of the IPETCA is to strengthen the economic empowerment of Indigenous peoples in the Asia Pacific region by promoting greater Indigenous trade and economic linkages and ensuring international focus on such matters, according to the New Zealand government website.