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II. Track 2: Multisectoral Policy Meetings

January

10th Regional Outlook Forum
Date: January 4, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Sponsors: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS)
Researchers from around the Asia-Pacific region gathered for the annual Regional Outlook Forum. Participants examined regional security issues such as the relationships between and among the United States, China, and East Asia; the nuclear weapons challenge in Northeast Asia; and major powers and the strategic future in East Asia. Economic issues were also examined as participants discussed the growth projections for ASEAN economies and the economic and business environment in the countries of Southeast Asia. Other topics included haze and sustainable development; the domestic political situation in Thailand, Malaysia, and Myanmar; and the threat of terrorism in Southeast Asia. Based on this forum, ISEAS publishes both a forum summary and its Regional Outlook: Southeast Asia series each year.
For information, see:
http://nettv.1-net.com.sg/iseas/forum2007/

Inaugural Meeting of the Consortium on Non-Traditional Security Studies in Asia
Date: January 8–9, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Sponsors: S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University
The Consortium on Non-Traditional Security Studies in Asia (NTS-Asia) was established in 2007, with its secretariat based at RSIS. With a network of 14 regional institutes and think tanks, NTS-Asia provides a platform to further develop the process of networking among scholars and analysts working on NTS issues in the region; to build long-term and sustainable regional capacity for research on NTS issues; and to mainstream and advance the field of nontraditional security studies in Asia.
The January meeting not only officially launched the consortium but also brought together network members to discuss current NTS challenges facing the region and possible policy responses. Sessions were organized around Asian subregions. Discussions also focused on advancing the consortium's activities, in particular its annual convention, regional workshops, research fellowship program, and curriculum development.
For information, see:
http://www.idss.edu.sg/networking/past_conf.html
http://www.rsis-ntsasia.org/ourConsortium/inaugural-meeting.html

US-Japan-China Tri-Lat on Confidence and Security Building Measures
Date: January 10–11, 2007
Location: Honolulu, USA
Organizers/Sponsors: Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies; co-sponsored by the Stanley Foundation
Twenty-one representatives from China, Japan, and the United States participated in the first meeting of this multiphase project. Participants developed a tentative consensus on where to focus the efforts of the national teams in order to establish concrete and realistic confidence- and security-building measures that can be implemented to help reduce the dangers of misunderstanding, miscalculation, and conflict, and to address the misapprehension of military activities. The working group made progress toward developing a common language and understanding on which to base discussions between the three countries, established a list of both traditional and nontraditional confidence- and security-building measures for the national teams to explore, and produced a timeline for future activities.
For information, see:
http://www.apcss.org/graphics/graphics_conference.htm#2006

8th East Asian Development Network (EADN) Annual Forum
Date: January 12–13, 2007
Location: Beijing, China
Organizers/Sponsors: East Asian Development Network (EADN); co-organized by Thailand Development Research Institute; Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies; Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; and the Global Development Network
The 8th EADN Annual Forum brought together 46 scholars and experts from EADN members and other institutions. The forum, which immediately preceded the 8th Annual Global Development Conference (see below), featured presentations of the results of EADN individual and regional research projects. Some of the presentation topics included corporate governance, risk management, and bank performance; monetary transmission in Vietnam; the linkages between trade and financial integration and output volatility in East Asia; Philippine economic zones; linguistic and religious influences on foreign trade; and political transition and economic development. A research plan was also presented for a regional project on the economic and social impact of market liberalization, using the China-ASEAN Early Harvest Arrangement as a case study. Discussions on future activities were held as well.
For information, see:
http://www.eadn.org/2006conference.htm

8th Annual Global Development Conference: The Rise of Asia and its Implications
Date: January 12–19 2007
Location: Beijing, China
Organizers/Sponsors: Co-organized by the Global Development Network (GDN); Beijing Municipal Government; and Peking University
The GDN's 8th Annual Global Development Conference attracted nearly 600 participants from 93 countries, who gathered for a week of workshops and plenary and parallel sessions. The meeting's key theme was "Shaping a New Global Reality: The Rise of Asia and its Implications," and participants sought to explore the prospects and challenges of Asian development, considering the continent's most recent past but particularly focusing on its present and expected future. Particular interest was paid to the implications of Asia's rise for other regions of the world, including Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa, and the transition countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and Central/Eastern Europe. Opportunities for sustainable development and poverty reduction were the underlying theme in all these discussions, culminating in a separate plenary session on "Moving Out of Poverty."
For information, see:
http://www.eadn.org/2006conference.htm

1st Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)
Date: January 14–20, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Sponsors: Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS), Nanyang Technological University; National Security Co-ordination Secretariat (NSCS), Singapore Prime Minister's Office
CENS and the NSCS co-organized the inaugural Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO), which is intended to provide participants from the Asia-Pacific region and beyond with a program that fosters interaction and offers opportunities to learn about developments related to national security matters. International experts on homeland security spoke on topics such as the challenge of homeland security in the 21st century; protecting the city, with observations and lessons from New York; developing a whole-of-government approach to homeland security; from SARS to bioterrorism to pandemics-new tools and old medicine to protect the public; and communications and national resilience in crises. The APPSNO aims to become an important tool for promoting the analytical frameworks, mindsets, and skills needed for effective national security management. The program also comprised a closed phase on national security issues of current relevance to local officers.
For information, see:
http://www.idss.edu.sg/publications/conference_reports/APPSNO_Conf_Report.pdf

International Forum on Tsunami and Earthquake: Progress of the Implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action and Recovery from Tsunami and Earthquake
Date: January 15–16, 2007
Location: Kobe, Japan
Organizers/Sponsors:Hosted by the Government of Japan; International Recovery Platform (IRP) Kobe; Asian Disaster Reduction Center; Hyogo Prefectural Government; in partnership with the Governments of Switzerland and Italy, UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, UN Development Programme, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, International Labour Organization, World Bank, International Federation of the Red Cross, and UN-Habitat
About 300 participants from 34 countries and 20 international organizations-comprised of dignitaries, government officials, experts on disaster reduction and recovery, and representatives of various stakeholders-attended the forum, seeking to help achieve the goals of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA). More specifically, the goals of the forum were to present important perspectives on post-disaster recovery, promote exchanges of lessons and sharing of experience; and provide feedback from countries on their respective implementation of the HFA priorities of action. The forum highlighted the importance of advancing international cooperation in disaster risk reduction, promoting build-back-better principles, and addressing issues of governance, institutional arrangements, education, and local culture in the recovery process.
For information, see:
http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/environment/forum0701.html

1st Trilateral Workshop of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Research Institutes
Date: January 19, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Sponsors: Policy Research Institute, Ministry of Finance of Japan; Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; and Korea Institute for International Economic Policy
This was the inaugural workshop of a trilateral project on mid- to long-term economic and fiscal challenges common to Asia. Participants are engaged in joint research that will contribute to the formulation of policy on these issues. The workshop took up the themes of disparity, external imbalances, and the environment.
For information, see:
http://www.mof.go.jp/english/soken/confer/chinakorea200701.htm

Roundtable on US-Japan-India Relations
Date: January 20–22, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Sponsors: Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); Confederation of Indian Industry; Japan Institute of International Affairs
Recognizing the need to explore the parameters for broader trilateral cooperation in an unofficial setting, the CSIS organized a series of informal roundtables with eminent persons from all three nations. CSIS hosted the first meeting in Washington in June 2006 and found that there was intense interest in developing a trilateral agenda in the areas of security, energy security, the environment, and economics. This second session was held in Tokyo. Following the meeting, the group called on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other government officials. A third and final meeting was held in July 2007, also in Tokyo.
For information, see:
http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/070816_us_j_ireport.pdf

15th Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum
Date: January 21–26, 2007
Location: Moscow, Russia
Organizers/Sponsors: Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum
The APPF is an annual forum that provides opportunities for national parliamentarians of the Asia Pacific region to identify and discuss matters of common concern; deepen their understanding of the policy concerns of the countries of the region; examine the critical political, social, and cultural developments resulting from economic growth and integration; and encourage and promote regional cooperation at all levels on matters of common concern.
Plenary sessions at the 2007 meeting focused on political and security matters (e.g., strengthening regional and subregional political and security cooperation; terrorism, illegal drug traffic, and organized crime; and the Middle East peace process), economic and trade matters (e.g., strengthening regional and global economic cooperation, energy security, and APEC), regional cooperation in the Asia Pacific on a broad range of issues (interfaith dialogue, cooperation in disaster management and emergency responses, transport logistics, ecology and health, poverty eradication in Asia Pacific), and the future work of the APPF. The meeting concluded with the signing of a joint communiqué.
For information, see:
http://www.appf.org.pe/

Community of Democracies Asia Roundtable
Date: January 23–26, 2007
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Organizers/Sponsors: Taiwan Foundation for Democracy
The Community of Democracies is a US-led grouping of democratic governments and NGOs dedicated to the promotion of democracy throughout the world that acts as a caucus within the United Nations. The Community of Democracies Asia Roundtable was the first event in the region to discuss progress toward the goals of the Community of Democracies Ministerial Meeting, which was to be held at the end of 2007. The Asia Roundtable was attended by 35 civil society activists, academics, journalists, and political party representatives from 25 countries' democracy promotion organizations from around the Asia Pacific region and featured presentations on democratic progress in Asia on issues such as rule of law, press freedom, election standards, gender equality, education for democracy, freedom of association, and the link between free enterprise and democracy.
The meeting was followed by a conference on "Transformations in New Democracies" and by a public event, the "Global Forum on New Democracies."
For information, see:
http://www.cdi.anu.edu.au/_further_activities/2006-07/2007_01_FA_ASIA_BR_Taipei.htm

5th Shanghai Workshop on Global Governance: Current Situation and Future Prospects of Asia-Europe Security Cooperation
Date: January 23–24, 2007
Location: Shanghai, China
Organizers/Sponsors: Shanghai Institute for International Studies; Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
The Shanghai Workshop on Global Governance is an Asian-European forum on foreign and security policy that features open political dialogue at the nongovernmental level and aims to contribute to Asian and Eurasian exchange and cooperation. The workshop invites participants from China and Germany, as well as selected other Asian and European countries.
EU-Asian relations have been gradually tightened and today involve cooperation in an increasing number of sectors. Still, there are divergences in interests, perceptions, definitions, and policies on both sides. The fifth workshop reviewed recent developments and common issues: characteristics and prospects of regional security orders in Asia and Europe, regional security cooperation strategies of major Asian and European countries and organizations, Asia-Europe cooperation and Sino-European relations, and Asia-Europe security cooperation and global governance.
For information, see:
www.fes-globalization.org/events/download/the-fifth-shanghai_en.doc

13. 1st Asian Biotechnology, Innovation and Development Initiative (ABIDI)
Date: January 25, 2007
Location: New Delhi, India
Organizers/Sponsors: Research and Information System for Developing Countries; Government of India
During the 2006 Asian Conference on Biotechnology and Development, it was agreed that Asian countries should launch an initiative to develop an analytical framework for policymakers in the area of biotechnology. The idea is to collect policy-relevant statistics for analyzing trends in investment, public allocation, availability of manpower, and private-sector activities. This should be done in the context of overall socioeconomic requirements in the region. It is expected that the statistics will provide clarity about the governance of biotechnology and will inform policy responses. This was the inaugural meeting of such an initiative.
For information, see:
http://www.ris.org.in/

10th ASEF Talks on the Hill: (In)Secure Societies-Redefining Civil Liberties in a Changing Security Environment
Date: January 28–30, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Sponsors: Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)
Since the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001, and with each subsequent attack, concerns about security at airports, at international organizations, on public transportation, and in other public places have increasingly been at the forefront of governmental and public discourse and policies. Globally, steps have been taken to increase vigilance, and significant investments have been made in x-ray machinery, closed circuit cameras, mobile phone tracking systems, and other methods of monitoring people, packages, and vehicles. In some countries, old debates have reopened about issues such as identity cards with biometric data to the legality of releasing private information. Increasingly, many segments of populations are questioning the increasing encroachment into privacy and personal information. The 10th ASEF Talks on the Hill examined such questions as how have the spheres of private life and public life been redefined, and what are the implications of these measures for civil liberties.
For information, see:
http://www.civdialogue.asef.org/TalksontheHill_PastTalks.htm

Expert Group Meeting on Developing Eco-efficiency Indicators (EEI) of Economic Growth
Date: January 30–31, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Sponsors:United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Environment and Development Division; supported by the Government of Korea
As part of ESCAP's program to promote the "green growth" approach to sustainable development, it is developing indicators of the eco-efficiency of economic growth. In January 2007, ESCAP organized an expert group meeting on this topic. More than 30 experts attended from think tanks, NGOs, the private sector, international and UN organizations, and ministries of planning.
The ESCAP EEIs are being developed to fill the gaps left by other indicator initiatives, which often fail to establish linkages between the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainable development and often have little relevance for policymaking. The ESCAP EEIs measure how the environment is used for economic activity and how it is affected by economic activity needed to reduce persistent poverty in the region. They are highly policy relevant since they are being created in consultation with academics and policymakers from the region who have been using indicators to evaluate national and international policymaking.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/esd/sustainable/eei/meeting/Jan2007/index.asp

February

A Rising Asia and the International System
Date: February 1–2, 2007
Location: Washington DC, USA
Organizers/Sponsors: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; with the support of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Carnegie Endowment organized a conference that brought together diplomats and academics from seven countries (China, France, Germany, India, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom) to participate in discussions on the implications of the rising Asian region for the international system. Besides discussing questions of sovereignty and democracy in the international system, the conference examined the ongoing global power shifts and the resultant impact on the international system. The participants also debated the shape of the future security architecture in Asia, the impact of a rising Asia on transatlantic relations, and the future US and European roles in the international system.
For information, see:
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/events/index.cfm?fa=eventDetail&id=960&&prog=zch,zgp&proj=zdrl,zsa,zusr

10th US-China-Japan Trilateral Dialogue Conference
Date: February 2007
Location: Washington DC, USA
Organizers/Sponsors: Asia Foundation; China Institute of International Studies; Japan Institute of International Affairs
This trilateral conference series, which has been running continuously since an initial planning session in 1998, provides an opportunity for an exchange of views among key officials and scholars in the American foreign policy community and their Japanese and Chinese counterparts. At the 2007 meeting, participants discussed four key topics in the trilateral relationship: prospects for political and economic cooperation in East Asia, competition and cooperation on energy issues, the impact of environmental policy on trilateral relations, and prospects for collaboration on economic development and poverty alleviation.
For information, see:
http://stage.asiafoundation.org/country/overview/japan

China, Korea and Japan Joint Symposium: In Search of New Cooperation and Sub-Regional Identities
Date: February 1–2, 2007
Location: Fukuoka, Japan
Organizers/Sponsors: Kyushu University, Asia Center; Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Dongguk University
In much of the recent discussion on an East Asian Community, there is an expectation that Japan, China, and South Korea should form the core of such a community. The prospects for such an arrangement, however, are diminished by the tense relations that existed between Japan and China and between Japan and South Korea through 2006.
In the belief that there will be no bright future in the East Asian region unless these three countries can deepen their mutual understanding and cooperation and develop a future-oriented, friendly relationship, institutions in each country jointly held an open symposium to explore and develop new cooperation mechanisms and subregional identities. The symposium was attended by researchers and journalists from Japan, China, and South Korea. Sessions focused on popular culture and cultural foundations, industrial cooperation, medicine and bioethics, and issues related to aging societies.
For information, see:
http://asia.kyushu-u.ac.jp/eng/event/symposium070201-02/seisakuteigen_e/symposium070202e.html

2nd Meeting of ARF Experts and Eminent Persons
Date: February 5–6, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Sponsors: ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF); co-chaired by the Philippines and South Korea
This meeting of the ARF experts and eminent persons (EEPs) focused on multilateral security cooperation in Northeast Asia. The meeting was organized into four sessions: the overall security situation in Northeast Asia, nontraditional security issues in Northeast Asia, lessons from other regional security cooperation arrangements and their implications for Northeast Asia (EU and ASEAN cases were presented), and enhancement of multilateral security cooperation in Northeast Asia. The EEPs were drawn from both Track 1 and Track 2 levels. Track 1 members are composed of foreign ministry officials, while Track 2 members included former ambassadors, academics, and experts from regional security think tanks.
For information, see:
http://www.aseanregionalforum.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=UKUrXkAOt84%3D&tabid=66&mid=940
2007 Northeast Asia International Conference for Development in Niigata
Date: February 5–7, 2007
Location: Niigata, Japan
Organizers/Sponsors: Economic Research Institute for Northeast Asia
Policymakers and policy analysts from Japan, China, South Korea, Russia, and Mongolia gathered for a two-day conference that examined economic development in Northeast Asia. The conference began with discussions of transport and tourism, including the Tumen River transport corridor and joint strategies for tourism development in Northeast Asia. The second session looked at issues of energy and the environment, including prospects for regional cooperation. The third session addressed trade and investment, focusing on economic promotion measures and their effect on the attraction of capital, as well as free trade agreement strategy in Northeast Asia in the era of the East Asian Community. The participants then agreed on a "Vision for the Economic Development of Northeast Asia," which called for greater multilateral coordination by central governments, greater efforts to alleviate political and security constraints that are hindering economic cooperation, and strict adherence to open regionalism.
For information, see:
http://www.erina.or.jp/en/Publications/er/pdf/Er75.pdf

Investing in Asia's Urban Future
Date: February 5–6, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Sponsors: Asian Development Bank (ADB); German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
The conference gathered high-level officials from national and local governments, civil society, business, academia, and international organizations to discuss ways to support sustainable urban development and continue addressing poverty in Asian cities. Specifically, the conference aimed to provide a platform for exchange among national and local governments, the private sector and civil society from urban areas in Asia, the ADB, and German and other international cooperation agencies. It also sought to formulate strategic priorities and goals for development financing in the area of urban development in Asia and to reach an agreement on the establishment of an Asian Cities Development Initiative between cities, governments, and donors.
For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2007/asia-urban/default.asp

3rd Roundtable on Managing for Development Results
Date: February 5–8, 2007
Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
Organizers/Sponsors: Asian Development Bank; hosted by the Government of Vietnam; sponsored by the African Development Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Development Assistance Committee; Inter-American Development Bank; International Fund for Agricultural Development, United Nations Development Programme, and World Bank
Government officials and development experts from more than 40 developing countries and from donor agencies, private companies, and NGOs concluded their third Roundtable on Managing for Development Results with a call for stronger action to improve the number and quality of development results achieved with countries' own public funds and with international aid. The Hanoi Roundtable reaffirmed the importance of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness-a high-level commitment made in 2005 that set out an ambitious international agenda to improve aid practices and effectiveness that was designed to help developing countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Central to this agenda is that all countries and donors should improve their management of resources to achieve better, verifiable development results, guided by a commitment to mutual accountability.
For information, see:
http://www.mfdr.org/RT3/

General Forum of the Solidarity for Asian Peoples Advocacy
Date: February 5–6, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Sponsors: Solidarity for Asian Peoples Advocacy (SAPA); organized by FORUM-ASIA; Southeast Asian Committee for Advocacy; Migrant Forum in Asia; Asian Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Asia; Focus on the Global South; Third World Network
The SAPA concluded its 2007 general forum with a set of clear action plans on effective advocacy for Asian civil society and people's movements. The two-day forum was attended by more than 100 representatives from national and regional NGOs, people's organizations, and trade unions, who discussed cross-sectoral challenges for the Asian civil society movement in Asia. Participants considered strategies for action, engagement, and advocacy with intergovernmental bodies. Issues addressed included democracy and human rights; sustainable development and the environment; globalization, trade, finance, and labor; and peace and human security. Militarization and nuclear weapons proliferation were also discussed, as was the lack of a regional human rights mechanism at the subregional level.
The forum also provided an opportunity for meetings of the SAPA Working Groups (WG) on ASEAN and on migration and labor. Following consultations on February 2-3, a new SAPA WG was created to focus on the UN human rights mechanism, and a SAPA WG on Northeast Asia was also launched to strengthen the campaign initiated by Peace Boat in Japan to promote peace and human security in the region.
For information, see:
http://www.iidnet.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=165&Itemid=86

Fostering International Dialogue on Korean Security, 4th Meeting
Date: February 9, 2007
Location: London, UK
Organizers/Supporters: International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS); support from the Korea Foundation
The IISS hosted the fourth workshop of its ongoing Korean security program, which provides a forum for frank discussion and debate among a broad group of government officials, academics, and journalists from numerous countries engaged in Korean security issues. The workshop provided a timely opportunity to analyze the dynamics of the Six-Party Talks, which had restarted the previous day. Topics examined during the workshop included the evolution of US and Chinese policy toward North Korea after its nuclear test in October 2006, the efficacy of sanctions, the possibility of a regional security architecture emerging in Northeast Asia in the wake of the Six-Party Talks, the role and utility of the United Nations, and how Korean security may be affected by the internal politics of each of the Six-Party states.
For information, see:
http://www.iiss.org/programmes/non-proliferation-and-disarmament/recent-non-proliferation-conferences/korean-security-dialogue-2007/

3rd CSCAP Study Group Meeting on Export Controls (XCXG)
Date: February 9–10, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP); CSCAP Korea, USCSCAP, CSCAP Japan; Japan Institute of International Affairs
The XCXG was created to assess national export control programs, identify vulnerabilities, and develop recommendations. In 2007, some 37 participants from 13 CSCAP member committees and other institutions attended. The meeting began with a review of developments in the global nonproliferation regime. Some of the key issues included the North Korean missile and nuclear weapons tests in 2006, the controversy surrounding Iran’s nuclear program, international nuclear cooperation with India, the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism signed by the United States and Russia, regional efforts to support nonproliferation norms, UN Security Council Resolution 1540 and its implications, and the role of customs in enforcing export controls.
The XCXG is part of the broader CSCAP WMD Study Group, which is developing an Asia Pacific Handbook and Action Plan to Prevent the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction. The XCXG is developing the chapter on export controls, and participants also discussed language and principles for their chapter.
For information, see:
http://www.cscap.ca/Export_Controls_EG.html

East Asian Democracy and Political Development in China
Date: February 9–10, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore; Konrad Adenauer Stiftung
How China’s political system evolves in the next decade or so is a critical factor that will shape China’s own future and define its place in the world in the 21st century. After a sustained period of rapid economic growth and social transformation, political and institutional pressures are building up for real reforms in the political arena. The leadership has started to address the issue of political reform, but will China democratize in the near future? This conference attempted to address this question by first examining lessons learned from Southeast Asian experiences with democratization. Scholars from the region and China began by looking at broad perspectives on democratization and at the experiences of democratization in Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, and South Korea. The discussions then turned to political reform and democratic change in China. The conference resulted in a 2008 publication, East Asian Democracy and Political Changes in China: A New Goose Flying?
For information, see:
http://www.eai.nus.edu.sg/List%20of%20EAI%20Conferences%202007.doc

9th Asian Security Conference
Date: February 9–10, 2007
Location: New Delhi, India
Organizers/Supporters: Institute for Defence Studies & Analyses
The Asian Security Conference is an annual event that draws participants from over 35 countries around the world. The 2007 conference focused on the evolving security dynamic in Southeast Asia. The conference aimed to highlight a wide spectrum of security issues that confront the region and to examine these issues in the broader context of their ramifications for Asia Pacific in particular and the world in general.
The meeting featured six sessions: perspectives on Southeast Asian security; terrorism and the rise of religious fundamentalism; energy and maritime security issues (including disaster management and civilian nuclear energy); regionalism and multilateralism in Southeast Asia; Southeast Asia and external powers (China, the United States, Japan, and others); and India and Southeast Asia. The proceedings of this conference were published in book form.
For information, see:
http://www.idsa.in/9ascmain.htm

5th CSCAP Study Group Meeting on Countering the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD Study Group)
Date: February 11–13, 2007
Location: San Francisco, USA
Organizers/Supporters: Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP); CSCAP Korea and USCSCAP; funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, US Department of Energy, US Department of State, and the Ploughshares Fund
The study group meeting was attended by more than 80 people from 20 CSCAP member committees and other institutions, including more than 25 government officials and several UN agencies. In addition, 25 Pacific Forum Young Leaders were also present. All participants took part in their private capacities.
The meeting began with a review of developments in the global nonproliferation regime and a discussion on the rising demand for nuclear energy. The next session examined the Additional Protocol, which grew out of the discovery after the first Persian Gulf War that Iraq was considerably further along in its nuclear weapons program than the rest of the world suspected. The next session was to deal with Korean Peninsula developments, but news of an agreement in the Six-Party Talks came just as the session began and specifics were not yet revealed, so participants were unable to determine what it might mean. The second day of the meeting was devoted to a study of UN Security Council Resolution 1540.
For information, see:
http://www.cscap.ca/WMD_SG.html

Nuclear North Korea and the Future of Northeast Asian Security
Date: February 13, 2007
Location: San Francisco, USA
Organizers/Supporters: Asia Society of Northern California; Asia Foundation; Business Executives for National Security; UC Berkeley; Japan Society of Northern California; National Committee on North Korea; Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center of Stanford University; USF Center for the Pacific Rim; World Affairs Council of Northern California
North Korea’s emergence as a nuclear state poses dramatic new challenges to the Asia Pacific region. Thirteen experts from the United States, South Korea, Japan, and China shared their views on what has happened in North Korea in recent years and how the United States and its allies can best respond. Participants examined just how different the interests, perceptions, and strategies are among the parties to the negotiations—especially China, South Korea, and Japan. They discussed what concessions the Bush administration might be willing to offer North Korea, what the October 2006 nuclear test did to the credibility or effectiveness of South Korea’s “sunshine policy,” how much leverage the PRC holds over the North, and what line Japan’s new administration under Shinzo Abe was likely to take.
For information, see:
http://www.asiasociety.org/visit/sanfrancisco/nuclear_nk_event.html

Regional Workshop on Capacity-Building for Development of Bond Markets in ESCAP Member States
Date: February 14–15, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); funded by the Government of South Korea
This two-day workshop attracted delegates from Bangladesh, Japan, Mongolia, Pakistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, including policymakers from the region’s central banks, ministries of finance, and treasury departments, as well as representatives of public and private institutions. As part of the workshop, participants shared experiences and opinions on the development of bond markets, which could mobilize resources efficiently and provide low-cost capital necessary for sustained economic development.
The development of corporate bond markets in local currencies will facilitate the raising of long-term and large-scale funds, the experts stressed. They also agreed that the issuance of bonds in a country’s local currency would reduce dependence on foreign currency bonds and could contribute to the elimination of excessive currency mismatches, a common problem in the region.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/2007/feb/g01.asp

3R Workshop on Effective Waste Management and Resource Use Efficiency in East and Southeast Asia
Date: February 15–16, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: Asian Development Bank (ADB); United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific; United Nations Centre for Regional Development; Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
As national and municipal governments in the region struggle to cope with the waste by-products of rapidly rising economic production and consumption, several international efforts have arisen to address these challenges. The countries of the G8 established in 2004 the global “3R Initiative” to encourage application of the principles of “reduce, reuse, and recycle” in waste management. At a 3R Ministerial Conference in 2005, the ADB agreed to prepare a review of these issues in the Asia Pacific context as an input to improved decision making. Two subregional consultation meetings were then held—the first, in 2006, focused on South Asia, while this second workshop focused on the situation in East and Southeast Asia. The meeting allowed government and private sector representatives to review and share experiences on key issues relating to resource efficiency and effective waste management, including urban and post-consumer waste management; waste management in industry; investment opportunities for improved waste management; international trade in waste products; and national strategic planning for achieving the 3Rs.
For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2007/Effective-Waste-Mananagement/default.asp

Emerging Asian Regionalism: Ten Years after the Crisis
Date: February 19–20, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: Asian Development Bank (ADB)
This workshop aimed to gather the study team for the project on Emerging Asian Regionalism, comprised of ADB staff and external consultants. Another aim of the workshop was to finalize the structure and content of a related report that was to be launched at the ADB Annual Meeting in May 2008. At the end of the workshop, participants had familiarized themselves with the structure and content of the ADB report related to the chapters on “Turning Crisis into Opportunities,” “Deepening Asian Integration,” “Managing Macroeconomic Interdependence,” “Harnessing Productivity and Competitiveness,” and other key elements of regional dynamism. They also identified background and analytical papers in support of the analysis conducted in the ADB report.
For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2007/Emerging-Asian-Regionalism/default.asp

Friends of the Helsinki Process Workshop on Human Trafficking: Enhancing Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships and International Cooperation
Date: February 22–23, 2007
Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: Government of Thailand
Thailand has attached great importance to promoting multistakeholder partnership in the fight against human trafficking. It has served as the facilitator country for the roadmap on human trafficking of the Friends of the Helsinki Process, a forum initiated by Finland and Tanzania to enhance multistakeholder cooperation in solving global problems. In this connection, Thailand hosted a workshop aimed at achieving the following objectives: (1) to explore the complexity of combating human trafficking in terms of policy implementation; (2) to strengthen the international dialogue on human trafficking by exchanging national experiences on development and implementation of national plans of action; (3) to raise awareness on the threat of human trafficking to human rights and human security; and (4) to promote international and regional multistakeholder partnership. The workshop brought together approximately 100 experts, including senior officials and representatives of academia, NGOs, international organizations, and Thailand’s government agencies.
For information, see:
http://www.mfa.go.th/web/35.php?id=17943

Advancing East Asian Economic Integration: Building the Institutional and Financial Foundations of Economic Growth and Integration in East Asia
Date: February 22–23, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: Fiscal Policy Research Institute, Ministry of Finance, Thailand; Australian National University, Canberra; East Asian Bureau of Economic Research
Highlighting critical issues and challenges faced by East Asian countries in pushing forward regional economic integration and suggesting key policy recommendations for action were among the main objectives of this meeting, which was attended by high-level government officials, business leaders, and academics from East Asia and Australia. Speakers shared their views during four sessions on a range of major policy issues facing East Asian countries.
Session one provided strategies for micro-policy management and relevant institution building in East Asia. Session two focused on lessons learned from the financial crisis that erupted a decade ago and its implications for economic cooperation and financial integration in East Asia. Also in that session, the participants discussed micro-policy measures to reform East Asia’s financial sector, such as financial safety nets. Session three looked at key progress in and potential for East Asian capital market integration. The final session proposed future directions, policy formulations, and strategies to promote East Asian economic integration.
For information, see:
http://www.fpritraining.com/BKK_Conf/Summary/Seminar%20Summary%20BKK%20Conference%20(Eng).pdf

3rd ROK-US-Japan Security Workshop
Date: February 22–23, 2007
Location: Honolulu, USA
Organizers/Supporters: Korea Institute for Defense Analyses; Institute for Defense Analyses; National Institute for Defense Studies
The ROK-US-Japan Security Workshop is conducted as a Track 1.5 meeting. Research institutes of the three countries host the workshop, and defense ministry and joint chiefs of staff working-level officers from each country participate in the workshop. The 2007 workshop was held at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii. Participants gathered for extensive discussions on trilateral cooperation to deal with nonconventional security threats, including natural disasters.
For information, see:
http://kida.re.kr/eng/cooperation/cooperation_03.htm#07
http://www.ida.org/upload/research%20notes/07-extendingtrilateralcoop.pdf

Managing Porous Borders in Southeast Asia: Building International Cooperation, Good Governance, and Inter-agency Cooperation
Date: February 28–March 2, 2007
Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Organizers/Supporters: Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies; Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace
Mainland Southeast Asia states have identified the difficulty of controlling their borders as a major security concern. Forty participants from Australia, Burma, Cambodia, Lao PDR, New Zealand, Thailand, the United States, Uruguay, and Vietnam participated in this conference, examining how various levels of interagency officials in the governments of Southeast Asia nations coordinate and share information to delineate and control borders and to deal with all forms of trafficking challenges—human, drug, weapons, animal, as well as terrorist transits and disease control.
Breakout group discussions specifically addressed management techniques, procedures, technology, and organizations related to efforts conducted by governments and NGOs in mainland Southeast Asia. There was general consensus that sufficient political will and government processes were in place to address these threats, but the lack of financial and technical resources were the primary inhibitors to better threat management and mitigation. A follow-on FY2008 event will be held with a focus on maritime borders and related challenges.
For information, see:
http://www.apcss.org/core/Conference/CR_ES/Cambodia%20Exec%20Sum%2020Mar%2007.doc

March

10th Academic Forum on East Asian Economy (2nd East Asia-Pacific Forum)
Date: March 1, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: National Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA); China Development Institute (CDI); Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER); Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP)
NIRA held the 10th Academic Forum on East Asian Economy as part of the East Asia-Pacific Forum. This meeting, the successor to the Conference on the South China Economy, considers the potential for the development of an East Asian Community and is co-hosted by NIRA, CDI, CIER, and KIEP almost every year. In its early days, the forum provided an opportunity for researchers from Japan, China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan to hold discussions based on a strong conviction that increasing interdependence in the South China Economic Area would act as a driving force for the establishment of an East Asian Community. South Korea has participated since the sixth forum, and the scope of the forum has broadened to encompass closer economic relations in Northeast Asia. Discussions at this year’s forum focused on three regions—South China, Taiwan, and Northeast Asia. Detailed consideration was given to the present status and specific problems of each region, and the status of the movement toward an East Asian Community was the subject of comprehensive discussions.
For information, see:
http://www.nira.or.jp/past/newse/events/forum/index.html

East and Southeast Asia MDG Forum
Date: March 1–2, 2007
Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
Organizers/Supporters: Government of Vietnam; United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; United Nations Development Programme; Asian Development Bank
Representatives from government, NGOs, media, and international organizations gathered to discuss progress toward meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the East and Southeast Asian region. A high-level panel began by reflecting on the major findings of the second MDG Report; specific strategies pursued by countries to achieve the MDGs; policies, measures, and instruments adopted to improve service delivery; and strategies for multistakeholder collaboration on development strategies for achieving the MDGs. A plenary session focused on ongoing efforts to improve the effectiveness of the UN in support of the MDGs, while six breakout sessions were organized around themes contained in the Millennium Declaration and MDGs that are of high priority for East and Southeast Asia. Each breakout session developed a plan of action, and a consolidated plan was formulated on day two of the forum.
For information, see:
http://www.mdgasiapacific.org/index.php?q=node/95

The Expansion of China and India: Impact and Consequences for Japan, UK, and the World Economy
Date: March 2, 2007
Location: London, UK
Organizers/Supporters: Chatham House; Japan Economic Foundation
This workshop focused on the expansion of China and India and its implications for Japan, the United Kingdom, and the global economy. By bringing the Japanese perspective to Europe, it was possible to generate a very useful exchange of ideas and experience. The aim of the workshop was to devise key lessons for Japan and Europe on how to best benefit from and work with these new rising economic powers and how to maintain a competitive edge. Panel discussions focused on trade, investment, and development strategies of India and China; the sustainability of India’s and China’s current growth rates; and the impact and implications for Europe and Japan.
For information, see:
http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/files/7143_020307prog.pdf

Non-Traditional Security Challenges in Asia: What Role for Multilateralism?
Date: March 5, 2007
Location: New York, USA
Organizers/Supporters: Consortium of Non-Traditional Security Studies in Asia (NTS-Asia); International Peace Academy: Ford Foundation; Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS), S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University
This meeting was part of the third phase of the Ford-IDSS Project on Non-Traditional Security Issues. The project is funded by the Ford Foundation and led by the IDSS of Singapore. NTS-Asia is a network of research institutes in Asia that aims to advance networking among scholars and analysts working on nontraditional security issues. The meeting began with a session on threats to human security, followed by sessions on transnational armed groups and the UN and regional organization in Asia. Speakers included members of the consortium.
For information, see:
http://www.idss.edu.sg/publications/conference_reports/NTS-IPA%20report_050307.pdf

Public Diplomacy in Japan and the Asia Pacific
Date: March 6, 2007
Location: Canberra, Australia
Organizers/Supporters: Australian National University, Crawford School of Economics and Government; supported by the Toshiba International Foundation and the Embassy of Japan in Canberra
The public diplomacy research group at the Crawford School of Economics and Government hosted a conference on public diplomacy in Japan and the Asia Pacific. Various scholars in Japan and Australia presented their papers on the public diplomacy of Japan, Australia, China, and the United States. Participants also included diplomats, government officials, and other professionals in Canberra. The conference was one of the first research-based conferences on public diplomacy—an increasingly important policy area in international relations. To provide a framework for the conference, Richard Woolcott (former secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia) and Shinichi Kitaoka (University of Tokyo; former Japanese ambassador to the United Nations) gave keynote addresses on the role of public diplomacy.
For information, see:
http://www.crawford.anu.edu.au/research_units/ajrc/conferences.php

Expert Workshop on Security Sector Reform: Lessons to Be Learned from Northeast and Southeast Asia
Date: March 7–9, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung; Institute for Strategic and Develop-ment Studies; Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces
Security sector reform (SSR) has become an important feature in national and international politics and one that has attracted the attention of scholars, policymakers, and practitioners alike. Research and relevant policy discourses on this subject have rapidly expanded since the late 1990s, yet with a strong bias toward the situation in Africa, Europe, and Latin America. There had been no comprehensive, comparative study on SSR in East Asia, despite the fact that countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand had implemented, or were implementing, SSR programs in the broader context of democratic transition. The objective of this workshop, and of the publication resulting from it, was to contribute to developing a better understanding of Northeast and Southeast Asian experiences in SSR and how these experiences can inform the regional and global discourse on SSR.
For information, see:http://www.dcaf.ch/news/_diarydetailskms.cfm?lng=en&id=29095&nav1=2

Regional Thematic Working Group on Migration, Including Human Trafficking
Date: March 8, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); International Organization for Migration (IOM)
ESCAP and IOM are the current co-chairs of this working group, a regional coordination mechanism set up by 16 UN agencies and other relevant international and intergovernmental organizations working on aspects of international migration within their respective program of work. The functions of the working group include information sharing, identification of priority areas for cooperation and joint programs, and dissemination of good practices in migration management. This was the first of four meetings held in 2007.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/2007/jun/g25.as

Living with China: Dynamic Interactions between Regional States and China
Date: March 8–9, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University
Much of the debate regarding the “China problem” has been not only Western centric but also heavily theory driven. There have been conspicuously few regional voices in the debate, despite the fact that they are arguably most qualified to discuss their relationship with a rising China. Accordingly, more than a dozen scholars from East Asia, South Asia, and the United States gathered to discuss the interactions between China and its neighbors. The discussions focused on five major points: (1) How have regional states reacted to some of China’s major policy initiatives or behaviors? (2) Have there been major turning points or merely minor adjustments in regional states’ policies toward China? (3) How do regional states’ policy elites assess their own countries’ China policy? (4) How has China reacted to some of the major policy changes or initiatives from regional states? (5) What are the implications for the region of these dynamic interactions with China?
For information, see:
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/rsis/publications/conference_reports/Living%20with%20China.pdf

OECD/UNDESA/ESCAP Workshop on Developing Sustainability Strategies in Asia
Date: March 8–9, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA); United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
Rapid economic growth in Asia Pacific has come at a heavy environmental cost, and countries in the region urgently need to develop policies with a long-term perspective. This workshop reviewed national sustainable development strategies in countries in Asia Pacific and their relationship to national development plans and poverty reduction strategies with a view to better integration. Sessions focused on sustainability and development in Asia Pacific, governance approaches to national sustainable development strategies in Asia Pacific, and the role of stakeholders in sustainability strategies. This workshop drew regional participants from Bangladesh, China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Thailand, Tuvalu, and Vietnam. They joined colleagues from the 30 industrialized member countries of the OECD and representatives of UNEP, the UNDP, the IMF, the World Bank, and APEC.
For information, see:
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/34/61/37762264.pdf

Asia Pacific Agenda Project (APAP) Research Meeting: The Development of Trilateral Cooperation among East Asia, North America, and Europe in Global Governance—Prospects and Challenges
Date: March 10–11, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Japan Center for International Exchange
APAP is a multinational consortium of policy research organizations that works to strengthen networks and enhance joint research and dialogue among institutions and intellectual leaders in the Asia Pacific region. APAP research in FY2006 focused on regional community building in East Asia and the ways in which East Asia, North America, and Europe can work together to address pressing global problems. There has been growing momentum behind the formation of a regional community in East Asia. But at the same time, the incredible diversity and heightened nationalist sentiments in the region have led many to realize that the path to community building will not be a smooth one. In light of these developments, this project examined how national and regional governance might be improved through East Asian regional initiatives and how this can foster stronger cooperation with other regions of the world and ultimately contribute to better global governance. The papers were published in 2008 as East Asia at a Crossroads.
For information, see:
www.jcie.or.jp/thinknet/apap/trilatcoop.html

Enhancement of Safety of Navigation and Environmental Protection of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore
Date: March 13–14, 2007
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Organizers/Supporters: Co-hosted by the Maritime Institute of Malaysia; Nippon Foundation; S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University; Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Indonesia
This symposium brought together about 200 people from the littoral states, Japan, and China. Participants discussed estimated future traffic values of the straits with cost-benefit analyses of necessary projects such as the maintenance of aids to navigation. At the end of the symposium, the host organizations announced a consensus document that called for the establishment of a “Malacca Straits Fund” to provide a mechanism for shipping companies and other users of the straits to voluntarily provide financial support. The four host organizations are going to present the consensus document at the next International Maritime Organization meeting in Singapore.
For information, see:
http://www.sof.or.jp/en/monthly/pdf/200703.pdf#page=24

ASEAN+3 Research Group Meeting
Date: March 15, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: ASEAN
The ASEAN+3 Research Group was proposed by Japan at the Informal ASEAN+3 Finance and Central Bank Deputies’ Meeting in November 2002 and agreed upon by ASEAN+3 in August 2003. The research group aims to explore ways to further strengthen financial cooperation and promote financial stability in the region by soliciting academic input from researchers and research institutes in ASEAN+3 countries.
There were two themes on the 2006–2007 agenda: (1) Toward Greater Financial Stability in the Asia Region: Exploring Steps to Create Regional Monetary Units, and (2) Financial Conglomeration in the East Asian Region: Recent Trends and Implications for Regional Financial Market Development. The findings of these studies were presented at this March meeting in Tokyo.
For information, see:
http://www.aseansec.org/3-2007.htm

Energy Security in the North Pacific
Date: March 20, 2007
Location: Honolulu, USA
Organizers/Supporters: East-West Center
This conference was designed to provide independent insight on the most pressing strategic issues facing the North Pacific energy industry and to facilitate productive, off-the-record discussions on significant issues in the energy business among leading energy experts and the industry’s top executives. The conference was expected to provide a thought-provoking vision of the strategic issues affecting the energy business. The meeting was part of collaborative research activities with the Korea Energy Economics Institute, South Korea’s national think tank on energy policy.
For information, see:
http://www.eastwestcenter.org/events/past-east-west-center-events/?class_call=view&conf_ID=995&mode=view

High-Level Policy Dialogue on Regional Cooperation for Infrastructure Development and Financing in Asia-Pacific
Date: March 21–22, 2007
Location: New Delhi, India
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); Research and Information System for Developing Countries
This policy dialogue was a follow-up to the 2006 Jakarta Declaration on Enhancing Regional Cooperation in Infrastructure Development. Infrastructure plays a crucial role in enhancing and sustaining economic growth and the pace of poverty reduction. Although the Asia Pacific region has made remarkable gains on both these fronts over the years, inadequate infrastructure will be a major constraint to its continuation. The main objectives of the policy dialogue were to discuss the findings of a study by India on regional cooperation for infrastructure financing in Asia, to assess investment needs and priorities of ESCAP member countries, to identify issues relating to infrastructure development and financing and discuss how they could best be addressed, to draw lessons from global and regional players; and to explore innovative regional mechanisms for financing infrastructure in the Asia Pacific region. The meeting was attended by ministers, senior government officials, private sector CEOs, and academics and other experts.

For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/pdd/calendar/infrastructure/infrastructure_mar07.asp
Regional Workshop on Mainstreaming Environment for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Growth in Asia and the Pacific
Date: March 26–28, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Development Programme; United Nations Environment Programme; in partnership with Asian Development Bank and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
The rapid economic growth in Asia Pacific in the past decades has put enormous pressure on the environment. Poverty as a direct result of environmental degradation has been identified as a major obstacle toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals in the region. A number of strategies have been implemented at the national level to address the economic, social, and environmental developments, but the environment pillar has been weak due to inadequate consideration and budgetary provisions. The environment needs to be mainstreamed into the decision-making process. Key experts from national governments, civil society organizations, business, UN agencies, and donor communities attended this three-day workshop to learn from different country experiences and traditions in mainstreaming environment into national development processes, budgets, sectoral plans, and subnational processes. Participants drafted concrete recommendations and action plans for mainstreaming poverty reduction and sustainable growth in selected countries in the coming year.
For information, see:
http://www.rrcap.unep.org/projects/nsds/press.cfm

Economic Reform and Regional Cooperation in East Asia
Date: March 27, 2007
Location: Beijing, China
Organizers/Supporters: East Asia Bureau for Economic Research; hosted by China Development Research Foundation
Roughly 30 experts from China, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines, representing government, academia, business, and media, gathered as part of a conference series on “Institutional Strategies for Improving the Microeconomic Foundations: Country Policy Meetings.” The meeting began with perspectives on micro policy reform and regional integration. The first session looked at regional experiences with institutional foundations and economic reform. Discussions next turned to the Chinese experience in economic reform and finally examined the implications for regional cooperation in APEC.
For information, see:
http://www.eaber.org/intranet/documents/89/876/PEK_Conference_Sum
mary_2007.pdf

Politics of Regret: Collective Memory in Northeast Asia
Date: March 27–28, 2007
Location: Washington DC, USA
Organizers/Supporters: Hiroshima Peace Institute
This was the final workshop of a two-year research project that brought together US and Northeast Asian researchers to explore the dynamic interplay between worldviews, ethos, and memories of the peoples of Asia who are still grappling with the past glories and wounds. This project’s broader purpose is to clarify current debates and agreements about the past, within and between nations, and to assess how the findings bear on the current state of collective memory scholarship. Behind these problems is the cultural and historical context in which the field of collective memory now plays itself out.
For information, see:
http://serv.peace.hiroshima-cu.ac.jp/English/
http://harp.lib.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/bitstream/harp/959/2/news28_e.pdf

Meeting between the High-Level Task Force on the Drafting of the ASEAN Charter and Civil Society and Other Stakeholders
Date: March 27–29, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: ASEAN
At the 11th ASEAN Summit, held in 2005, ASEAN Leaders signed the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Establishment of the ASEAN Charter. The declaration, among other things, tasked the ASEAN foreign ministers with establishing a high-level task force to carry out the drafting of the ASEAN Charter, which was to be based both on the declaration and on the recommendations of the Eminent Persons Group on the ASEAN Charter. The task force held a series of meetings between January and October 2007 and included one meeting with civil society and other stakeholders in order to understand their concerns.
For information, see:
http://www.aseansec.org/3-2007.htm

Expert Group Meeting on Disability in the Pacific: Strengthening Implementation of the Biwako Millennium Framework
Date: March 28–30, 2007
Location: Nadi, Fiji
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
The Biwako Millennium Framework for Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-Free and Rights-Based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific (BMF) was adopted in 2002 by 28 governments and is the regional policy guideline for the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 2003–2012. It promotes a paradigm shift from a charity-based approach to a rights-based approach to disability.
This meeting considered initiatives taken in Pacific countries to implement the BMF, addressed issues related to disability, prepared a consolidated input from the Pacific to the Mid-Term Review of the BMF (September 2007), and considered ways to improve regional coordination. In addition to experts from countries in the Pacific, representatives of the UN High Commission for Human Rights, Pacific Islands Forum, and the Pacific Disability Forum led discussions as well. Participants provided summaries of the implementation of the BMF in their respective countries.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/epoc/meetings/egm%2Ddisablity/index.asp

April

Workshop on Aid Effectiveness and Gender Equality in Southeast Asia
Date: April 2–3, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: World Bank; Department for International Development, Government of the United Kingdom; United Nations Development Fund for Women; hosted by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee
The purpose of the workshop on aid effectiveness and gender equality in Southeast Asia was to deepen mutual understanding among development practitioners of the challenges and opportunities for implementation of gender equality objectives through the Paris Declaration in Southeast Asia. The two-day workshop brought together about 40 development practitioners—a mix of government, civil society, and donor representatives—to reflect on the opportunities and constraints they face in their different working environments. Workshop outputs included recommendations on how to strengthen the achievement of gender equality objectives within specific aid effectiveness initiatives discussed at the workshop. The workshop also sought to contribute to other social policy and aid effectiveness initiatives, including the Asia Regional Aid Effectiveness Action Plan.
For information, see:
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:21276397~menuPK:64256349~pagePK:2524753~piPK:51421526~theSitePK:4607,00.html

5th Meeting of the Steering Committee of the Asia Pacific Leadership Forum on HIV/AIDS and Development
Date: April 2–3, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
The Asia Pacific Leadership Forum on HIV/AIDS and Development (APLF) was established in 2002, stemming from the first Asia Pacific Ministerial Meeting hosted by the Australian government in Melbourne, Australia, in 2001. The UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Asia and Pacific is tasked with managing the APLF, while a Steering Committee comprised of Asia Pacific leaders from government, the private sector, and NGOs provides strategic guidance to the APLF team. This was the fifth meeting of that steering committee.
For information, see:
http://www.aseansec.org/4-2007.htm
http://www.aplfaids.com/index.php?p=home

Regional Meeting for Asian Global Compact Focal Points
Date: April 2–4, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; Global Compact; Fundació Forum Universal de les Cultures
The UN Global Compact is a strategic policy initiative for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and strategies with 10 universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment, and anticorruption. By doing so, business, as a primary agent driving globalization, can help ensure that markets, commerce, technology, and finance advance in ways that benefit economies and societies everywhere. This meeting concentrated on enabling a real commitment to internalize the 10 principles and to contribute to the broader development goals of the United Nations, and understanding the value of assessing and sharing of information on progress toward those goals. The workshop was intended to apply both to small companies and to multinational firms.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/tid/mtg/agc_focalpt.asp

Meeting of the NEAT Working Group on East Asian Financial Cooperation
Date: April 7–8, 2007
Location: Shanghai, China
Organizers/Supporters: Network of East Asia Think-Tanks (NEAT)
This NEAT working group meeting was attended by scholars and experts from 12 of the ASEAN+3 countries. (Brunei was absent.) The meeting consisted of panel discussions on five themes: (1) an assessment of the latest development of East Asian financial cooperation; (2) post–Chiang Mai mechanism: objectives and roadmap; (3) East Asian bond market: domestic building and regional cooperation; (4) institution building and risk prevention in regional financial cooperation; and (5) other aspects of financial cooperation. The summary report is available online.
For information, see:
http://www.ceac.jp/e/pdf/neat_05wg02.pdf

Asian Economic Panel Meeting
Date: April 9–10, 2007
Location: Washington DC, USA
Organizers/Supporters: Global Economy and Development Program, Brookings Institution; 21st Century Center of Excellence at Keio University; Earth Institute, Columbia University; Korea Institute for International Economic Policy; Institute of Governmental Affairs, University of California, Davis
The Asian Economic Panel, founded in April 2001, brings together prominent economists from around the world who gather twice yearly to discuss economic issues that are of vital importance to Asian economies, collectively or individually. The Brookings Institution’s Global Economy and Development Group hosted two days of roundtable discussion on issues of vital importance to Asian countries. The 2007 focus was on the 10-year anniversary of the Asian financial crisis with special sessions on Asian trade and Asia’s new economic giants, China and India. Among the presentation topics were Indonesia’s meltdown and slow recovery; an ASEAN perspective on East Asian regionalism; whether Chinese, Japanese, and Korean exports are diverted in the major regional trading blocks; and a structural and institutional perspective on China’s exchange rate and external imbalance.
For information, see:
http://www.brookings.edu/global/asian-economic-panel.aspx

2nd Northeast Asia Trilateral Forum
Date: April 15–16, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Nikkei Inc.Xinhua News Agency; JoongAng Ilbo
The 2nd Northeast Asia Forum was sponsored by three media organizations—Japan’s Nikkei Inc. (which publishes the daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun), the publishers of South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo, and China’s Xinhua News Agency—and convened experts for in-depth discussions on the forms of energy cooperation that Japan, South Korea, and China might undertake, arguing that promoting practical cooperation in the energy field is not only essential for the three nations’ energy policies but would also help to build trust among them. Some participants expressed interest in the idea of a Northeast Asian “energy and environment community,” and there was also a proposal that the three nations could build up joint oil reserves to enable them to serve as a source of shared supply in times of emergency.
For information, see:
http://www.japanecho.co.jp/sum/2007/340310.html

1st CSCAP Study Group Meeting on Oceania
Date: April 15–17, 2007
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Organizers/Supporters: Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP); CSCAP New Zealand; CSCAP Australia; CSCAP Indonesia; CSCAP Papua New Guinea; CSCAP Philippines; and CSCAP Thailand
At the December 2006 CSCAP Steering Committee meeting in New Zealand, a number of CSCAP members expressed concern at the crisis of governance unfolding in several states in Oceania—e.g., the breakdown of law and order in the Solomon Islands in April 2006, the rioting in Tonga in November 2006, and the military coup carried out in Fiji just days before that meeting. In light of these concerns, a Study Group on Oceania was created to address the critical governance and security situation of these Oceanic states and the implications for the Asia Pacific region. Specific issues included the consequences of resource exploitation, public management of disorder in times of political transition, and relations with other Asia Pacific states. A report on this meeting is available online.
For information, see:
http://www.cscap.ca/Oceania_SG.html

US-Japan-ROK Relations for the 21st Century
Date: April 16–18, 2007
Location: Honolulu, USA
Organizers/Supporters: Pacific Forum CSIS; Institute for Defense Analysis; Korea Economic Institute; Academy of East Asian Studies, Sungkyunkwan University
The United States, Japan, and South Korea should have a strong trilateral relationship. The three countries are advanced industrial economies whose trade, investment, and commerce are deeply intertwined. They share fundamental values—respect for human rights, democracy, and the rule of law—and all three governments share regional security concerns. The societies themselves have become deeply intermingled. And yet, tensions between the three countries now seem to prevail over shared interests. It is tempting to argue that relations are fraying because of very particular circumstances: the specific policies and actions taken by the leadership in the three capitals. Are the problems in the various bilateral and trilateral relationships really attributable to the short-term policies of each government? Or are there other, more deep-rooted, structural, and long-term factors at work? If so, what can be done to remedy them? To answer those questions, 46 experts and 20 Pacific Forum Young Leaders gathered to explore US-Japan-ROK relations in the 21st century.
For information, see:
http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/issuesinsights_v07n05.pdf

APEC Second Track Dialogue
Date: April 17, 2007
Location: Canberra and Melbourne, Australia
Organizers/Supporters: Australian Institute of International Affairs
The APEC Second Track Leadership Development Program was developed by the Australian Institute of International Affairs to meet three goals: to build capacity among current and emerging leaders in international relations in the region; to strengthen and foster international ties among counterpart institutes of international affairs; and to contribute to progress on key regional policy issues through the current areas of focus for APEC.
For information, see:
http://www.apec.org.au/docs/07_AIIA_ASTPD.pdf

4th ASEAN Leadership Forum: Shaping ASEAN’s Future
Date: April 17–18, 2007
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Organizers/Supporters: Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI); ASEAN Secretariat; Center for Strategic and International Studies
ASLI and the ASEAN Secretariat initiated the ASEAN Leadership Forum series in 2001 to facilitate interaction among leading public- and private-sector leaders from the United States, China, Japan, Korea, and ASEAN, as well as other global leaders. Since 2007 marks the 40th anniversary of ASEAN’s inception, the 2007 ASEAN Leadership Forum brought together key stakeholders in ASEAN’s future from business, government, civil society, and academia to discuss the key leadership challenges facing ASEAN over the next 10 years and to search for viable solution to those challenges. Sessions at this conference examined the ASEAN Charter, the regional economic and political trends, the challenges in building the ASEAN social and security community, the challenges facing the next generation of ASEAN’s leaders, and women entrepreneurs in ASEAN.
For information, see:
http://www.asli.com.my/documents/4th_Asean_Leadership.pdf

Energy Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific
Date: April 17–19, 2007
Location: Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies; Japan Institute for International Affairs
This conference sought to enhance security cooperation in the Asia Pacific region and establish a forum where collective measures can be taken to promote energy security. More than 40 participants and observers from Australia, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Panama, South Korea, Russia, and the United States met to develop a framework for characterizing dimensions of Asia Pacific energy security, to identify areas for coordinating institutional and policy action, to reexamine and reformulate regional approaches to energy management, and to articulate effective strategies for sustained cooperative action. The conference provided a unique venue for robust and candid discussion of various national perspectives and policy options among senior security practitioners and energy experts.
For information, see:
http://www.apcss.org/core/Conference/CR_ES/OutreachExecRpt-Apr07En
ergy%20Conf19%20Apr.doc

2007 APEC Study Centers Consortium Conference (ASCC)
Date: April 18–20, 2007
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Organizers/Supporters: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)The ASCC 2007 Annual Conference focused on the topic of “Driving Growth—APEC’s Destiny.”
The event was attended by 150 participants from 21 APEC member economies. The meeting consisted of two parts, the first being the APEC Centres Symposium and the second being the Business Program. On the first day, the symposium examined the questions of whether an APEC free trade agreement is feasible, what the gains are from trade facilitation, how to shape APEC, and how to ensure trade security. The following day took up the issues of intellectual property and innovation, aging populations in APEC and the impacts on pensions, and the threat to human health in APEC.
The Business Program examined risks and forecasts for Asian growth, energy and climate change in APEC, the carbon market and emissions trading, global imbalances in financial flows, China’s impact on the global economy, and whether the Asia Pacific region can adjust.
For information, see:
http://www.apec.org.au/event2.asp?event=47

Ten Years after the Asian Crisis: Assessing the Economic and Political Landscape in Southeast Asia
Date: April 19–21, 2007
Location: Siem Reap, Cambodia
Organizers/Supporters: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung; Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace
The year 2007 marked the 10th year since the currency crisis hit Asian economies. Ten years later, Asian economies have charted a strong recovery. Vulnerability to a 1997-style financial crisis in the region is much reduced, but have the weaknesses that caused the crisis been successfully tackled? What challenges still lie ahead for Southeast Asian countries to achieve sustainable economic growth and democratic consolidation? This conference examined the political and economic landscape in Southeast Asia 10 years after the crisis. After taking stock of the current situation, discussions focused on the economic and political changes that were triggered by the crisis, measures taken to address the causes of the crisis, and further challenges that lie ahead for the Southeast Asian region to achieve sustainable growth and democratic consolidation.
For information, see:
http://www.cicp.org.kh/download/Program2007/Ten%20Years%20After%20the%20Asian%20Crisis.pdf
http://www.fesspore.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6&Itemid=13

Boao Forum for Asia 2007: Asia Searching for Win-Win
Date: April 19–22, 2007
Location: Boao, China
Organizers/Supporters: Boao Forum for Asia (BFA)
More than 1,400 politicians, business leaders, and intellectuals from Asia and around the globe attended the BFA 2007 gathering, now in its seventh year. The theme of the conference was “Asia Winning in Today’s Global Economy—Innovation and Sustainable Development.” Topics included energy security in Asia, green issues in the real estate industry, and the evolution of the Asian economy. The meeting witnessed frank discussions and fierce clashes of views. Questions such as property prices in China, corporate social responsibilities of Asian entrepreneurs, drawbacks in the banking system, and environmental protection were heatedly debated. Even the topic of harmonious development in Asia, which was supposed to be smooth going, ended up in severe disagreements. Particularly divisive was the moderator’s question, “Does the rise of China and India make your country feel better or worse?”
For information, see:
http://www.boaoforum.com/AC2007/indexE.asp

Global Climate Policy after 2012: ASEM’s Contribution
Date: April 23, 2007
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Organizers/Supporters: European Environment Agency; Asia-Europe Foundation
A one-day panel discussion gathered experts on climate change policy from the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) countries to discuss the current situation of climate change policies and issues as well as the directions that could be available in light of a post-2012 climate policy regime. It featured about 10 experts with different specializations all sharing inputs on the different perspectives of the challenges and options ahead. This panel built on the Asia-Europe Environment Forum’s work on climate change strategies by encouraging a multistakeholder discussion in order to enrich and animate the debate on climate change strategies. It addressed issues including the cost and benefits of a global climate policy, the roles of governments and societies in global climate policy, and the experiences of stakeholders with the clean development mechanism.
For information, see:
http://env.asef.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=32

1st CSCAP Study Group on Asia Pacific Cooperation for Energy Security
Date: April 23–24, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP); CSCAP India; CSCAP Singapore
The South Asian and East Asian economies’ growing demand for energy resources is focusing greater attention on the economic, political, and security concerns over assuring a continuous and adequate supply of energy to these economies at reasonable prices. The unprecedented growth in oil consumption in India and China, in particular, is making the already competitive oil market even more competitive, resulting in a shift in economic interests, political alignments, and regional security strategies. This newly created CSCAP study group is considering how increasing demand for oil in South Asia and East Asia is changing the regional economics of energy supply and demand, how it is renewing the search for alternative sources and more efficient uses of energy, and how Asia Pacific political alignments and regional security strategies are shifting as a result. A report on the first meeting is available online.
For information, see:
http://www.cscap.ca/EnergySecurity_SG.html
http://www.cscap.ca/Energy%20Security%20SG%20-%201st%20Meet
ing%20Report.pdf

Collective Security in Space: Asian Perspectives
Date: April 23–24, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Space Policy Institute, George Washington University; cosponsored by the Center for Non-Proliferation of the Monterey Institute of International Studies; Research Institute for Peace and Security; supported by John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Almost 50 space analysts, industry representatives, and government officials from Japan, South Korea, China, India, Malaysia, Australia, and the United States met in Tokyo to discuss their varying perspectives on how best to make space access and use secure for all who would use the space environment for peaceful purposes. This workshop was part of the Space Policy Institute’s “Collective Security in Space” project, which seeks to broaden the global community of analysts and government officials discussing the best ways to assure space security and to promote increasing consensus on ways to achieve a space environment free of threats to peaceful uses of space. Workshop papers were to be published.
For information, see:
http://www.gwu.edu/~spi/events.html#Tokyo

2nd Pacific Regional Workshop on Urban Management
Date: April 23–25, 2007
Location: Nadi, Fiji
Organizers/Supporters: Pacific Operations Centre, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; in collaboration with Commonwealth Local Government Pacific Project, and Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
The 2nd Pacific Regional Workshop on Urban Management was attended by 32 urban management practitioners and experts from 13 Pacific Forum Island countries. Delegates took the opportunity to share in-country information and experiences on urban management and planning. The first meeting on Pacific urban management was held in 2003, where a “Pacific Urban Agenda” was formulated. The purpose of this workshop was to review progress of the Agenda’s implementation and refine priorities for urban management consistent with the mandate of the Pacific Plan. The workshop resolved that urban poverty can be addressed through better access to land, low-cost housing, water, sanitation, health, and education. It also recognized that the issue of squatter settlements needs to be addressed, as political tension often arises in such instances.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/2007/apr/g11.asp

Strategic Goals for US-China-Japan Relations
Date: April 25–27, 2007
Location: Nanjing, China
Organizers/Supporters: Pacific Forum CSIS; supported by the United States–Japan Foundation; CNA Corporation; Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Hopkins-Nanjing Center, Nanjing University
The Pacific Forum convened 22 scholars and 17 Pacific Forum Young Leaders to examine a range of political, security, and economic challenges facing China, Japan, and the United States. Relations among these nations have experienced profound swings over the past decade. At the time of this meeting—the 11th round of this conference series—the various bilateral relationships were all on upswings: Japan and China were celebrating the successful visit of Premier Wen Jiabao to Japan weeks before; relations between the United States and Japan were strong; and US-China relations were solid, with high-level dialogues proceeding. Nonetheless, positive relations among the three countries have not translated into a solid trilateral relationship. The triangle is still composed of three distinct sets of relationships and there has been little successful effort at forging three-way discussions or cooperation. This conference sought to remedy that shortcoming by focusing on the fundamental concerns of the three countries and exploring ways they could work together to realize shared interests.
For information, see:
http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/issuesinsights_v07n06.pdf

Regional Perceptions of Asian Powers for Global Change
Date: April 26–27, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
In recent years, the growth of countries such as China and India has reshaped the classical North-South division into a more complex dynamic structure. Their rapid economic development has resulted in greater clout on the regional and global level, and some have predicted that the rise of China and India will have as profound an impact on the international order as did the Industrial Revolution and the subsequent rise of the United States. Extensive research has been done on the new global role of China and India, but the focus of this dialogue was on the regional perspective. It examined relations and perceptions between big and small countries in the Asian region. Several questions guided the dialogue: Do smaller countries perceive the big powers as dominant actors or as benevolent hegemons? Do the rising nations perceive themselves as regional spokesmen? Do smaller countries in the region benefit from the rise in terms of gaining clout on the global scene?
For information, see:
http://www.fesspore.org/media/publications/dialogue+cooperation/2-2007/editorial.pdf07/editorial.pdf

APEC High-Level Public-Private Policy Dialogue on the Policy Framework for Investment
Date: April 26–27, 2007
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Organizers/Supporters: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Participants at this high-level public-private dialogue gathered to consider how APEC’s member economies might make use of the OECD’s Policy Framework for Investment (PFI) to improve investment climates. The dialogue was endorsed by APEC’s Investment Experts Group (IEG) in 2006, and was held against the broader context that the APEC region is underperforming in investment growth and that many economies in the region are significant exporters of capital despite huge domestic needs. The main purpose of the dialogue was to educate government officials and other opinion leaders in APEC member economies about the PFI and the effective use of that tool in domestic reform efforts. Discussion of the PFI brought focus to the Busan Business Agenda and the need to improve the regional business environment. It also constituted a significant step toward the implementation of the Hanoi Action Plan. The dialogue also played an integral role in reinforcing the collaboration between the IEG, business, and international organizations.
For information, see:
http://www.apec.org/apec/publications/free_downloads/2007.MedialibDownload.v1.html?url=/etc/medialib/apec_media_library/downloads/committees/cti/pubs/2007.Par.0014.File.v1.1

3rd Meeting of the NEAT Working Group on Energy Security Cooperation in East Asia
Date: April 27, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Network of East Asia Think-Tanks (NEAT); East Asian Institute, Singapore National University
The third meeting of the NEAT Working Group on Energy Security Cooperation in East Asia brought together scholars and experts from the ASEAN+3 countries. The first meeting of the WG was held in 2005 and focused on the energy outlook in the region and maritime security in energy transport. The second meeting, held in 2006, looked at energy efficiency and energy conservation. The focus for this third meeting was energy diversification in the ASEAN+3 countries, and participants examined the issue, potential challenges and problems, and possible areas for regional cooperation. The meeting was timely in the wake of continuing volatility in oil prices, growing uncertainty over long-term energy supply, and rising concerns over the environmental impact of fossil fuels use. The report and recommendations of the working group were presented at the annual NEAT conference and are available online.
For information, see:
http://www.ceac.jp/e/pdf/neat_05wg06.pdf

Building Multi-Party Capacity for a WMD-Free Korean Peninsula
Date: April 27, 2007
Location: Beijing, China
Organizers/Supporters: Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis (IFPA); in cooperation with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations and the East Asia Foundation; funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York
Foreign policy specialists and government officials from six nations gathered for a one-day workshop in Beijing to discuss near-term prospects for strengthening the Six-Party process in order to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue. The gathering was the third and final workshop of a three-year IFPA project. Policymakers and academics from the United States, China, South Korea, Japan, Russia, and Australia explored various options for developing a viable framework for regional collaboration aimed at eliminating nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction (WMD) from the Korean Peninsula, while at the same time contributing to the establishment of an effective peace and security mechanism in Northeast Asia. During the workshop, participants also broke out into smaller discussion groups focused on key negotiating areas—peace and security, nuclear dismantlement and verification, and economic and energy cooperation.
For information, see:
http://www.ifpa.org/confwrkshp/Beijing0407.htm

May

17th General Meeting of Pacific Economic Cooperation Council
Date: May 1–2, 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Organizers/Supporters: Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC), hosted by AUSPECC
This was the first time that PECC convened its general meeting in Australia since its inaugural meeting in September 1980. The theme for PECC XVII was “Managing the Challenges of Growth,” symbolizing a continuing positive outlook across the region, especially the momentum flowing from economies such as China, as well as the challenges to effective economic management that come with sustained growth.
For information, see:
http://auspecc.anu.edu.au/conference.php

1st ASEAN Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Consultative Forum on Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development
Date: May 2–4, 2007
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Organizers/Supporters: ASEAN Secretariat; supported by Hanns Seidel Foundation, USAID, ASEAN-US Technical Assistance & Training Facility, Global Environment Centre (GEC)
Two years ago, the ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment agreed to support a consultative forum for environmental NGOs to explore mechanisms for more formal and regular interaction with ASEAN intergovernmental bodies. The ASEAN-US facility and the GEC, a Malaysian NGO, helped organize and hold this first consultative forum for CSOs operating in ASEAN, which brought together lawyers, foresters, teachers, researchers, and others from CSOs to exchange ideas on key environmental issues facing the region, to share experiences, and to develop mechanisms and modalities for regular interaction, collaboration, and consultation among ASEAN national CSOs and between CSOs and the ASEAN environmental bodies.
By the end of the forum, participants had reached consensus on approaches and identified four key issues around which to create task forces: climate change, loss of biodiversity, transboundary haze, and environmental education and awareness in the Mekong Region countries. The group agreed to immediately begin work to establish an official ASEAN CSO for environment and sustainable development and formed an interim secretariat, temporarily dubbed the Southeast Asian Civil Society Environment Alliance, chaired by the GEC.

For information, see:
http://www.tei.or.th/tbcsd/reports/20070502-04-ASEAN%20CSO%20meeting%20Report.pdf
http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADJ315.pdf

Asian Development Bank 40th Annual Meeting
Date: May 3–6, 2007
Location: Kyoto, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Asian Development Bank (ADB)
The ADB 40th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors provided valuable insights into how the ADB can evolve with a changing Asia. Gathering in Kyoto for the four-day program were more than 2,500 participants, including government ministers, financiers, academics, media, and representatives of international organizations and civil society. The annual meetings are occasions for the governors of ADB members to provide guidance on ADB administrative, financial, and operational directions.
In addition to three business sessions, the annual meeting included a seminar series that addressed such topics as clean energy, Asia 10 years after the crisis, aging Asia, a global economy in transition, regional cooperation and integration, and urbanization. The program for civil society representatives featured an open forum on the ADB’s energy strategy, a meeting with the ADB’s president and senior management, and discussions on the ADB’s safeguards update. The meeting also reviewed the report of an Eminent Persons Group convened to advise on future trends and challenges facing the region. The report is expected to provide an important input into the current review of the ADB’s long-term strategic framework to 2015.
For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/AnnualMeeting/2007/program-events.asp

The Rise of Asia’s National Oil Companies: Competitive Issues and Geopolitical Implications
Date: May 3–4, 2007
Location: Washington DC, USA
Organizers/Supporters: National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR); support from ExxonMobil, Chevron Corporation, ConocoPhillips, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and National Defense University
Asia’s rising oil demand and growing dependence on imported supplies have driven the increasing global role and prominence of Asia’s national oil companies (NOC). As Asia’s oil-importing countries expand their quest for long-term energy security, the governments view NOCs as an important tool to fulfill national energy security strategies. Asia’s NOC activities seem destined to build important new geopolitical relationships and alliances that have potentially significant implications for US influence in key regions.
In order to explore these important issues in greater depth, the NBR organized a conference to examine the role of Asian NOCs in the energy security strategies of their home governments and assess the major geopolitical and competitive implications of the NOCs’ global expansion. Participants came from across Asia and North America, bringing a broad spectrum of expertise in the global energy industry, economics, and strategic affairs.
For information, see:
http://nbr.org/publications/specialreport/pdf/SR14.pdf

14th ASEAN-ISIS Colloquium on Human Rights (AICOHR)
Date: May 4–5, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: ASEAN Institutes for Strategic and International Studies (ASEAN-ISIS); Institute for Strategic and Development Studies; support from Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Taiwan Foundation For Democracy
The 14th AICOHR examined the theme “A Regional Human Rights Mechanism as an Imperative for Building an ASEAN Security Community.” Some 50 participants from Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe, representing human rights commissions, civil society groups, and think tanks, exchanged ideas and insights on this issue. In session one, the speakers focused on the evolution of the concept of a regional human rights mechanism in Southeast Asia. They emphasized that while there have been some gains in connection with the establishment of an ASEAN human rights mechanism, more still needs to be done. The next session focused on regional human rights mechanisms in other regions, including Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The next three sessions offered country perspectives on human rights and the establishment of an ASEAN human rights mechanism, with presentations from Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Lao PDR, and Vietnam. The final session focused on the prospects and problems of establishing such a mechanism in ASEAN.
For information, see:
http://www.isdsphilippines.org/pdf/14th_AICOHR_Narrative_Report.pdf

1st APEC Public-Private Sector Forum on Bond Market Development
Date: May 8, 2007
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Organizers/Supporters: Advisory Group on APEC Financial System Capacity Building; APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC); in cooperation with Australian Treasury and Australian APEC Study Centre
In September 2006, APEC finance ministers welcomed a proposal submitted by ABAC that the Advisory Group, together with ABAC, facilitate in-depth discussions with individual economies on how the public and private sectors can collaborate to develop their respective bond markets. These will take the form of a series of one-day sessions, each focused on three or four developing member economies’ bond markets. The objective is to hold a dialogue among interested economies, private sector market players, and experts from international public and private sector organizations, aimed at identifying aspects in the policy and regulatory areas that can be addressed by authorities to enhance the environment for bond market development.
The first forum was held back-to-back with the 2nd APEC Senior Finance Officials Meeting (SFOM) and focused on the bond markets of Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Following a review of these results, the Advisory Group and ABAC endorsed the holding of a second forum in conjunction with the 4th APEC SFOM in Peru in 2008.
For information, see:
http://www.apec.org/etc/medialib/apec_media_library/downloads/events

International Conference on Transparency and Governance
Date: May 10–11, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Centre on Asia and Globalisation, National University of Singapore
The Centre on Asia and Globalisation hosted an international conference at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy to advance the public debate in Asia on openness and public accountability. The conference brought together leading practitioners and analysts to provide insights into whether, how, and when greater openness serves public interests, and how to bring about beneficial forms of transparency. The conference was held in association with the launch of a new book, The Right to Know: Transparency for an Open World, which distills the lessons of many nations’ experiences and provides careful analysis of transparency’s impact on governance, business regulation, environmental protection, and national security. The conference was attended by 100 people from Singapore and around the world.
For information, see:
http://www.spp.nus.edu.sg/CAG/Handler.ashx?path=Data/Site/SiteDocuments/Transparency-Conference-Rationale.pdf
http://www.spp.nus.edu.sg/cag/Webcasts.aspx

Workshop on the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution
Date: May 11, 2007
Location: Indonesia
Organizers/Supporters: Singapore Institute of International Affairs; Centre for Strategic and International Studies Indonesia; World Wide Fund for Nature Indonesia
This workshop focused on the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, with the aim of engaging stakeholders in Indonesia in better understanding and determining the practical implementation of the agreement, should it be ratified by Indonesia. The majority of participants came from NGOs and civil society groups based in Indonesia that are working on fire prevention, community approaches to haze prevention, and forest conservation issues. Members of parliament and local officials from affected areas also provided their perspectives, and NGOs from Singapore and Malaysia added a regional perspective and demonstrated the solidarity of Indonesia’s neighbors in tackling the issue. Most NGO participants felt that the agreement should be ratified, especially since it would make funding and support more available and accessible from other ASEAN countries to address the haze problem. However, they also were clear that the haze agreement was not a panacea, and that whether or not it was signed, many practical actions on the ground that were already taking place should be acknowledged and supported, while other efforts needed to be deepened and strengthened.
For information, see:
http://www.siiaonline.org/?q=events/asean-agreement-transboundary-haze-pollution-indonesia-has-neighbours-support-tackle-haze-pro

2nd SEAWUN Convention on Management Capacity Building and Performance Improvements for Southeast Asian Water Utilities
Date: May 14–16, 2007
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Organizers/Supporters: South East Asian Water Utilities Network (SEAWUN); Malaysian Water Association; with support from Malaysia’s Ministry of Energy, Communication, and Water and Asian Development Bank
SEAWUN was established in 2002 as a regional network for water and sanitation services utilities and national water associations. SEAWUN held an inaugural convention on water and wastewater in 2005 to promote the exchange and management of knowledge among SEAWUN members and key water sector stakeholders. In 2007, SEAWUN held its second convention, which aimed to promote an exchange of best practices in management capacity building and performance improvements among regional water utilities; review the results to date of SEAWUN’s programs on performance benchmarking, full cost recovery, nonrevenue water reduction, and human resources development; and discuss and finalize the SEAWUN Vision and Action Plan. More than 100 representatives from ASEAN countries attended, including representatives from SEAWUN members, government agencies, water supply and sanitation companies, donors and foreign aid organizations, private sector consultancies and companies, and journalists.
For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/water/SEAWUN/2007/2nd-convention/default.asp

Regional Symposium on Managing Labour Migration in East Asia: Policies and Outcomes
Date: May 15–18, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: International Labour Organization; Wee Kim Wee Centre of Singapore Management University; supported by the European Union
Representatives from 13 East Asian economies took part in a high-level symposium on managing labor migration in the region. Those participating in the three-day event included representatives of governments and of workers’ and employers’ organizations from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The workshop supported recent ASEAN initiatives to improve labor migration, notably as laid out in its Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers. The agenda included discussions on the causes and characteristics of East Asia’s labor shortages, irregular migration, and policies for governing labor emigration and immigration. In addition, regional experts presented case studies highlighting some current issues, such as labor shortages in Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea; managing labor recruitment and migration in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam; and handling undocumented foreign workers in Malaysia and Thailand.

For information, see:
http://www.ilo.org/asia/info/public/pr/lang-en/WCMS_BK_PR_182_EN/index.htm

17th Asian Corporate Conference: Coming Together, Moving Ahead—Asian Economies Lead through Integration and Innovation
Date: May 16–18, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Asia Society; co-organized by the Wall Street Journal, Nippon Keidanren; supported by AIG, Carlyle Group, Nomura, Philip Morris International, BNP Paribas, Chevron, Shinsei Bank, Morgan Stanley, Toyota, Mitsubishi Corporation, et. al.
Over 1,000 senior government and business leaders from 16 countries throughout Asia and the world gathered in Tokyo to explore Japan’s economic resurgence and Asia’s rise in the global economy. Participants examined the trends driving the world’s second largest economy and the forces shaping Asian economic integration. Conference sessions explored topics such as how Japanese and Asian corporate giants are innovating to compete globally; how Asia will meet its growing energy demands; the effects of aging and demographic issues on Asian economies; the potential of corporate responsibility and technology in Japan and Asia to address the environmental crisis; and the role of China, India, and Japan as engines of regional economic growth.
For information, see:
http://www.asiasociety.org/conference07/agenda.html

Maritime Security Conference: The South China Sea—The Long Road Towards a Cooperative Management Regime
Date: May 16–17, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University
About 35 participants from Singapore, Australia, the Philippines, the United States, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, England, and Canada gathered to discuss cooperative management of the South China Sea. The meeting began with a discussion on the historical and geopolitical context of the South China Sea disputes. In the second session, experts examined the environmental aspects of the South China Sea, including fisheries management and cooperative development of energy resources. The third session examined the strategic significance of the South China Sea, while the fourth and fifth panels examined “good order at sea in the South China Sea” and best practices.
For information, see:
http://www.rsis.edu.sg/publications/conference_reports/South_China_Sea_Report.pdf

The 10th Anniversary of the Asian Financial Crisis: Lessons Learned, Critical Assessments, and Charting the Path Forward
Date: May 16, 2007
Location: Washington DC, USA
Organizers/Supporters: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars; Sasakawa Peace Foundation; Center for Economic and Policy Research
The year 2007 marked 10 years since the onset of the Asian financial and economic crisis, a critical event in contemporary economic history that had a profound impact on the people, the economies, and the stability of the Asian region. The Asian financial crisis was not only a financial crisis, but also a human crisis and a crisis of globalization. Decades of economic progress in East and Southeast Asia were jeopardized, as daunting levels of poverty, unemployment, and social inequality beset the most affected countries—Indonesia, Thailand, Korea, the Philippines, and Malaysia. Ten years onward, it is imperative to reexamine the debates on free capital mobility in developing countries, the role of international financial institutions, the structural flaws in domestic banking and financial sectors, and the macroeconomic policy framework that was used to respond to the Asian financial crisis. This conference sought to expand these debates in light of the significant global changes and developments that have occurred as a result of economic and financial globalization over the last decade.
For information, see:
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.event_summary&event_id=235143

Asia-Pacific Business Forum 2007: At the Crossroads between Asia and Europe: Harnessing the Possibilities of Central Asia
Date: May 18–19, 2007
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
Central Asia’s location at the crossroads of Asia and Europe and its increasing integration in the global economy create both opportunities and challenges for sustainable economic growth. The Asia-Pacific Business Forum 2007 discussed how to grasp the opportunities and meet the challenges of globalization. Issues for discussion included diversification of exports, trade competitiveness, regional cooperation, the contribution of business to development, business and the health sector, and strategies to improve the business climate. About 250 key business leaders, senior government officials, academics, and civil society representatives from Central Asia and across the Asia-Pacific participated in the forum, which was organized back-to-back with the 63rd annual ESCAP Commission Session to ensure the presence of senior government officials and ministers.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/tid/apbf/apbf07.asp

Economic Integration in East Asia and its Implications for Japan and the United States
Date: May 21, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Keizai Koho Center (Japan Institute for Social and Economic Affairs); Brookings Institution, Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies
This symposium began with keynote speeches by Hiromasa Yonekura (Nippon Keidanren and Sumitomo Chemical) and Mitoji Yabunaka (Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs), which were followed by panel sessions featuring Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and US intellectuals, who discussed trade and investment issues in Asia and the future of economic integration in East Asia. In the afternoon sessions, panelists discussed the sustainability of the Chinese economy, foreign and trade policies of the United States, and the 2008 US presidential election. A total of 220 people attended the symposium.
For information, see:
http://www.kkc.or.jp/english/activities/discuss7.html#2007_5

5th Asia-Europe Roundtable (AER): Sustaining the Peace through Post-Conflict Reconstruction
Date: May 23–25, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung; Asia-Europe Foundation
The AER is a series of meetings to examine Asia-Europe experiences and cooperation in tackling common challenges such as region building, conflict prevention, and conflict resolution. The 2007 AER examined economic reconstruction and institution building in post-conflict societies. The meeting was intended to deepen the understanding of the post-conflict reconstruction processes, to identify some key challenges, and to offer lessons and solutions. Studies were commissioned, and 50 participants from different backgrounds—policymakers, academics, practitioners, civil society activists, and donor organizations—gathered for two days of discussions. Participants examined (1) institution-(re)building, which focused on institutions for security, political stability, and transitional justice; (2) the economics of reconstruction, centered on the promotion of economic recovery; and (3) the actors involved, including both reformers and “potential spoilers” in the process, with a focus on regional-level and civil society protagonists.
For information, see:
http://www.asef.org/index.php?option=com_project&task=view&id=206

The Future of Asia 2007—13th Nikkei International Conference
Date: May 24–25, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Nihon Keizai Shimbun; with the cooperation of The Straits Times (Singapore); Kompas (Indonesia); New Straits Times (Malaysia); Bangkok Post (Thailand); Vietnam News Agency (Vietnam); People’s Daily (China); JoongAng Ilbo (South Korea); Maeil Business Newspaper (South Korea); CNBC Asia Pacific“
The Future of Asia” is an annual forum held by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun where government leaders and top business executives from throughout the Asia Pacific region present their latest ideas for generating positive and lasting change in the region. The 13th Future of Asia conference took as its theme “Deepening Cooperation toward a True Community.” Panelists and participants from throughout the Asia Pacific region discussed such issues as pan-Asian community and the future of economic integration, the prospects for India and Vietnam as new centers of growth, current East Asian affairs and efforts toward promoting stability in the region, the future of Asian currencies and a reflection on the decade since the financial crisis, and energy and the environment in the context of sustainable growth.
For information, see:
http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/FR/NIKKEI/inasia/future/2007/

8th Asia Pacific Migration Research Network International Conference
Date: May 26–29, 2007
Location: Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
Organizers/Supporters: Asia Pacific Migration Research Network (APMRN)
The central focus of the APMRN is the long-term role of migration and increased ethnocultural diversity as major factors in the social transformation of the societies of the Asia Pacific region. The aim is to build an international research network that will carry out interdisciplinary research on social and political aspects of international migration and growing ethnocultural diversity in the region. The work is carried out by a number of partner institutions or networks in the various countries and will initially concentrate on Southeast Asia, South Asia, East Asia, the Pacific, and Australasia. It is designed to build research capabilities, develop empirical knowledge, further theoretical and methodological work in the social sciences, and provide broadly based and reliable information and options for policymakers at the national and international levels.
For information, see:
http://www.no-trafficking.org/inet_eventcalendar/event_detail.aspx?event_id=90

HIV and AIDS Global Media Strategies
Date: May 28, 2007
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Organizers/Supporters: Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development; Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia
A total of 135 media professionals gathered for a conference on global media strategies for HIV and AIDS. Concerted action by the media is a necessary and important step to reduce the rate of infections, which now stands at more than 11,000 a day. There is a need to imbue HIV/AIDS-related messages in all types of programming. The declaration that emerged from the conference laid the foundation for an Asia-Pacific Media AIDS Initiative. Membership is based on the commitment of members to (1) offer substantial time (broadcasters) or space (print and online media); (2) use different genres for discussing issues related to HIV/AIDS; (3) provide coverage of local, national, and global issues related to HIV/AIDS; (4) take active steps to make sure that the coverage is factually correct and socially just; (5) share content with other members by declaring it rights free; (6) actively support training of journalists, reporters, and producers on issues related to HIV/AIDS; and (7) formulate and put in place a workplace policy on HIV.
For information, see:
http://download.aibd.org.my/papers/AMAI/AMAI_Declaration.pdf
http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/files/25288/11890773901Report_Conference_on_Global_Media_Strategy.pdf/Report%2BConference%2Bon%2BGlobal%2BMedia%2BStrategy.pdf

Regional Biosecurity Workshop
Date: May 28–30, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: National University of Singapore, Centre on Asia and Globalisation; Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland School of Public Policy, University of Maryland
The Centre on Asia and Globalisation and the Center for International and Security Studies hosted a workshop to bring together government, scientific, international security, and industry experts from the Pacific region to examine the opportunities and challenges posed by advances in the life sciences. Topics included the challenges of biosecurity from Japan’s perspective; managing the promise and danger of biotechnology; emerging viral disease in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific; WHO perspectives on life, science research, and global health security; biosecurity—securing pathogens against loss and theft; biotechnology, weapons, and humanity; the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology’s vision for a code of conduct for scientists; the Philippine perspective on strengthening oversight on dual use biotech research in Asia; biosafety in Japan; and the Indonesia/Australia Biological Weapons Convention regional workshop process.
For information, see:
http://www.spp.nus.edu.sg/cag/Handler.ashx?path=Data/Site/SiteDocuments/Transparency-Conference-Rationale.pdf

2nd Regional Consultation for Developing the GMS Energy Strategy
Date: May 28–29, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: Asian Development Bank; Integriertes Ressourcen Management (IRM-AG)
Forty-two representatives from the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) governments, civil society organizations, private sector, academe, and other international development organizations participated in a discussion regarding the current progress of the Energy Strategy Study. IRM-AG of Austria, the project consultant for the study, presented the initial results of the least-cost analyses for various scenarios using the planning model MESSAGE (Model of Energy Supply Systems Alternatives and their General Environmental Impacts). Representatives from the governments and other stakeholders provided feedback regarding the assumptions and data used. Inputs on how to further improve the study were also given by the participants and the next steps for the project were discussed.
For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2007/Second-Regional-Consultation-GMS/default.asp

June

6th IISS Asia Security Conference (Shangri-La Dialogue)
Date: June 1–3, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: International Institute for Strategic Studies
The Shangri-La Dialogue is an annual event for defense and security diplomacy for the region. Since its inaugural meeting in 2002, the dialogue has become a recognized part of the architecture of Asian defense diplomacy. The 2007 meeting was the biggest yet, with strong delegations from all participating countries—Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Thailand, Timor-Leste, UK, the United States, and Vietnam. The 2007 dialogue featured many on-the-record events including a keynote address, five plenary sessions, and press conferences. Off-the-record events included three breakout groups that allowed delegates to focus on more sensitive subjects in depth. Issues addressed at the plenary sessions included the United States and Asia Pacific security, China and India—building international stability, nuclear challenges, securing regional waters, and security cooperation in Asia. Breakout groups explored the themes of intervening in fragile states, new challenges for security sector reform, and progress in counterterrorism.

For information, see:
http://www.iiss.org/conferences/the-shangri-la-dialogue/shangri-la-dialogue-2007

East Asia Roundtable 2007: Community Building in Diversity
Date: June 2–4, 2007
Location: Kyoto, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU); support from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan; in collaboration with ASEAN Secretariat
This three-day event included a seminar for students and members of the public on the theme of “Community Building in Diversity: Regional Trends towards East Asian Integration and Local Community Initiatives.” Approximately 100 students and invited guests observed a panel discussion between government officials and executives from ASEAN nations. On June 3–4, an expert group meeting was held. Following a brief overview of the regional initiatives toward integration, sessions focused on strengthening collaboration in four critical functional areas: “mega-infrastructure” development, global environmental management, enhancing trans-border cultural exchanges, and managing cross-border movements of people. On the second day, four parallel workshops and a wrap-up plenary session reviewed the above discussions.
The meeting concluded with an Intergenerational Exchange, as student teams from APU that had met separately on these issues from May–June 2007 presented their findings at a seminar for comment by the participants of the Expert Group Meeting.
For information, see:
http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/eng/newsletter/fall2007/page11.shtml

27th CSCAP Steering Committee Meeting
Date: June 4, 2007
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Organizers/Supporters: Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP); Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia
CSCAP is administratively guided by a steering committee made up of representatives from each member country. Two elected persons—one from an ASEAN country, the other from a non-ASEAN member—chair the steering committee, which meets twice annually.
For information, see:
http://www.isis.org.my/events.htm#events_recent

21st Asia Pacific Roundtable
Date: June 4–8, 2007
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Organizers/Supporters: Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia; ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies; supported by Canadian International Development Agency
The Asia-Pacific Roundtable (APR) series was launched in 1987 to promote trust and confidence in the Asia Pacific region. As a Track 2 forum, the APR brings together think tanks, academics, media representatives, and senior government officials acting in their personal capacity to engage in candid dialogue on the major security challenges confronting the region. The 2007 event brought together over 250 participants and observers for three days of meetings. Plenary sessions focused on the reinvention, challenges, and prospects for ASEAN at 40; US foreign and security policy after the midterm elections; the global strategic balance and competition among the major powers in East Asia; the campaign against terrorism; Islam and the West dialogue; the security impact and responses to climate change; and ensuring productive synergy between ASEAN+3, the East Asia Summit, and APEC. Breakout sessions examined such topics as Japan as a “normal state”; managing scarcity of resources, energy security, and nuclear energy; and sustaining momentum in the Six-Party Talks.
For information, see:
http://www.isis.org.my/events.htm#events_recent

2nd ASEM HIV/AIDS Workshop
Date: June 4–5, 2007
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Organizers/Supporters: Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM); organized by Government of Sweden, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, and National Board of Health and Welfare; co-sponsored by Governments of the Netherlands, Vietnam, and the Philippines
Stigmatization and discrimination are the two largest obstacles to developing work on HIV and AIDS, while good leadership at all levels is the most important helping factor. This was the overall conclusion at an international workshop held in Stockholm. The purpose of the workshop was to find ways for practical cooperation, using the experiences of the roughly 100 government and civil society participants from 23 countries in Europe and Asia. At the fifth ASEM meeting in 2004, ASEM leaders expressed their concern that the global HIV/AIDS epidemic constitutes a global emergency and agreed that the fight against HIV/AIDS should feature in the framework of ASEM cooperation. As a result, the first ASEM Workshop on HIV/AIDS was launched in 2005. The title of this second workshop, “Learning from Each Other and Moving Forward—Asia and Europe Together in the Fight against HIV/AIDS,” highlighted the need for cooperation and collaboration on HIV/AIDS as a part of a regional response to effectively confront the epidemic.
For information, see:
http://www.aseminfoboard.org/Calendar/Activities/?id=208

What Future for the Multilateral Trading System?—Development Perspectives from Asia
Date: June 4–5, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES); World Trade Organization (WTO)
The current multilateral trading system is under continuous pressure for further reforms in favor of the interests of developing countries. The Doha “Development” Round was initiated in 2001 in order to correct some of the existing imbalances and to integrate developing countries better into the multilateral trading system. But the protracted and seemingly deadlocked negotiations have resulted in greater challenges for the multilateral trading system and the WTO. Against this backdrop, the FES and the WTO organized a dialogue with stakeholders from Asia to discuss the future of the multilateral trading system. The dialogue examined the current state of play in the Doha negotiations, the challenges for Asia in this respect, and the role of the system’s stakeholders in the negotiating processes. Participating in the conference were representatives from the WTO, government officials, and representatives from business, civil society organizations, trade unions, and academia from approximately eight Asian countries and Europe.
For information, see:
http://www.fes-globalization.org/geneva/documents/4-5_June07_Programme.pdf

3rd Green Growth Policy Dialogue: The Greening of Business and the Environment as a Business Opportunity
Date: June 5–7, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; CMP Media Thailand; Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment
This was the third in a series of policy dialogues on green growth. Earlier dialogues focused on themes pertaining to a green tax and budget reform, and the role of public policy in providing sustainable consumption choices. The 2007 meeting focused on greening business, recognizing the need for consumers and policymakers alike to realize the hidden potential of the environment as an increasingly lucrative business opportunity.
The opening session laid the foundation for subsequent discussions by raising overview questions: Will rising oil prices, the scarcity of natural resources, and climate change become the drivers for eco-efficiency and the greening of businesses in Asia Pacific? How can we widen the market for more green products? How can we support and promote the greening of the mainstream business in the region? Thematic discussions were then held on the specific roles of the three major actors: public sector, private sector, and consumers.
For information, see:
http://www.greengrowth.org/GG2007/gg07-index.asp

ESCAP/APCD High-Level Stakeholders’ Workshop on Empowerment of People with Disabilities and a Barrier-Free Society through Networking and Collaboration
Date: June 6–8, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD); United Nations Compensation Committee
The objectives of this workshop were to share the outcomes of the APCD’s activities and to consider the APCD’s future direction. The workshop consisted of three main parts: (1) statements by the Government of Japan and the Royal Thai Government concerning the APCD project; (2) reports of the outcomes of APCD activities, including field visits; and (3) the future direction of the APCD’s collaboration with the international, subregional, national, and grassroots organizations. The workshop was attended by representatives of the APCD’s national focal points from Cambodia, China, Fiji, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vanuatu, and Vietnam, 22 associate organizations, as well as international NGOs.
For information, see:
http://www.apcdproject.org/publications/2007/newsletter20/unescap_apcd.html

ASEAN Economic Community Coordinating Conference
Date: June 7–8, 2007
Location:Jakarta, Indonesia
Organizers/Supporters: ASEAN
Representatives from economic agencies and institutions, as well as from the private sector, joined to discuss the draft ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint and its strategic schedule. The conference provided a venue for enhanced communication and dialogue between stakeholders from the government, business, and the peoples of ASEAN.
For information, see:
http://www.aseansec.org/20678.htm
http://www.aseansec.org/Fact%20Sheet/AEC/2007-AEC-001-2.pdf

1st Meeting of the NEAT Working Group on Enhancement of East Asian Cultural Exchange
Date: June 7–9, 2007
Location: Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do Province, South Korea
Organizers/Supporters: Network of East Asia Think-Tanks (NEAT); sponsored by the Korean Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
The first meeting of the NEAT Working Group (WG) on Enhancement of Cultural Exchange brought together 18 participants from all ASEAN+3 countries for an active and productive discussion on the important role of cultural exchange in the building of the East Asian Community. Since it was the inaugural meeting, discussions included more general agendas such as the current state of cultural exchange in East Asia, general directions and basic principles for enhancing cultural exchange, and the necessary institutional arrangements for enhancing cultural exchange. The WG also identified specific priority sub-areas to be addressed under the larger topic of cultural exchange: media, popular culture and cultural festivities, education, people-to-people exchange, and performing arts and cultural exhibitions. The WG emphasized that there should be a change in attitudes toward cultural exchange, not only among political leaders and serious practitioners (e.g., researchers, journalists, intellectuals, and other specialists) but also among the people in general.
For information, see:
http://www.ceac.jp/e/pdf/neat_05wg04.pdf

Interdependent Koreas: Engagement for Peace in Bilateral, Regional, and Global Contexts
Date: June 8–9, 2007
Location: New York, USA
Organizers/Supporters: Hiroshima Peace Institute
This meeting brought together American, Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese researchers who are participating in a project to examine how inter-Korean relations have progressed and what requisites should be met for sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula. With the expansion of South Korea’s engagement with the North through trade, investment, and humanitarian aid, North Korea has become more reliant on South Korea in economic affairs. The actors who are involved in this process of engagement are not limited to the two governments but extend to business groups and NGOs. North Korea’s nuclear test, however, has complicated inter-Korean relations. This project aims at appraising whether or not the original goal of South Korea’s engagement policy has been achieved and, if not, what is required. For this purpose, the project involves an analysis of Korean interdependence in various contexts: domestic, bilateral, regional, and global. An edited volume will be produced.
For information, see:
http://serv.peace.hiroshima-cu.ac.jp/English/

Expert Group Meeting on Sustainable Infrastructure Development in Asia and the Pacific
Date: June 11, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Environment and Development Division; Economic Commission for Latin America & the Caribbean (ECLAC); UN-HABITAT
This meeting was organized to gain input on the scope and strategy of the “Eco-efficient and sustainable urban infrastructure development in Asia and Latin America” project, to be jointly implemented by ESCAP, ECLAC, and UN-HABITAT in 2008/2009. The meeting gathered 35 experts from 11 countries in the region, including senior local and national government officials concerned with infrastructure development, experts in sustainable infrastructure development, urban planners, as well as representatives from the private sector, universities, research centers, and international organizations. Participants discussed the economic, social, and environmental challenges faced by urban areas in Asia Pacific and recognized the critical role that infrastructure systems play for sustainable development and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It was pointed out that despite remarkable economic growth, Asia Pacific is home to two-thirds of the world’s poor. In order to continue the economic growth needed to reduce poverty and achieve the other MDGs, it is necessary to change economic growth patterns, to improve eco-efficiency, and pursue green growth.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/esd/environment/infra/egm.asp

Pacific Health Summit 2007
Date: June 12–14, 2007
Location: Seattle, USA
Organizers/Supporters: National Bureau of Asian Research; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Every June, the Pacific Health Summit welcomes global health leaders to Seattle to discuss how to connect science and policy for a healthier future. Roughly 250 experts from government, business, academia, and nonprofit organizations gathered for the 2007 meeting, which addressed the theme of “Pandemics: Working Together for an Effective and Equitable Response.” Participants gathered for two days of discussion focusing on avian influenza and other potential communicable and noncommunicable pandemics. Informing the summit discussion was the underlying desire to develop and encourage appropriate policies for the prevention, early detection, and early treatment of all disease. Special emphasis was placed on the issue of developing and stockpiling pre-pandemic H5N1 vaccines.
For information, see:
http://pacifichealthsummit.org/downloads/Summit%202007/Report.pdf

Ten Years after the Crisis: Evolving East Asian Financial System and Challenges Ahead
Date: June 12, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Policy Research Institute, Ministry of Finance of Japan; Asian Development Bank Institute
The 1997–1998 financial crisis had significant negative economic and social impacts on East Asian economies and highlighted various vulnerabilities across sectors in the crisis-hit countries. A decade has passed, and the situation has changed dramatically. East Asian economies have implemented financial sector restructuring and institutional reforms in corporate and financial sectors and have initiated regional cooperation efforts to enhance financial stability, such as the Chiang Mai Initiative and the Asian Bond Markets Initiative. The hardest-hit economies have now recovered, and with the rapidly growing Chinese economy, East Asia is once again attracting the world’s attention. Nonetheless, a number of challenges still must be faced.
This conference revisited how financial and corporate sectors have been transformed and how international flows of capital and trade have changed in East Asia in the last decade. Participants discussed the remaining challenges for increasing financial stability and sustaining economic development in the region in the coming decades.
For information, see:
http://www.mof.go.jp/jouhou/soken/kenkyu/h19/adbi070612/e.htm

21st Pacific Science Congress
Date: June 12–18, 2007
Location: Okinawa, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Pacific Science Association (PSA); University of the Ryukyus; support from Science Council of Japan; Science Council of Asia; co-organized by Science Council of Japan, Ecological Society of Japan, Japanese Coral Reef Society, Japanese Society for Marine Biotechnology, Japanese Society of Tropical Medicine, Association of Japanese Geographers, Botanical Society of Japan, Geological Society of Japan, Human Geological Society of Japan, Japanese Society for Oceanic Studies, Japanese Society of Fisheries Science, Oceanographic Society of Japan, Zoological Society of Japan, and Japan Society of Island Studies
Founded in 1920, the PSA is a regional, nongovernmental, scholarly organization that seeks to advance science and technology in support of sustainable development in the Asia Pacific. It holds congresses every four years to facilitate interdisciplinary and international research and collaboration in the Asia Pacific region. The meetings draw between 1,000 and 2,500 participants. The theme of the organization’s 2007 annual congress was “Diversity and Change: Challenges and Opportunities for Managing Natural and Social Systems in Asia-Pacific.” Topics discussed at the meeting included maintaining natural diversity; technology for sustainable societies (biotechnology, energy, assessing natural hazards); human diversity (origins of Pacific peoples, indigenous knowledge); cultural and linguistic diversity; threats, challenges, and hazards (climate change, natural hazards, chronic and infectious diseases, and hazardous waste); and science and society.
For information, see:
http://www.pacificscience.org/congress2007.html

Meeting of the NEAT Working Group on Overall Architecture of Community Building in East Asia
Date: June 13–14, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Network of East Asia Think-Tanks (NEAT)
The NEAT Working Group (WG) on Overall Architecture of Community Building in East Asia met in Tokyo with 21 participants from the 13 NEAT member countries. The participants focused on “Building Regional Architecture for Non-traditional Security Issues” and were divided into three panels on transnational crime, environmental protection, and pandemic diseases. The WG envisions the effective utilization of the ASEAN+3 framework to promote functional cooperation among member countries and sees a leading role for the ASEAN Secretariat in initiating, coordinating, and realizing regional cooperation. The meeting report was submitted to the 5th Annual Conference of NEAT, held in Singapore in August 2007.
For information, see:
http://www.ceac.jp/e/pdf/070613program.pdf

3rd Working Group Meeting on Energy Planning and Policy
Date: June 14–15, 2007
Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); Korea Energy Economics Institute
In November 2005, an Intergovernmental Collaborative Mechanism on Energy Cooperation in Northeast Asia was established to facilitate energy cooperation and trade to enhance energy security in Northeast Asia. Under this mechanism, a working group on Energy Planning and Cooperation was established to identify possible future energy cooperation activities.
At the third meeting of the working group, participants focused on strategies toward the development of the Energy Outlook of Northeast Asia, reviewing the progress of country reports, discussing transboundary energy cooperation initiatives, and looking at the issues and constraints in moving forward. They also discussed strategies toward a business-government dialogue and a trust fund on energy cooperation in Northeast Asia. In addition to government delegations from North and South Korea, Mongolia, and Russia, presenters included ESCAP representatives and experts from academia and business.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/esd/energy/dialogue/cooperation/epp3/index.asp

1st Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) Asia-Pacific Inter-Regional Forum
Date: June 15–19, 2007
Location: Da Nang, Vietnam
Organizers/Supporters: GPPAC; Peace Boat
The GPPAC is a civil society–led network aiming to build a new international consensus on peacebuilding and the prevention of violent conflict. The GPPAC is structured through 15 regions, each of which has its own regional action agenda and work plan. Peace Boat hosted the inaugural GPPAC Asia Pacific Forum in Da Nang, Vietnam, onboard its ship, bringing together 20 GPPAC members from the four subregions of Asia Pacific—Northeast Asia, Pacific, Southeast Asia, and South Asia—to examine current barriers to peace as well as ways to share information and work together more effectively in building peace across the region. Discussions covered such urgent issues as the nuclear arms and missile proliferation and geo-political power struggles in Northeast Asia and South Asia, along with crises of democracy, self-determination, human security, and cultures of violence in the Pacific and Southeast Asia.
The event also included a cultural event that allowed delegates to interact with 2,000 young people, as well as meetings between delegates and civil society representatives from Da Nang.
For information, see:
http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1505#par1710

Williamsburg Conference
Date: June 15–18, 2007
Location: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Organizers/Supporters: Asia Society; co-hosted by the Mongolian Development and Strategy Institute
The Williamsburg Conference was founded by John D. Rockefeller 3rd in 1971 to encourage discussions among top leaders from Asia and the United States. In 2007, the conference was held for the first time in Mongolia, which was the ideal setting for a discussion on the theme of “Changing Asia, Changing World: Challenges and Opportunities of Economic Growth.” The four-day conference brought together 60 top leaders from 15 countries and economies across the Asia Pacific region from government, business, civil society, academia, and the media.
The opening session introduced two very different scenarios for the future: an integrated Asia or an increasingly fragmented region. Although Asia is experiencing an upward swing of integration, delegates agreed that the forces of fragmentation are very real, including corruption, environmental degradation, poverty, and uneven development. Participants discussed how energy needs are increasing insecurity and tension in the region with potentially great environmental costs. Discussions also touched on economic development and the new geopolitics of the region, as well as governance and Asia’s multilateral institutions.
For information, see:
http://www.asiasociety.org/policy_business/williamsburg07.pdf

3rd ASEM Interfaith Dialogue
Date: June 19–21, 2007
Location: Nanjing, China
Organizers/Supporters: Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM); co-hosted by the governments of China and Italy; co-sponsored by the governments of Austria, Denmark, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, the Philippines, Spain, and Thailand
This event was built upon the outcomes from the previous Interfaith Dialogues held in Indonesia in 2005 and in Cyprus in 2006. The theme of this 3rd Interfaith Dialogue was “Deepening Interfaith Dialogue for Peace, Development and Harmony.” It was further concentrated into four topics that were discussed in parallel working groups: (1) Interfaith Dialogue and Globalization, (2) Interfaith Dialogue and Peace, (3) Interfaith Dialogue and Social Cohesion and Development, and (4) Interfaith Dialogue and the Promotion of Cultural and Educational Cooperation. Participants reached agreement on several understandings and actions to be taken for furthering the ASEM Interfaith Dialogue, as delineated in the Nanjing Statement on Interfaith Dialogue. In the immediate run-up to the dialogue, the Asia-Europe Foundation also organized the 5th ASEF Journalists’ Colloquium, which examined economic and sociocultural dimensions in interfaith relations as well as practical measures to achieve diversity in the newsroom.
For information, see:
http://www.aseminfoboard.org/Calendar/Activities/?id=200

4th Jeju Peace Forum: Peace and Prosperity in Northeast Asia—Exploring European Experiences
Date: June 21–23, 2007
Location: Jeju, South Korea
Organizers/Supporters: Co-hosted by East Asia Foundation; Jeju Special Self-governing Province; International Peace Foundation; co-sponsored by Jeju Free International City Development Center; Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, South Korea; Ministry of Information and Communication, South Korea; Ministry of Construction and Transportation, South Korea; Jeju Development Institute; Cheju National University; Presidential Committee on Northeast Asian Cooperation Initiatives; Co-organized by Center for International Studies, Yonsei University; Jeju Development Institute; Asia-Pacific Institute of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, People’s University, China; Institute of World Economy and International Relations of Russian Academy of Sciences; Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies of Johns Hopkins University
The 4th Jeju Peace Forum attracted 140 participants, including former heads of state, policymakers, diplomats, scholars, and businesspeople. The three-day meeting focused on whether Asian countries should consider the experience of European countries as a role model as they conceive a move toward regional integration. The event consisted of six general meetings and five roundtable sessions that covered a wide range of subjects including security issues and economic development. An East Asia–OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] Forum allowed European participants to share their experiences—particularly with the Helsinki Process—with their Asian counterparts, while a Northeast Asian IT Community Forum discussed the expanding role of IT in government and diplomatic processes. A World Leaders Session focused on the regional impact of the North Korean nuclear crisis and on the possibilities of stronger economic cooperation within the region, while another session discussed the future of Jeju Island as a geopolitical center and business hub. The forum ended with a joint declaration expressing hope for the creation of a Northeast Asian multilateral security regime that would mirror earlier European efforts in the Helsinki Process.
For information, see:
www.keaf.org/htm/pm_st_jpf02.htm?ltmenu=pm2&PHPSESSID=a9356eca77f32ce51d3d88d491e8534d

Sharing Experiences on Implementing Biotechnology and Biosafety Policies and Regulations
Date: June 23–27, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: Asian Development Bank (ADB)
The ADB is conducting a project to strengthen capacity and regional cooperation for biotechnology, biosafety, and related food safety in Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries, thereby contributing to sustainable agricultural growth in the region. This international forum was organized as part of that project to help GMS countries in implementing their biotechnology and biosafety policies and regulations by learning from the experiences of other countries, particularly in the area of regional cooperation. The participants shared the experiences of various countries in Asia and other parts of the world in dealing with issues such as environmental risk assessment, food safety, risk communication, and public participation in implementing their regulations and policies. Participants were senior policy implementers as well as senior scientists and researchers involved in biotechnology and biosafety policy formulation and implementation from Cambodia, China (Yunnan Province), Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2007/Biotechnology-Biosafety-Policies/default.asp

World Economic Forum on East Asia 2007: The Leadership Imperative for an Asian Century
Date: June 24–25, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: World Economic Forum; in partnership with the Singapore Economic Development Board
The World Economic Forum on East Asia brought over 300 business, government, and civil society leaders from 26 countries for a two-day meeting to discuss the key challenges facing East Asia. During the closing session, panelists discussed the results of a survey of participants aimed at identifying the top priorities for East Asia. Selecting one priority for each of the meeting’s four sub-themes, participants shaped an agenda to guide further discussions on regional and global issues: (1) Asian leadership—building a common agenda shared by China, Japan, India, Korea, and ASEAN on key regional challenges; (2) risk management—putting energy and environmental issues at the top of the agenda of regional institutions; (3) sustainable growth—Improving energy security and efficiency in major consuming countries in Asia; and (4) competitiveness—adapting to the continued growth and rising economic influence of China and India.
For information, see:
http://www.weforum.org/en/events/ArchivedEvents/WorldEconomicForumonEastAsia2007/index.htm

The Asian Financial Crisis 10 Years Later: What Have We Learned?
Date: June 25–26, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University
What have we learned from the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis? Do Thailand’s recent problems suggest that some countries have not learned the appropriate lessons or implemented sufficiently corrective measures? Are there potential new problems on the horizon that could pose different challenges? To answer these questions, this conference convened a distinguished group of East Asian and American individuals from government, the private sector, international organizations, and academia. Specific issues addressed included an overview of developments in the countries affected by the 1997 crisis; lessons learned and corrective measures taken in those countries; lessons learned by regional and international actors; how domestic, regional, and international politics have affected the outcomes; and the identification of potential future problems and levels of preparedness. By convening senior policymakers and decision makers who were in office at the time of the crisis, the discussions revealed several events and facts that had never come to light before.
For information, see:
http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Digital-Library/Publications/Detail/?ots591=0C54E3B3-1E9C-BE1E-2C24-A6A8C7060233&lng=en&id=46252

4th Meeting of the Kitakyushu Initiative Network
Date: June 25–26, 2007
Location: Kitakyushu City, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; Institute for Global Environmental Strategies; in cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment of Japan, and the Kitakyushu City Government
The fourth meeting of the Kitakyushu Initiative Network was attended by representatives from 20 local governments in the Asia Pacific region, as well as representatives from the private sector, local organizations and research institutes, and international organizations. Participation by representatives of national governments (mainly those invited to the Asia Cooperation Dialogue, held back-to-back in Kitakyushu), was promoted through a special joint program arranged on the second day of the meeting.
The meeting was held to implement better urban environmental management and socioeconomic development policies by providing an opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences and to share innovative approaches. A number of presentations of best practices by local governments as well as other relevant approaches were introduced and discussed during the two-day meeting.
For information, see:
http://kitakyushu.iges.or.jp/docs/network_meetings/kin4/final_summary.pdf

APEC 12th Women Leaders Network Meeting
Date: June 25–27, 2007
Location: North Queensland, Australia
Organizers/Supporters: APEC
More than 400 women leaders from APEC economies, representing business, government, academia, and civil society, met to consider issues critical to building a sustainable future. Leaders discussed in-depth issues of importance that affect not only them as business leaders but also the broader APEC region and globally. Issues were addressed through the core focus areas of globalization, climate change, labor mobility, sustainable trade, and technology and business practices. Key themes included women in business, women and strengthening capacity, women and global challenges, women and information and communications technology, and women in trade. Among the recommendations the participants made to the APEC leaders was the necessity of ensuring the engagement and participation of women in debating issues such as climate change, trade liberalization, labor mobility, enterprise development, and overcoming the digital divide.
For information, see:
http://www.ofw.facs.gov.au/apec_wln/women_leaders_network_meeting_07.html

Asia Clean Energy Forum: Policy and Finance Solutions for Energy Security and Climate Change
Date: June 26–28, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: Asian Development Bank; United States Agency for International Development; supported by US Department of State, and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
About 400 experts from 36 countries gathered to share best practices in clean energy policy and finance and to discuss the scaling-up of clean energy technologies. Through 6 plenary and 15 break-out sessions on such issues as renewable energy, energy efficiency, cleaner coal, sustainable transport, carbon markets, and knowledge management, the forum identified challenges faced by public- and private-sector institutions related to project development and finance and highlighted effective policies and finance strategies to promote greater use of clean energy in Asia Pacific.
The participants represented a diverse group of stakeholders from governments, national and multinational banks, carbon and clean energy investment funds, project developers and service providers, academe, civil society, and development partners and other international organizations.
For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2007/Asia-Clean-Energy-Forum/default.asp

Bridging Strategic Asia: The United States, Japan, and India
Date: June 28–29, 2007
Location: Washington DC, USA
Organizers/Supporters: International Security Program and South Asia Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); Japan Institute of International Affairs
A two-day meeting on “Bridging Strategic Asia” sought to continue the process of interaction among the United States, Japan, and India through dialogue on international security issues among a select number of younger US, Japanese, and Indian foreign policy and security specialists. Separate sessions focused on each country’s overall strategic vision and perspectives toward China, nonproliferation, and energy security. The meeting was the first of two meetings to discuss international issues of mutual concern to the three countries. A corollary purpose of the initiative was to facilitate contact among a younger generation of experts to build a network that may form the basis for continued interaction and dialogue in the future.
For information, see:
http://www.csis.org/component/option,com_csis_events/task,view/id,1332/

Ten Years After: Learning From the Asian Financial Crisis—Are Prevention Mechanisms Sufficient to Avoid Another Financial Crisis?
Date: June 29, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry
Ten years after the Asian financial crisis and 10 years after the establishment of ASEAN+3, which is now the main vehicle for regional integration in East Asia, this conference gathered policymakers and other participants from Japan and abroad to discuss the current state of the crisis-prevention mechanism within the Asian regional framework, along with its roadmap. Discussion focused on two key areas: lessons from the Asian crisis and the promotion of regional integration. In the area of trade, progress has been made toward the establishment of an East Asian free trade agreement, which is the target for ASEAN+3. In the financial area, multilateralization of the Chiang Mai Initiative was agreed upon at the ASEAN+3 Finance Ministers Meeting in Kyoto in May 2007. While this development was extremely important, the adequacy of the current crisis-prevention mechanism in this region remained a pressing issue. The conference sought to clarify this area and consider the most desirable roadmap to Asian regional integration.
For information, see:
http://www.rieti.go.jp/en/events/07062901/info.html

July

1st ASEAN+3 Human Security Symposium on Women and Poverty Eradication
Date: July 5–9, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: ASEAN; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan; Association for Human Rights of Women
Gender experts from the ASEAN+3 region were invited to participate in a two-day meeting and a public symposium at which Dr. Muhammad Yunus, managing director of the Grameen Bank, delivered a statement entitled "Women and Poverty Eradication." This event provided an important opportunity for governmental and NGO participants to exchange information and experiences on their national strategies, programs, and efforts to reduce the feminization of poverty. At the end of the meeting, the recommendations were adopted on how ASEAN+3 might alleviate the feminization of poverty by taking steps relating to poverty reduction policies, data collection, access to resources and services, capacity building, and international cooperation.
For information, see:
http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/speech/un2007/un0710-6.html

PECC Pacific Food System Outlook Group 2007 Meeting
Date: July 10, 2007
Location: Beijing, China
Organizers/Supporters: Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC); hosted by China National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation
Asian experts on economics and agriculture gathered for the annual meeting of PECC’s Pacific Food System Outlook project team to discuss the forecast for 2007–2008. Discussions focused on linkages between growing urban markets and rural development, including transportation infrastructure, and commercial linkages and modern supermarkets. The final report, which is available online, examines the policy implications of these changes in the food system.
For information, see:
http://www.pecc.org/publications/papers/PFSO-2007-2008.pdf

14th Annual Workshop of the Framework on Regional Cooperation for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific Region
Date: July 10–12, 2007
Location: Bali, Indonesia
Organizers/Supporters: Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
The focus of this 14th annual workshop was on human rights and extreme poverty, but participants also reviewed progress on issues discussed at the 13th workshop, held in 2005—namely, the national Human Rights Action Plans, national human rights institutions, human rights education, and the right to development. The meeting also considered the future of the Asia-Pacific Framework in the context of a paper, “In Search of the Rights Track,” that was presented at the 13th annual meeting.
For information, see:
http://www.asiapacificforum.net/services/international-regional/un/asia-pacific-workshops/14th/

4th ROK-US-Japan Joint Workshop
Date: July 11, 2007
Location: Washington DC, USA
Organizers/Supporters: Korea Institute for Defense Analyses; Institute for National Strategic Studies, US National Defense University; National Institute for Defense Studies
This workshop was formulated by adding Japan to an already existing ROK-US security workshop. This workshop contributes to the security cooperation among the three countries through the promotion of dialogue on security-related current issues and political-military games.
For information, see:
http://kida.re.kr/eng/cooperation/cooperation_03.htm#07-0

Meeting of the NEAT Working Group on East Asian Investment Cooperation
Date: July 14–15, 2007
Location: Beijing, China
Organizers/Supporters: Network of East Asia Think-Tanks (NEAT)
The NEAT Working Group Meeting on East Asian Investment Cooperation brought together scholars and experts from 12 of the ASEAN+3 countries. (Brunei was absent.) The meeting was held concurrently with the 3rd East Asia Investment Forum, and the two events shared an opening session and keynote speeches. The NEAT Working Group Meeting then had panel discussions on four themes: progress and the current situation of East Asian investment cooperation, opportunities and prospects for East Asian investment cooperation, problems and obstacles in East Asian investment cooperation, and proposals and suggestions for furthering East Asian investment cooperation. The summary report is available online.
For information, see:
http://www.ceac.jp/e/pdf/neat_05wg03.pdf

3rd East Asia Investment Forum 2007
Date: July 14–15, 2007
Location: Beijing, China
Organizers/Supporters: Network of East Asian Think-tanks; China National Association for International Studies; China Foreign Affairs University; Chongqing Foreign Economic Relation and Trade Commission
More than 300 officials, scholars, and entrepreneurs from China, Japan, South Korea, and ASEAN participated in the 3rd East Asia Investment Forum, which focused on overseas development strategies for Chinese enterprises. China pays close attention to regional economic cooperation, has signed a number of agreements with ASEAN, and will set up a free trade zone with ASEAN in 2010. Economic and trade exchanges between China and East Asian countries have been growing rapidly, with the combined trade volume reaching US$502.4 billion in 2006, accounting for 32.5 percent of China’s foreign trade for the year. Although China has an overall foreign trade surplus, it had a deficit of US$87.5 billion in 2006 with East Asian countries.
For information, see:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2007-07/15/content_5435925.htm

6th Workshop on the ASEAN Regional Mechanism on Human Rights
Date: July 16–17, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: Co-organized and co-hosted by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs; Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines; Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism
This workshop was attended by participants representing governments of ASEAN member countries; the ASEAN Secretariat; the national human rights institutions of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand; and members of civil society organizations. The workshop was divided into seven sessions: (1) stocktaking of efforts to establish an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism, (2) efforts of national human rights institutions in advancing an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism and issues of common concern in ASEAN, (3) efforts to help establish a Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children, (4) the ASEAN Charter, (5) initiatives to help elaborate an ASEAN Instrument on Migrant Workers, (6) efforts to help promote education on human rights in ASEAN, and (7) a plenary discussion on the conclusions and recommendations to be submitted to ASEAN during the 40th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Manila.
For information, see:
http://www.aseanhrmech.org/downloads/6th%20WS%20Summary%20of%20Proceedings.Session.pdf

ARTNeT Consultative Meeting on Trade and Investment Policy Coordination
Date: July 16–17, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; International Development Research Centre
This meeting was intended to provide a regional forum for discussion of the need for more coordination among trade, investment, and other policies at the national level as well as the need for cross-border harmonization of investment rules in particular through investment provisions in preferential trade agreements. Discussions were based on draft research papers and preliminary findings resulting from the implementation of the ARTNet Research Programme 2007.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/tid/artnet/mtg/tipc.asp

6th Japan-ASEAN Dialogue: The Challenges Facing Japan and ASEAN in the New Era
Date: July 17–19, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Global Forum of Japan, Japan Forum on International Relations, ASEAN Institute of Strategic and International Studies; supported by Japan-ASEAN Exchange Projects
The 6th Japan-ASEAN Dialogue was attended by 109 participants, including 12 panelists from ASEAN countries. Participants discussed the ASEAN Community and future of the Japan-ASEAN relationship, including the process of drafting the ASEAN Charter. Topics for discussion included developing the political will for integration and the urgency for ASEAN to improve energy efficiency and develop recyclable energy, as well as a caution regarding the conflicts between local and national interests in China.
For information, see:
http://www.gfj.jp/eng/dialogue/24/cp.pdf

Integrating Asian Economies: Ten Years after the Crisis
Date: July 18, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: Asian Development Bank (ADB); Ministry of Finance, Thailand; in collaboration with Thailand Development Research Institute
The conference aimed to review how Asian countries underwent two decades of dramatic change, from the rapid economic growth of the mid-1990s, to the large setbacks during the crisis, to the renewed sustained expansion a decade later. The conference reviewed how countries were able to transform crisis into opportunities; analyzed issues related to the financial, trade, and investment sectors; and discussed the future of Asia and perspectives for deepening regional cooperation and integration. More than 200 representatives from government, think tanks, academe, NGOs, media, and ADB staff attended.
For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2007/Integrating-Asian-Economies/default.asp

International Conference on Happiness in Global Perspectives & Local Interpretations: The Implication for Alternative Development Paradigms and Public Policy
Date: July 18–19, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); Public Policy Development Office, Government of Thailand
The Public Policy Development Office, a new policy and research unit within the Government House in Bangkok, worked with ESCAP to convene an international conference on “Happiness and Public Policy.” Though the focus is global, the gathering takes advantage of the current interest in Thailand among policymakers and civic leaders in making human wellbeing the basis of a new development paradigm. The conference provided a platform for debating interesting ideas on a new development paradigm that contributes to happy societies and more meaningful development measurements with implications for sustainable development. Participants examined five sub-themes: (1) happiness in global perspectives: why we need a new paradigm; (2) conceptualization of happiness and indicators; (3) local interpretation on national happiness; (4) happiness and socioeconomic policy; and (5) technology and happiness.
For information, see:
http://www.ppdoconference.org/about_ppdo_conference.php

Workshop on Business Models and Financial Frameworks to Scale Up Responses to Climate Change, Clean Energy, and Sustainable Development
Date: July 18–19, 2007
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Department for International Development, Government of the United Kingdom; Korean Environment Institute; 136 Environment CEO ForumThis two-day conference brought together government policymakers, private sector leaders, academics, and representatives of NGOs from across the region to focus on developing business and financial frameworks that promote clean energy and reduce the impact of global warming. The objectives of the meeting were to discuss how policies, financial instruments, and domestic/international frameworks can assist in increasing the scale of a sustainable development response to climate change; to identify how scaling up responses can be developed and strengthened with carbon market continuity measures; and to share views on policies, measures, and instruments to increase the synergies of domestic and global responses to climate change. Issues discussed included the need for a shift toward a low-carbon society and how to bolster responses to changes in climate.
For information, see:
http://unescap.org/esd/climatechange/workshop/2007_07_18/

Emerging Asian Regionalism: Ten Years after the Crisis
Date: July 19–20, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: Asian Development Bank (ADB)
This workshop gathered the study team of an ADB project on “Emerging Asian Regionalism: Ten Years after the Crisis.” The workshop aimed to review how Asian countries underwent two decades of dramatic change—from the rapid economic growth of the mid-1990s, to the large setbacks during the crisis, up to today’s renewed expansion, a decade after the 1997–1998 Asian financial crisis—with a focus on Asian regionalism. Fifty international economic experts; heads of Asian, North American, and European think tanks; and ADB staff participated. One aim was to finalize the structure and content of the related ADB report that was to be launched at the ADB Annual Meeting in May 2008.
For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/Documents/TARs/REG/40249-REG-TAR.pdf

Reviewing the Poverty Impacts of Regional Economic Integration (REI)
Date: July 19–20, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: Asian Development Bank (ADB)
This workshop brought together researchers from Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam, as well as ADB colleagues, in order to analyze research results and policy recommendations on the impacts and outcomes of REI on the poor in border provinces in the Greater Mekong Subregion. The two-day meeting discussed the findings and recommendations emerging from research that had been undertaken under a regional technical assistance project. Some of the main findings of the research were that labor migration is the greatest opportunity for the poor from REI as well as the greatest threat, and that labor migration is the single largest source of direct benefits to the poor households in the subregion, with estimated earnings of cross-border workers as high as US$5.4 million per month in one province of Cambodia alone. Participants called for coordinated efforts to strengthen the legal status of cross-border migrant workers and reduce their exploitation and abuse.
For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2007/Poverty-Impacts/default.asp

3rd Asia-Pacific Ministerial Meeting on HIV/AIDS
Date: July 23, 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Organizers/Supporters: Australian Agency for International Development; Asia Pacific Business Coalition Against AIDS
In an effort to further strengthen the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the region, business and government representatives joined in the 3rd Asia-Pacific Ministerial Meeting on HIV/AIDS. The meeting was convened to build on the goals expressed by ministers from the region through the previous two ministerial meetings to promote high-level leadership and partnership among key stakeholders in combating AIDS in the region. The impact of AIDS on the private sector was a central theme of the discussions, with lessons being drawn from the effects seen in Africa. Issues highlighted were the rising costs related to AIDS on businesses, including absenteeism due to illness or attending funerals, burial costs, health care benefits, and recruitment and training of new labor to replace that lost to AIDS.
For information, see:
http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Resources/FeatureStories/archive/2007/20070724_MinisterialMeeting.asp

Preventing the Trafficking of Women and Children and Promoting Safe Migration in the GMS
Date: July 25–27, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: Asian Development Bank (ADB)
This workshop brought together representatives of governments from the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), UN representatives, NGOs, and researchers in order to discuss the issue of human trafficking in the GMS and the most relevant approaches to combating it. At the end of the workshop, the participants had developed a better understanding of the causes of vulnerability to human trafficking and the various levels at which it needs to be combated. Guidelines were finalized for the ADB and governments to address the risks of human trafficking more effectively.
For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2007/Women-Trafficking/default.asp

Regional Thematic Working Group on International Migration, Including Human Trafficking
Date: July 26, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); International Organization for Migration (IOM)
ESCAP and the IOM are the current co-chairs of the Regional Thematic Working Group on International Migration Including Human Trafficking, a regional coordination mechanism set up by 16 UN agencies and other relevant international and intergovernmental organizations working on aspects of international migration within their respective program of work. The functions of the working group include information sharing, identification of priority areas for cooperation and joint programs, and dissemination of good practices in migration management. This was the second of four meetings held in 2007.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/2007/jun/g25.asp

Making New Partnership: A Rising China and its Neighbors
Date: July 26–27, 2007
Location: Beijing, China
Organizers/Supporters: Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS)
CASS held an international conference on the theme of “Making New Partnership: A Rising China and its Neighbors,” which gathered scholars from the United States, Russia, India, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Kazakhstan, and China. Participants discussed the issues of Chinese relations with Northeast Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Russia, Central Asia, and the United States.
For information, see:
http://iaps.cass.cn/english/news/showcontent.asp?id=298

Roundtable on US-Japan-India Relations
Date: July 27–29, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); Confederation of Indian Industry (CII); Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA)
Recognizing the need to explore the parameters for broader trilateral cooperation in an unofficial setting, CSIS organized a series of informal roundtables with eminent persons from all three nations. CSIS hosted the first meeting in Washington in June 2006 and found that there was intense interest in developing a trilateral agenda in the areas of security, energy/environment, and economics. A second session was held in Tokyo in January 2007. The group reconvened in Tokyo in July to discuss security cooperation, cooperation on energy security and environmental issues, and economic cooperation. They agreed at that meeting to issue a set of recommendations to all three governments through a joint CSIS/CII/JIIA publication.
For information, see:
http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/070816_us_j_ireport.pdf

3rd Workshop on Political Transitions and Political Change in Southeast Asia
Date: July 30–31, 2007
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Organizers/Supporters: S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University; Konrad Adenauer Stiftung; Centre for Strategic & International Studies, Jakarta
Participants at this workshop reflected on the challenges of the political transitions taking place in Southeast Asian countries and examined their implications on political change and development, as well as their impact on domestic and regional stability.
For information, see:
http://www.kas.de/upload/auslandshomepages/singapore/30-07-07_singapore.pdf

Capital Flows, Financial Markets and Economic Integration in Asia
Date: July 30–31, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Claremont McKenna College; Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies (Bologna Campus); Singapore Centre for Applied and Policy Economics
This meeting marked the inauguration of what is intended to be an annual event organized jointly by academic centers in the United States, Italy, and Singapore. The workshop discussed monetary and financial issues and policies in Asia (e.g., the region’s exchange rate regime, international reserves, monetary policies, and capital flows), as well as monetary and financial cooperation in Asia (e.g., optimum currency area, exchange rate coordination, and monetary policy coordination). The meeting also featured a public lecture by Prof. Barry Eichengreen of the University of California at Berkeley on “Corporate Governance in Asia.”
For information, see:
http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/ecs/scape/forum/index.html

ASEAN 40th Anniversary Conference: Ideas and Institutions—Building an ASEAN Community?
Date: July 31–August 1, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES); S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Singapore
FES and the RSIS joined together to hold this research conference in honor of ASEAN’s 40th anniversary. Participants were high-ranking politicians, academics, and civil society representatives. Recent developments in ASEAN imply a commitment on the part of leaders to remake not only the operational norms and principles of their association but its institutional character as well. Significantly, this is not only proceeding at the intergovernmental level but equally at the unofficial and civil society level. Together, these top-down initiatives and bottom-up pressures are gradually molding a regional culture of participatory regionalism. Yet, despite these positive developments, ASEAN still faces many major impediments. The conference therefore examined such questions as the economic, political, and societal challenges ASEAN is confronted with today; ways in which Southeast Asian political actors have responded to the given challenges in terms of institutionalization; and the driving forces of and resistance to institutionalization.
For information, see:
http://www.fesspore.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6&Itemid=

17th Asia-Pacific Seminar on Climate Change: Good Governance for Climate and Development
Date: July 31–August 3, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: Ministry of the Environment, Japan; Australian Greenhouse Office; Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand; United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; and Overseas Environmental Cooperation Center, Japan
Japan’s Ministry of the Environment has convened the Asia-Pacific Seminar on Climate Change since the early 1990s in support of regional efforts to address climate change. The seminar has been steadily growing in significance as a regional forum to promote awareness and exchange experiences on different issues of common interest for Asia Pacific countries. Participants include officers and researchers from international organizations, NGOs, academia, and businesses in the Asia Pacific region. This year, the main theme of the seminar was “Good Governance for Climate & Development.” Discussions focused on useful policies and measures to integrate climate change issues into development planning, tools to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of ongoing and future efforts, and opportunities offered in working on climate change from a practical point of view.
For information, see:
http://www.ap-net.org/seminar/h01.html

August

Towards the Development of the Trans-Asian Energy System: Inception Meeting
Date: August 2–3, 2007
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
With a growing appetite for energy and unstable global energy markets, the Asia Pacific region clearly has a need for greater energy security. While the region has a large share of global energy resources, they are concentrated in a few countries, leaving other countries dependent on imports. Intraregional trade in energy is one way to address this problem. The Environment and Sustainable Development Division of ESCAP hosted a meeting in Seoul on the trans-Asian energy system. The event sought to facilitate energy trading within the region. More specifically, the meeting attempted to further conceptualize the trans-Asian energy system and the modalities for its implementation.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/unis/What_s_Ahead/2007/07-Aug/Aug_07.asp

International Convention of Asia Scholars (ICAS) 5: Sharing a Future in Asia
Date: August 2–5, 2007
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Organizers/Supporters: ICAS Secretariat; Institute of Occidental Studies and the Institute of the Malay World and Civilisation, both based at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
More than 300 panels in 22 concurrent sessions were convened during ICAS 5. The majority of the nearly 1,500 participants were Asia scholars from the social sciences and humanities—researchers, graduate students, and representatives of civil society at large—although the interdisciplinary and interregional nature of the convention also drew a large number of natural scientists from medical and health studies, environmentalists, and engineers whose research specializations are in Asia. ICAS 5 themes included such topics as political implications of international expositions and art festivals, urban dilemmas in Asia, education through the ages, colonialism and the development of nationalism, causes and cures in healthcare in Asia, crime and the state in South Asia, and exploring women’s agency in religion and culture. All panels included a cross-disciplinary, border-transcending approach.
For information, see:
http://www.icassecretariat.org/

8th Asia Pacific Forum, Awaji Conference 2007
Date: August 3–4, 2007
Location: Awaji, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Asia Pacific Forum, Awaji Conference Japan
The 8th Asia Pacific Forum Awaji Conference was held on the theme “Asia, Struggling with Energy Issues.” The conference discussions reflected radical changes in the global political and economic environments pertaining to energy. The event began with an international symposium attended by participants from 11 countries, which featured a lecture on “overall energy policy in China,” followed by a panel discussion that addressed current energy consumption in the Asia Pacific region, current measures, and activities of governments and the private sector.
On the second day, the forum, attended by roughly 60 participants, began with three keynote proposals, followed by discussions. The participants formulated a conference statement that stressed the need for industrially advanced nations and developing nations to cooperate and build relations of trust and for Japan and other industrially advanced nations to provide energy and environmental technologies to developing nations and to develop eco-friendly alternative energies. For this to be achieved, it is important for governments, businesses, and people to demonstrate a new environmental consciousness.
For information, see:
http://www.hemri21.jp/awaji-conf/e_main4.html

ASEAN Think-Tank Forum: ASEAN at 40—Achievements and Challenges
Date: August 6–7, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA); Institute of Policy Studies, Singapore
At the ASEAN Think Tank Forum, prominent members of ASEAN think tanks and NGOs came together to discuss ASEAN’s achievements to date. In the first panel, participants took stock of ASEAN and agreed that while ASEAN has accomplished much as a regional organization, there are enormous challenges ahead. The second panel examined the rise of China and India and the implications of this phenomenon for ASEAN’s economy. Participants stated that ASEAN should strive toward the creation of a single market, an ASEAN Economic Community, to ensure the efficient allocation of resources for higher welfare and sustainable development in ASEAN as a whole and to enable ASEAN to compete with China and India on a more equal footing. Other panels considered the proposed ASEAN Charter, the ASEAN Security Community, the environment, and ASEAN’s external relations.
For information, see:
http://www.siiaonline.org/?q=news/asean-think-tank-forum-6-7-august-2007

2007 Senior Policy Seminar
Date: August 6–8, 2007
Location: Honolulu, USA
Organizers/Supporters: East-West Center
The East-West Center gathered 28 diplomats, analysts, scholars, and business leaders for a seminar that examined security, economics, the US role in the Asia Pacific region, China-US relations, and “soft power.”
For information, see:
http://www.eastwestcenter.org/seminars-and-journalism-fellowships/policy-dialogue/senior-policy-seminar/

Agricultural and Rural Development for Reducing Poverty and Hunger in Asia: In Pursuit of Inclusive and Sustainable Growth
Date: August 9–10, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Despite recent progress, Asia continues to be home to two-thirds of the world’s poor. Looking toward the future, what role will agriculture and rural development play in alleviating poverty and hunger? What are the emerging challenges and opportunities for agriculture and rural non-farm activities on the livelihoods of the poor and hungry in this rapidly changing region?
This high-level policy forum brought together about 70 key policymakers, development partners, and researchers from all over Asia to discuss these important issues. The objectives were to facilitate focused exchange on the current situation with regard to poverty and hunger in rural Asia and the challenges affecting the farm and non-farm economies, discuss strategies for rural growth including at the macro level (trade, foreign direct investment, market access, and institutional reforms) and micro level (technology adoption, improved natural resources management, and climate change adaptation), and focus on investment priorities to promote rural inclusive growth.
For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2007/Agricultural-Rural-Development/default.asp

Conference on Globalization, Asian Economic Integration, and National Development Strategies: Challenges to Asia in a Fast-Changing World
Date: August 14–15, 2007
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Organizers/Supporters: Forum on Debt and Development (FONDAD); in collaboration with Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia; supported by Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank
FONDAD organized this conference in collaboration with ISIS Malaysia to examine national development strategies in an integrating Asia, with reference to China, Malaysia, and Indonesia; forms and pace for regional economic integration in Asia; the sequencing of regional economic integration in Asia; strategies available to Asia for confronting global imbalances and preventing crises and the need for a new global architecture.
For information, see:
http://www.isis.org.my/events.htm#events_recent

PECC Regional Institutional Architecture Reference Group Meeting
Date: August 17–19, 2007
Location: Bali, Indonesia
Organizers/Supporters: Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC)
Existing regional processes in the Asia Pacific for economic and political cooperation are increasingly under question. APEC and the ASEAN Regional Forum, once conceived of as embryos of the Asia Pacific regional architecture, are now viewed by some as losing relevance. Greater attention is now focused on East Asian regional arrangements, leading to the question of whether the basic, common understanding for how regional cooperation will proceed, and whether it will remain transpacific in nature.
The objective of this project is to assess the value and potential of current institutional arrangements for Asia Pacific cooperation and to propose reforms and new initiatives as may be needed. The project has two levels of contributors, an authors group and the reference group. This meeting convened the latter group.
For information, see:
http://www.pecc.org/architecture/default.htm

8th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP)
Date: August 19–23, 2007
Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Organizers/Supporters: International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) hosted by the Government of Sri Lanka; sponsored by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS; AIDS Society of Asia and the Pacific
The 8th ICAAP brought together more than 3,000 delegates from some 60 countries to discuss critical issues on AIDS in the region such as stigma and discrimination, access to HIV prevention and treatment, and the importance of sustained political commitment on AIDS. The theme of the eighth ICAAP was “Waves of Change, Waves of Hope.” ”Waves of change” signified the many things happening and the work required to battle against HIV/AIDS, while a globally cohesive commitment formed the “waves of hope.”
The conference was organized around four tracks: political and community leadership and partnerships for change; basic and clinical sciences and epidemiology; scaling up prevention, treatment, care, and support; and socioeconomic, religious, and cultural barriers and ways forward. In addition, a number of crosscutting themes were examined: human rights and human security, gender and sexuality, and GIPA (greater involvement of people living with AIDS).

For information, see:
http://www.icaap8.lk/index.htm
http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Resources/FeatureStories/archive/2007/20070820_ICAAP2007.asp

2nd Regional Dialogue on Transboundary Haze
Date: August 20, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Singapore Institute of International Affairs; co-organized with Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Jakarta; Institute of Strategic and International Studies of Malaysia
This dialogue brought together some 30 representatives of regional NGOs, think tanks, and academic institutions from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Japan, and Australia. Participants called attention to the impact of the fires and haze in the region on deforestation and climate change. While the haze had not affected major cities in the region badly yet in 2007, they noted this was mostly because of weather; the main policy gaps and economic drivers for the fires and haze remained to be addressed. Participants called for further action by Indonesia and for deeper cooperation at provincial and district levels. Some of the key issues covered in the dialogue included the unsustainable development of deep peat lands for palm oil plantations, the potential role of the ASEAN Summit 2007 to provide political will and coordinated responses across different agencies, and the need for greater coordination among regional and international NGOs and ASEAN.
For information, see:
http://www.siiaonline.org/?q=hazewatch/second-regional-dialogue-transboundary-haze-chairmans-statement

5th Annual NEAT Conference; 7th Country Coordinators’ Meeting
Date: August 20–22, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Network of East Asia Think-Tanks (NEAT); co-chaired by NEAT Singapore (host) and NEAT Malaysia; East Asia Institute, Singapore National University
Around 60 representatives and experts from the 13 ASEAN+3 nations participated in this annual gathering. The conference participants heard reports on the results of the activities from six working groups—East Asian Financial Cooperation, Overall Architecture of Community Building in East Asia, East Asian Cooperative Framework for Migrant Labor, Enhancement of East Asian Cultural Exchange, Energy Security Cooperation in East Asia, and East Asian Investment Cooperation—which was followed by a lively discussion involving all members.
Based on the key recommendations of the six working groups, the Country Coordinators Meeting, NEAT’s highest decision-making body, put together policy recommendations to be submitted by NEAT to the ASEAN+3 heads of state summit, held in Singapore in November.
For information, see:
http://www.ceac.jp/e/neat.html
http://www.isis.org.my/events.htm#events_recent

10th ASEAN Food Conference: Food for Mankind—Contribution of Science and Technology
Date: August 21–23, 2007
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Organizers/Supporters: ASEAN; organized by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia; in collaboration with the Federation of Institutes of Food Science and Technology in ASEAN, Malaysia Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Malaysian Institute of Food Technology, and University Putra Malaysia
The 10th ASEAN Food Conference was attended by around 750 participants from 38 countries, including representatives from the private sector and international organizations (e.g., the United Nations Children’s Fund and the Food and Agriculture Organization). Ministers, senior government officials, representatives of international organizations, and renowned food technologists delivered keynote speeches, presenting insights on national and international efforts to address food scarcity, the need to strategize food industries in ASEAN, global issues in food standards, and technology trends in food industries. A total of 135 papers and 350 posters were presented at the conference, covering a range of topics such as enhancing food safety through risk assessment, food service and entrepreneurship, food processing and engineering, standards and regulations, halal food (i.e., food that is permissible according to Islamic laws and customs), and functional food.
For information, see:
http://www.astnet.org/index.php?name=Main&file=events&eid=70

ASEAN 100 Leadership Forum
Date: August 22–23, 2007
Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
Organizers/Supporters: Asia Inc. Forum
The ASEAN 100 Leadership Forum focuses explicitly on new and emerging leaders in Southeast Asia, men and women who are expected to play key leadership roles in government, business, and civil society in the next 5 to 10 years. At the 2007 forum, participants began by debating “The Way Forward for ASEAN,” including the continued relevance of the ASEAN model of regionalism as it has evolved and the need for radical reinvention. The following session discussed the policy implications of climate change, asking whether a decisive response to climate change requires slowing economic growth in the developing world. Concurrent discussions were then held on whether ASEAN can compete with China and India, whether political Islam is compatible with modernization, whether a country can be managed like a company, and whether ASEAN savings are adequate to finance ASEAN infrastructure needs. Next, a forum discussion was held on the global economy, including an open discussion led by Asian business leaders. The final dinner dialogue addressed the theme, “In Pursuit of an ASEAN Community: Are We Where We Should Be?”
For information, see:
http://www.asean100forum.com/a100_programs_2007.php

1st Track II Network of ASEAN Defence and Security Institute Meeting
Date: August 23–24, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University
The RSIS proposed the establishment of a Track II Network of ASEAN Defence and Security Institutes (NADI) as an informal meeting for discussing issues and proposals relevant to the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM). At the NADI inaugural meeting, representatives of ASEAN defense and security think tanks and defense ministry institutes agreed that NADI is a relevant and useful forum in the ongoing process of creating an ASEAN Security Community. Moreover, NADI can also build confidence and familiarity among the ASEAN think tanks and recommend proposals for enhancing defense and security cooperation to the ADMM for consideration. The host for NADI meetings will rotate in alphabetical order and will coincide with the ASEAN country hosting the ADMM.
For information, see:
http://www.idss.edu.sg/networking/past_conf.html#
http://www.srithailand.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67%3Anadi&catid=3%3Anewsflash&lang=en

19th UN Conference on Disarmament Issues
Date: August 27–29, 2007
Location: Sapporo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations; hosted by the Government of Japan and the City of Sapporo; Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs
The 19th UN Conference on Disarmament Issues was opened by the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Sergio Duarte. Approximately 60 participants from governments, academic institutions, think tanks, international and nongovernmental organizations, and the media attended the conference in their personal capacities. In view of the growing threats to global and regional security arising from nuclear proliferation risks, the conference addressed challenges facing the nuclear nonproliferation regime and strengthening of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and discussed a new vision for a world free from nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Regional issues in relation to nuclear testing and nuclear proliferation were also discussed, and a special session was devoted to chemical weapons and chemical terrorism 12 years after the Tokyo subway sarin attack.
For information, see:
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/dc3080.doc.htm

Asia-Pacific Security Forum 2007: Economic Security in the Asia-Pacific
Date: August 30–31, 2007
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Organizers/Supporters: Institute for National Policy Research (Taiwan); Pacific Forum CSIS (USA); Institute for Strategic and Development Studies (Philippines); Asia Centre (France)
Since 1997, the Pacific Forum has conducted this annual forum that brings together about 30 senior experts to examine regional and global issues, including (but not limited to) cross-Strait relations. The meeting venue alternates between Taipei and other locations. The 2007 meeting focused on five themes: (1) the rise of China—economic power and challenges to the world order; (2) the other side of China’s rise—energy security and environmental security; (3) American and Northeast Asian perspectives on China’s rise; (4) Southeast Asian and EU perspectives on China’s rise; and (5) “a tale of two cities—Taipei and Beijing.”
For information, see:
http://www.tp.org.tw/events/detail.htm?id=20000210

September

2nd Policy Consultation Forum of the Seoul Initiative Network on Green Growth: Application of Economic Instruments for Green Growth
Date: September 3–5, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); in collaboration with Ministry of Environment of South Korea; Korea Institute of Public Finance
Among this forum’s participants were senior officials from ministries and agencies of economic development, environment, finance, forestry, natural resources, and planning, as well as experts and representatives from academia, international and regional organizations, and other UN agencies. The three-day forum featured sessions on concepts of economic instruments and the current status in Asia Pacific; experiences with implementing such economic incentives as financial incentives, environmental charges, and deposit-refund systems; on opportunities and perspectives for green tax and budget reforms; providing incentives for climate action; and the successful application of economic instruments for green growth in Asia Pacific.
The meeting was intended to review the current types of economic instruments used for environmental protection, exchange views and experiences regarding the implementation of economic instruments, provide practical guidance to policymakers, identify capacity-building needs, and identify the national-level activities of the Seoul Initiative that could translate the green growth approach into action.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/esd/environment/mced/singg2/documents/Summary%20of%20the%20Forum_final.pdf

10th Steering Group Meeting of the ADB-OECD Anticorruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific
Date: September 3–5, 2007
Location: Bali, Indonesia
Organizers/Supporters: Asian Development Bank (ADB); Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
The 10th Steering Group Meeting had two main objectives: (1) to report on and discuss the implementation of the Anticorruption Action Plan for Asia-Pacific, including recent anticorruption reform projects that have taken place since the last meeting of the steering group in November 2006 and reform projects that countries have completed or plan to undertake under the action plan’s second and third implementation cycles; (2) to conclude the steering group’s second policy review on mutual legal assistance and extradition in corruption cases. Representatives from more than 20 nations in Asia Pacific met together with civil society experts who comprise an advisory group to the project.
For information, see:
http://www.oecd.org/document/25/0,3343,en_34982156_34982385_39339353_1_1_1_1,00.html

7th Asian International Forum in Fukuoka
Date: September 5–6, 2007
Location: Fukuoka, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Fukuoka Prefecture; Fukuoka City; Organizing Committee of the Asian International Forum in Fukuoka
This forum was established in 2001 in commemoration of the Kyushu-Okinawa G8 Summit’s Fukuoka Finance Ministers Meeting in 2000. The forum is held annually and brings scholars from Asian, European, and US research institutes together to debate various issues, share knowledge and expertise, and promote development and prosperity as well as mutual understanding in Asia.
The theme in 2007 was “Globalization and Asia in Transformation.” Following a keynote address on promoting regional cooperation in East Asia, panel discussions were held on expanding the global labor market, the bridging effect of popular and youth culture, and globalization and Asian agriculture. The meeting concluded with a roundtable.
For information, see:
http://www.urc.or.jp/summit/city/more_e.php?id=2&apcs_mbr=13rc8c2lm74coavnbjpkbia240lhqm9j

APEC Business Summit 2007
Date: September 6–7, 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Organizers/Supporters: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
With the theme, “Strengthening Our Community, Building a Sustainable Future,” the APEC Business Summit provided opportunities for strategic engagement and networking with business leaders, international opinion setters, policymakers, and leaders of APEC member economies. The two-day forum formed part of the APEC meetings hosted by the Australian government in 2007. In interactive sessions, panelists addressed some of the most significant issues facing the region: the facilitation of efficient, reliable, and sustainable energy in an increasingly consumption-driven environment affected severely by climate change; the challenges and opportunities for trade and growth in both the region and the world; and major international trends and issues for the coming decades and their implications for Asia Pacific businesses. Sessions also covered the macroeconomic and financial outlook for the region; the role of education for future regional prosperity; and strategies and obstacles for facilitating skills development and innovation within the Asia Pacific population.
For information, see:
http://www.apec.org/apec/business_resources/apec_ceo_summit.html

Institute for Security & Development Policy and RSIS Energy Conference 2007: Spotlight on Asia’s Energy and Security Challenges—A Multilateral Response
Date: September 7–8, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Institute for Security & Development Policy; S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University
Nearly 70 experts from Asia, the United States, and the EU participated in a two-day conference on regional energy security. Sessions focused on Asia’s energy profile and security, feeding Asia’s energy demand, the nuclear option and environmental concerns, views from outside the region, and the prospects for regional cooperation.
For information, see:
http://www.idss.edu.sg/networking/past_conf.html#

CSCAP Study Group Meeting on Security in the Malacca and Singapore Straits
Date: September 8–9, 2007
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Organizers/Supporters: Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP); CSCAP Indonesia; CSCAP Malaysia; and CSCAP Singapore
In 2005, a high-level conference on ways to improve the safety, security, and environmental protection of the Malacca and Singapore straits resulted in the Jakarta Statement on Enhancement of Safety, Security and Environmental Protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. Another conference held in 2006 determined that user states should contribute on a voluntary basis to the navigational safety and marine environmental protection in the straits. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore tabled six projects that could be funded by user states, but no agreement was reached on how to share the costs of these projects. In March 2007, the creation of a Malacca Straits Fund using voluntary contributions from user states and other stakeholders was proposed. This study group, a sub-group of the CSCAP Study Group on Facilitating Maritime Cooperation, will address the concerns of the littoral states and stakeholders, identify common interests among them, and establish where and how further cooperation might be achieved.
For information, see:
http://www.cscap.ca/Malacca&SingaporeStrts_SG.html

15th Environment Congress for Asia and the Pacific (ECO Asia 2007)
Date: September 8–9, 2007
Location: Fukuoka, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Ministry of Environment of Japan
Environment ministers and senior officials of Asia Pacific countries, representatives of international organizations, local governments, research institutes, and NGOs gathered for ECO Asia 2007. The meeting began with a session on international collaboration among national and local governments concerning waste management and recycling. Topics discussed included emerging types of wastes and recyclables, regional cooperation to enhance national capacity on waste management and recycling, national policy to promote and support local action, dissemination of good practices, and the role of the private sector in promoting 3R (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) activities in the Asia Pacific region.
The second session focused on issues related to opportunities for regional cooperation to address climate change. Issues covered included ways to achieve a low-carbon society in the region, financing of adaptation in the region, the ability of the market mechanism to solve climate change, and the role of Asia Pacific in developing a more desirable post-2012 framework.

For information, see:
http://www.env.go.jp/en/earth/ecoasia/index.html

J-Global Forum 2007: Northeast Asian Community—Is It Feasible?
Date: September 9–10, 2007
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Organizers/Supporters: JoongAng Ilbo; support from Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO)
The J-Global Forum is an annual gathering of leading newspaper editors and journalists. Initiated in 1996 as the Asia Press Forum, it was expanded to include European journalists in 2000. In 2007, it was renamed J-Global Forum to coincide with the new focus on global issues, and it convened 33 academics, journalists, and policymakers from Japan, Korea, China, and Southeast Asia to discuss the feasibility of establishing a Northeast Asian regional community.
Why is it that Northeast Asia, a region marked by enormous economic growth in recent decades, has been unable to come up with a formula for multilateral cooperation? Why has Southeast Asia, through ASEAN, had 40 years of diplomatic cooperation on common goals through its alliance? These were questions participants grappled with at this one-day international conference. The experts gathered were nearly unanimous in saying that historical tensions in the region will be difficult to overcome.
For information, see:
http://www.jconference.org/Eng/JGlobal/history.asp

Expert Group Meeting on Policy Coherence for Managing Globalization
Date: September 11–12, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Trade and Investment Division
The objective of this expert group meeting was to discuss the need for greater policy coherence to ensure that developing countries benefit from trade and investment liberalization initiatives taking place at various levels—unilateral, bilateral, regional, and multilateral.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/tid/projects/pcmg.asp

4th Working Group Meeting on Energy Planning and Policy
Date: September 12–13, 2007
Location: Irkutsk, Russian Federation
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); Korea Energy Economics Institute
In 2005, an Intergovernmental Collaborative Mechanism on Energy Cooperation in Northeast Asia was established to facilitate energy cooperation and trade to enhance energy security in Northeast Asia. Under this mechanism, a Working Group on Energy Planning and Cooperation was established to identify possible future energy cooperation activities. At the fourth meeting of the working group, participants focused on the natural gas trade in Northeast Asia, the regional energy outlook, preparations for the Northeast Asia Government-Business Dialogue, funding arrangements for energy cooperation, and the future workplan of the working group. In addition to government delegations from North and South Korea, Mongolia, and Russia, presenters included ESCAP representatives and experts from academia and business.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/esd/energy/dialogue/cooperation/epp4/index.asp

2nd KAS/CDI Asia-Pacific Political Parties Workshop: Political Parties and the Youth in Asia
Date: September 12–15, 2007
Location: Indonesia
Organizers/Supporters: Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS); Centrist Democrat International (CDI) Asia Pacific
This series of KAS/CDI Asia-Pacific Political Parties Workshops were launched in Manila in 2005 to promote cooperation among centrist parties in the Asia Pacific region. Each event focuses on specific issues relevant to the participating parties.
For information, see:
http://www.kas.de/proj/home/events/73/2/-/-/veranstaltung_id-25917/

Workshop on Female Labor Migration in Globalizing Asia: Translocal/Transnational Identities and Agencies
Date: September 13–14, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Asia Research Institute and Asian Metacentre for Population and Sustainable Development Analysis, National University of Singapore; supported by Wellcome Trust (UK)
Over the past decades, the globalizing economies of Asia have undergone dramatic growth. This has been accompanied by a rise in labor migration within the region that is increasingly commercialized, irregular, and feminized. Understanding these trends is important for policymaking in the region and for furthering critical theory on gender and globalization. This workshop aimed to explore the mutual interactions of global and local discourses and practices that shape female migration and labor in and across Asia, particularly in East and Southeast Asia, as well as Asian migrant women workers’ experiences, identities, and agencies.
Workshop panels included the following: (1) Victims or Survivors? Migrant Domestic Workers’ Identities and Agency; (2) Female Factory Workers: Cross-Border Mobility and Spatial Identities; (3) Working Wives and Mothers: Negotiating Work, Family, and Migrant Identity; (4) Global Care Work: Households, Communities, and Gender Roles & Ideologies; (5) Life Stories of Migration: Situated Meaning and Experience; (6) Enhancing Agency through Communication Skills and Technology; and (7) Collective Agency, Rights, and Activism.
For information, see:
http://www.ari.nus.edu.sg/events_categorydetails.asp?categoryid=6&eventid=613

2nd CSCAP Study Group on Asia Pacific Cooperation for Energy Security
Date: September 14–15, 2007
Location: Goa, India
Organizers/Supporters: Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP); CSCAP India; CSCAP Singapore
The South Asian and East Asian economies’ growing demand for energy resources, principally oil, is focusing greater attention on the economic, political, and security concerns over assuring a continuous and adequate supply of energy to these economies at reasonable prices. The unprecedented growth in oil consumption in India and China, in particular, is making the already competitive oil market even more competitive, resulting in a shift in economic interests, political alignments, and regional security strategies.
This study group considers how increasing demand for oil in South Asia and East Asia is changing the regional economics of energy supply and demand, how it is renewing the search for alternative sources and more efficient uses of energy, and how Asia Pacific political alignments and regional security strategies are shifting as a result.
For information, see:
http://www.cscap.ca/EnergySecurity_SG.html

6th ENVforum Roundtable: The Energy Sustainability Challenge—Fueling Greater Cooperation between Asia and Europe
Date: September 18–19, 2007
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Organizers/Supporters: Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM); co-organized by the Asia-Europe Foundation, the Hanns Seidel Foundation, the Swedish Environmental Secretariat for Asia, the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Korea Environment Institute (KEI), the United Nations Environment Programme and the Institute for International and European Affairs, Dublin; supported by the European Commission
A roundtable discussion among 40 participants from ASEM countries was held over two days in Dublin. The roundtable focused on the following issues relevant to sustainable energy: What are the implications of increasing energy consumption and economic growth for Asia and Europe? How has each region reacted to calls for greater sustainable energy policies? What opportunities are available for Asia and Europe in ensuring the sustainability of energy while tackling climate change? How can the two regions work closer to promote clean and affordable energy? What are the enabling policies? How could Asia and Europe harness cleaner fuels? In what forms can cooperation take place? How can Asia and Europe work together to tackle the challenges for further cooperation?
For information, see:
http://env.asef.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=73&Itemid=30

Mobilizing Aid for Trade: Focus Asia and the Pacific
Date: September 19–20, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: Asian Development Bank; World Trade Organization; in association with Government of the Philippines
This conference brought together nearly two dozen trade and finance ministers, as well as key donors and private sector representatives to focus collectively on the trade capacity and infrastructure challenges facing the Asia Pacific region. Developing Asia’s blistering economic growth has captured global attention and has shown that adoption of outward-oriented development strategies can help to harness trade as an engine of growth and alleviate poverty. But some economies in the region have lagged behind and face significant challenges.
This conference—one of three “Aid for Trade” meetings worldwide—aimed to stimulate a dialogue among Asia Pacific economies and donor countries on how to boost economic infrastructure; focus on productive capacity building; and boost capacity to formulate, negotiate, and implement trade policy and related agreements. Officials at the meeting pledged to help small and weak states in Asia Pacific build and strengthen capacity to benefit from trade and spur economic growth to alleviate poverty.
For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2007/Mobilizing-Aid-Trade/default.asp

High-Level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Midpoint Review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 2003–2012
Date: September 19–21, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
In 2002, members of ESCAP decided to extend the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons for another decade, from 2003 to 2012. The Biwako Millennium Framework for Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-Free and Rights-Based Society in Asia and the Pacific was adopted as its defining policy guideline, promoting the paradigm shift from a charity-based approach to a rights-based approach to disability. The Emerging Social Issues Division of ESCAP organized this meeting as the culmination of the midpoint review of this second decade, bringing together high-level representatives of the ESCAP member and associate member countries, UN bodies and agencies, the Pacific Islands Forum, and many NGOs. The objectives of the meeting were twofold; to review the progress and challenges in implementing the Biwako Framework and to consider and adopt the “Biwako Plus Five: Further Efforts towards an Inclusive, Barrier-Free and Rights-Based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific,” a supplement to the Biwako Framework.
For information, see:
http://www.worldenable.net/bmf5/finalreport.htm

Asian Financial Forum 2007
Date: September 21, 2007
Location: Hong Kong SAR
Organizers/Supporters: Government of Hong Kong SAR; Hong Kong Trade Development Council
The Asian Financial Forum 2007 was one of the major events celebrating the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong SAR. This forum offered a platform for roughly 600 respected members of the global financial and business community—including central bankers, senior officials, and top executives of international financial institutions—to discuss developments and trends in the dynamic Asian financial markets.
A plenary session in the morning was followed by three concurrent panel sessions in the afternoon focusing on asset and wealth management, the development of Asian treasury and bond markets, and corporate fundraising options. Experts in the financial services fields served as panel conveners and speakers.
For information, see:
http://www.asianfinancialforum.com/eng/index.htm

Regional Informal Workshop on Labor Migration in Southeast Asia: What Role for Parliaments?
Date: September 22–23, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Philippine Office; Migrant Forum in Asia
Participants at this informal workshop on labor migration included former and sitting members of parliament and parliamentary staff from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as government officials, representatives from international organizations, migrant NGOs and associations, trade unions, and academia based in the region. The objectives of the workshop were to exchange views on the issues of labor migration in Southeast Asia and to look at how parliamentarians and parliaments can increase their role in addressing labor migration at various levels—national, bilateral, and regional. Participants developed a list of action points and possible interventions. Key recommendations were to conduct a briefing at the parliaments’ committee level on the results of the conference with a view to involving more parliamentarians and to look into ways in which a more regular exchange among parliamentarians and joint policy work could be organized.
For information, see:
http://www.fes.org.ph/2007%20conferences/FINAL%20Documentation%20FES_MFA_Parliament_Migration_Sept07.pdf

12th Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions
Date: September 24–27, 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Organizers/Supporters: Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions; hosted by Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
The 12th gathering of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) began with closed sessions of the Asia Pacific Forum (APF) Advisory Council of Jurists (ACJ) and the Senior Executive Officer Network. The second day featured sessions of the APF Forum Councillors and the APF Annual General Meeting. Day one of the APF Conference was open to all APF member institutions and registered observers from the UN, government, and NGOs. The day’s sessions included reports from APF member institutions, a discussion on regional cooperation among NHRIs and reports from Asia Pacific governments and NGOs. The second day of the APF Conference focused on the role of NHRIs in promoting and protecting the rights of people with disabilities. It also included the presentation of the ACJ interim report on human rights and the environment. The day concluded with the adoption of a conference statement.
For information, see:
http://www.asiapacificforum.net/about/annual-meetings/12th-australia-2007

International Conference on Europe Meets Asia: Regional Cooperation and Integration Ten Years After the Crisis
Date: September 25, 2007
Location: Berlin, Germany
Organizers/Supporters: Asian Development Bank; German Institute of Economic Research; European Commission
The aim of this conference was to convene 50 representatives from government, think tanks, business, academia, NGOs, and media to review the emergence of regionalism in Asia and its relevance to Europe. The conference participants discussed how the 1997–1998 Asian financial crisis triggered a regional response in Asia and presented a current model of regional interdependence with a focus on macroeconomic policy and financial and monetary integration issues. It also analyzed the challenges ahead for Asian integration and how to cope with internal differences based on the European experience.
For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2007/Europe-Meets-Asia/default.asp

8th ASEM Informal Seminar on Human Rights
Date: September 26–28, 2007
Location: Siem Reap, Cambodia
Organizers/Supporters: Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM); hosted by Government of Cambodia; organized with support from Government of Japan; co-organized by Asia-Europe Foundation, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Sweden
The ASEM Informal Seminar on Human Rights aims to promote better mutual understanding and cooperation among the countries of Asia and Europe in the area of political dialogue, particularly on human rights issues, between government officials, academics, and civil society participants of the 43 ASEM countries. This year’s meeting was centered on the theme “freedom of expression.” Working groups focused on political rights; cultural rights; roles and relations of state, civil society, and international relations; and the impact of information and communication technology.
For information, see:
http://www.aseminfoboard.org/Calendar/Activities/?id=207
How to Build an East Asian Community
Date: September 28, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Keizai Koho Center (Japan Institute for Social and Economic Affairs)
This symposium on building an East Asian community began with keynote remarks from the chairman of the Committee on Promotion of Economic Partnerships of Nippon Keidanren, who stressed the importance of negotiating and concluding comprehensive, high-quality EPAs with ASEAN and other strategically important countries, especially in East Asia. In the panel discussions, scholars from Japan, China, and Thailand discussed the prospects for East Asia community building. It was noted that the competition between Japan and China has become obvious in regional issues and that “political will” is key to the success of the regional process in East Asia. Regarding economic issues, it was noted that Japan must resolve the politically sensitive farm trade protection issue or risk being unable to take the initiative in the global effort for trade liberalization.
For information, see:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20071013d1.html

October

High-Level Expert Group Meeting on Public-Private Partnerships for Infrastructure Development; Asia-Pacific Business Forum on Public-Private Partnerships for Infrastructure Development; Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Public-Private Partnerships for Infrastructure Development
Date: October 2–5, 2007
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); Government of the Republic of Korea; Korea Development Institute
A three-part meeting was held to address the critical role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in advancing the necessary investment in infrastructure that is required for the socioeconomic development of Asia Pacific. The meeting began with a High-Level Expert Group Meeting on October 2–4, followed by the Asia-Pacific Business Forum on PPPs on October 4. The event ended with a Ministerial Conference on October 5, organized and hosted by the Government of the Republic of Korea. The conference adopted the Seoul Declaration on Public-Private Partnerships for Infrastructure Development in Asia and the Pacific.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/ttdw/common/TPT/ppp/egm_ppp_oct07.asp

2nd Berlin Conference on Asian Security: The Internal Stability and Cohesion of Asian States—Consequences for Intraregional and International Relations
Date: October 3–5, 2007
Location: Berlin, Germany
Organizers/Supporters: German Institute for International and Security Affairs; in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Defence, Germany, and Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Jakarta
The second meeting of the “Berlin Group” Conference on Asian Security gathered participants from Europe, the United States, and Asia to discuss aspects of the internal stability and cohesion of Asian states. The first session examined the interrelationship between internal and external stability. The second focused on nontraditional risks and regional cooperation related to Indonesia. The third session examined the potential instability in North Korea; while the fourth examined Pakistan, WMD, and South Asian security; the fifth focused on instability and security in Central Asia; and the sixth looked at China’s internal stability. A final panel discussion considered the consequences of the findings for the major players in the region.
For information, see:
http://www.swp-berlin.org/de/common/get_document.php?asset_id=4508

11th Full Plenary Session of the Expanded Senior Panel of the Limited Nuclear Weapons Free Zone for Northeast Asia (LNWFZ-NEA)
Date: October 3–6, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Center for International Strategy, Technology, and Policy, Sam Nunn School and Ivan Allen College, Georgia Tech; co-hosted by Teikyo University
Diplomatic, military, and academic specialists from Argentina, China, Finland, France, Japan, Mongolia, South Korea, Russia, and the United States met to continue in-depth discussions on the concept of the LNWFZ-NEA. This forum is a means to build confidence in Northeast Asia and to support and reinforce the Six-Party Talks. A lively and candid exchange of views was held on a wide range of security and economic issues.
The meeting concentrated on the current progress of the Six-Party Talks, discussions to develop confidence and security building measures for the region, and economic incentives for DPRK progress on denuclearization. All attendees of this Track 2 meeting acted in their personal capacity, and some of the participants trace their involvement in this process back to March 1992, when the idea of a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone for Northeast Asia was first proposed. This meeting took place in the midst of both the release of the Second Phase Actions for the Implementation of the Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks on North Korea’s Nuclear Programs and the 2007 Inter-Korean Summit.
For information, see:
http://www.cistp.gatech.edu/Programs/NuclearNonprolif/index.htm

Mainstreaming Human Security: The Asian Contribution
Date: October 4–5, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: Chulalongkorn University; Konrad Adenauer Stiftung; in cooperation with Asian Public Intellectuals (API Fellowship Program); Gender and Development Studies, Asian Institute of Technology; Global Collaboration Center, Osaka University; Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Waseda University; Institute of Philippine Culture, Ateneo de Manila University; Mekong Program on Water, Environment and Resilience; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand; Office of Human Rights Studies and Social Development, Mahidol University; Osaka University of Economics and Law ; Southeast Asia Regional Cooperation in Human Development, Canada ; Tata Institute of Social Sciences; Third World Studies Center, University of the Philippines
The concept of human security has led to healthy debates on linkages between freedom from fear and freedom from want. It has also extended the debate over security from state to individuals and communities as actors concerned with new security threats to human welfare and wellbeing. The debate on human security also has important implications for international development and development studies. However, the concept is not well understood conceptually or practically in an Asian context.
Accordingly, Chulalongkorn University organized this conference to examine the status of human security in Asia, to provide an Asian debate on the theoretical aspects of human security, and to look at the practical implications of the concept in terms of policy implementation. The conference took a regional approach both in terms of problems and policies and in terms of research networks. The program was divided into three areas: conceptualizing human security in an Asian context; addressing human security issues and challenges in Asia; and the response to those challenges in terms of policies, programs, and impacts.
For information, see:
http://humansecurityconf.polsci.chula.ac.th/

9th EU–East Asia Think-Tank Dialogue: Global Governance in the 21st Century and the Role of Europe, East Asia and the United States
Date: October 4–7, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS); Japan Center for International Exchange; and Institute for Strategic and Development Studies (ISDS Philippines)
The EU–East Asia Think-Tank Dialogue is an annual event jointly organized by KAS and selected East Asian think tanks to promote intellectual exchange and research collaboration between Track 2 representatives from East Asian and EU countries. The 2007 conference was held in Tokyo for the first time. The central conference theme was global governance in the 21st century, and nearly 30 senior policy analysts from throughout Asia and Europe gathered to discuss common global challenges, such as energy security and how regional institution-building efforts might be managed to contribute to better global governance. A public forum featuring a keynote address by incoming ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan was held on “Global Governance in the 21st Century and Common Challenges for East Asia and Europe.”
For information, see:
http://www.kas.de/proj/home/events/73/2/year-2007/month-10/veranstaltung_id-25919/index.html

2nd Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit
Date: October 5–7, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Asia Society
This annual summit brings together some 200 dynamic, next-generation leaders from Asia Pacific and the United States to explore imaginative ways to address the most critical issues facing the Asia Pacific community today, develop common approaches to addressing these shared challenges, and cultivate the long-term relationships necessary for developing responses. Leading figures from across the fields of business, politics, civil society, media, arts and culture, and academia attend a variety of keynote speeches, plenary sessions, and breakout sessions in an effort to develop new ideas for building a stronger Asia Pacific community. Discussions in 2007 focused on how to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth in the region, and participants later paired up on public service projects that encouraged collaboration across sectors and even across countries.
For information, see:
http://www.asiasociety.org/asia21/summit.htm

SCAPE-EABER Workshop on Intra-Asia Trade and Factor Flows: Trends, Determinants, and Implications
Date: October 8–9, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: East Asian Bureau of Economic Research; Singapore Centre for Applied and Policy Economics; Australian National University; Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore
This one-and-a-half day workshop featured experts from throughout East Asia and from major government and international organizations who presented their research findings on intraregional equity and debt flows, labor flows, services trade, and technology and trade flows in Asia.
For information, see:
http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/ecs/scape/events.html

Inclusive Growth and Poverty Reduction in the New Asia and Pacific
Date: October 8–9, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: Asian Development Bank (ADB)
An international forum on inclusive growth and poverty reduction gathered over 150 participants, including 70 influential policymakers and experts from government, academia, civil society, and international and bilateral aid organizations. Participants discussed issues such as pro-poor infrastructure needs, the role of urban and rural development, the financing and delivery of social services including social protection, environmental poverty, geographical targeting, and how the ADB can address social exclusion. The forum’s outcomes are expected to contribute to the ongoing review of the ADB’s Long-Term Strategic Framework and discussions concerning replenishment of the Asian Development Fund. The overall conclusion was that there is a pressing need for transformation within ADB and better alignment of inclusive growth as a strategic goal with the operational activities and internal capabilities so that the institution can continue to play an important role in supporting Asia’s socioeconomic development. Papers presented at the forum are available online.
For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2007/Inclusive-Growth-Poverty-Reduction/default.asp

Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop on School Education and Disaster Risk Reduction
Date: October 8–10, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR)
Over 270 participants from government, international organizations, NGOs, schools, and the media attended this workshop, an initiative developed by UNISDR’s Education Task Force as a first step to demonstrate its long-term commitment to integrating disaster risk reduction into the education sector. This three-day workshop was part of a longer-term regional strategy that aims at raising awareness of the need to integrate disaster risk reduction and school safety construction programs as part of education curricula. The third day of the workshop benefited from the participation of ministers of education and highlighted the Bangkok-based joint celebrations of the International Day for Disaster Reduction and ASEAN Disaster Management Day. The workshop’s conclusions served as the regional contribution for the Asia Pacific region to the International Conference on Education for Disaster Risk Reduction that was organized in November 2008.
For information, see:
http://www.unisdr.org/eng/public_aware/world_camp/2006-2007/iddr/2007-iddr-asia.html

Environmental Challenges in Southeast Asia
Date: October 11, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA); Shell Companies, Singapore
The Shell-SIIA Expert Roundtable gathered representatives from government, NGOs, academic institutions, and multinational corporations to assess environmental challenges, including the impact of rapidly increasing car ownership in Southeast Asia. The roundtable discussed strategies for sustainable development and touched on how nations, corporations, and individuals can participate to curb climate change. The first panel topic was Southeast Asia and climate change, and participants offered an update on the impact and costs of global climate change in terms of the day-to-day livelihoods in the region and beyond and considered steps that can be taken to prepare for that impact in the coming years. During the second panel discussion on sustainable cities, urban planning, and mobility, panelists called on the authorities to consider planning the way people live, work, and play so as to reduce the need for transportation.
For information, see:
http://www.siiaonline.org/?q=events/environmental-challenges-southeast-asia

International Conference on Climate Change and Security
Date: October 11–12, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University; Geneva Centre for Security Policy; Swiss Embassy in Singapore
The International Conference on Climate Change and Security is one of the key activities organized by the RSIS program on nontraditional security in Asia. The discussions among Asian and European experts at this policy forum served to highlight the complex challenges of climate change in Asia and their salience beyond the region. For Asia and Europe, there are at least three reasons why climate change must be placed on top of their security agenda: the severe consequences of climate change, the need for concrete Asian action on mitigating its impact, and the emerging initiatives that are coming out of both regions in responding to the challenges of climate change. Panels addressed a range of issues related to climate change and security and to energy security. Presenters offered papers on Australian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and global perspectives on climate change; the environment factor in human (in)security; legal issues related to the Kyoto climate deal; and comprehensive environmental security strategies. Recommendations were compiled and presented to policymakers at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting in December 2007.
For information, see:
http://www.rsis.edu.sg/nts/Events/Climate%20Change%20and%20Security%20Conference.html

Regional Workshop on the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities and their Families in Asia and the Pacific
Date: October 11–13, 2007
Location: Shanghai, China
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); China Disabled Persons Federation
The objectives of this regional workshop were twofold: to identify issues of persons with intellectual disabilities as well as their families in the region and to identify good practices of policies and support systems for these individuals and their families. During the last five years, the importance of these issues has been recognized within a global discourse on disability—in particular, during the drafting process of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. There are, however, many issues that still require attention. For example, according to the 2006 ESCAP publication, Disability at a Glance: A Profile of 28 Countries and Areas in Asia and the Pacific, some governments in the region still do not clearly differentiate persons with intellectual disabilities from persons with psychosocial disabilities in their categorizations of persons with disabilities.
This regional workshop sought to raise awareness on these issues and explore policy and programmatic solutions. The workshop was held in Shanghai, China, where the Special Olympics World Summer Games were held in October 2007.
For information, see:
http://www.worldenable.net/shanghai2007/

Workshop on Managing China-Japan-US Relations and Strengthening Trilateral Cooperation
Date: October 14–16, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE)
In 2007, JCIE launched a two-year study and dialogue project aimed at developing a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics of the China-Japan-US trilateral relationship, identifying the issues central to managing stable and cooperative relations, and examining ways of promoting more meaningful cooperation on key challenges. This project brings together a multi-country team of leading experts to analyze the dynamics of the trilateral relationship. It is designed to encourage top policymakers in all three countries to gain a deeper understanding of this key relationship and a greater commitment to trilateral cooperation. One senior participant and three emerging intellectual leaders have been selected from each country, and these team members are analyzing a wide range of topics—including the emergence of regional community, financial cooperation, and tensions in the Taiwan Straits—in the context of the trilateral relationship. This meeting was the first major gathering of the paper writers.
For information, see:
http://www.jcie.or.jp/thinknet/chinajapanus/

17th New Generation Seminar: Education Challenges in the 21st Century
Date: October 14–28, 32007
Location: Honolulu, USA; Hiroshima, Japan; and Shanghai, China
Organizers/Supporters: East-West Center; supported by Freeman Foundation
Each year the East-West Center invites rising young leaders from the United States and Asia Pacific to participate in a two-week educational and dialogue program. The program is developed around a thematic focus and provides participants with an opportunity to strengthen their understanding of regional developments and challenges, increase their contacts with counterparts in the region, and become more effective and international leaders. The program opens with a one-week seminar in Honolulu, followed by a one-week study tour. This year’s group traveled to Hiroshima and Shanghai to examine education challenges as countries throughout the world adjust to meet the needs of their societies in an increasingly interconnected world.

For information, see:
http://www.eastwestcenter.org/events/past-east-west-center-events/?class_call=view&conf_ID=975&mode=view

ASEAN-US Symposium
Date: October 15–16, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Institute of Policy Studies; Institute of Southeast Asian Studies; Center for a New American Security
The ASEAN-US Symposium in Singapore marked the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-US relations. It was attended by 35 participants representing ASEAN countries and the United States from government, business, media, and the academic community. The conference took stock of ASEAN’s many achievements over the last three decades, explored how best to anticipate and manage the challenges ahead, and brainstormed on new ideas that could elevate the ASEAN-US relationship to a new peak. The conference addressed important themes, such as ASEAN at 40—achievements and new vision; understanding the strategic landscape and regional architecture—the role of the United States in ASEAN; and opportunities for cooperation between ASEAN and the United States and the pursuit of peace, stability, and prosperity.
For information, see:
http://www.ips.org.sg/events/conf/Asean-us/index.htm

Integration of East Asia—Problems and Prospects
Date: October 16, 2007
Location: Shanghai, China
Organizers/Supporters: Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies; APEC Research Center
The participants at this conference on East Asian integration held discussions on such topics as the impetus for integration of East Asia, the main obstacles to integration, ways to promote integration, and the relationships among great powers in integration. Most participants held that although in the past 20 years the integration of East Asia has witnessed rapid development, regional cooperation still remains at a low level compared with Europe. The old scores among great powers and the conflicts of political and economic interests in this region form serious obstacles to integration. The participants paid special attention to the different pursuits of great powers and focused on whether the rise of China would challenge the leading role of the United States in this region. The participants also pointed out that the integration of East Asia might develop gradually—moving from efforts to create a unified market to cooperation in politics and security—but this would be a long process.
For information, see:
http://english.sass.org.cn/newsevents/?newstype=0053006A007C0078004A007B006A007300790078&newsid=003A003C003D

New Power Dynamics in Southeast Asia: Changing Security Cooperation and Competition
Date: October 18–20, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Stanley Foundation; S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University
This meeting, part of a project funded by the Stanley Foundation, brought together 30 scholars and practitioners for a discussion on the changing Asian political, economic, and security environment—with a focus on Southeast Asia—and the impact of new developments on US policy. Appreciating how the new trends are eroding extant political and security alignments and creating new ones can help policymakers and analysts propose and craft policies that will contribute to the continued stability and prosperity of the region. Participants engaged in roundtable discussions on issues such as changing power competition in Southeast Asian security, terrorism, new and nontraditional security issues, traditional security issues, and the changing regional security architecture. Policy recommendations were to be produced.
For information, see:
http://www.rsis.edu.sg/publications/conference_reports/RSIS_NEW_POWER_DYNAMICS_IN_SOUTHEAST_ASIA_Final_editable.pdf

2nd Global Public Policy Network (GPPN) Conference: Globalizing Asia or Asian Globalization?
Date: October 22–23, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore
The GPPN is comprised of Columbia University, the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and Sciences Po, Paris. Singapore played host to the network’s second conference, which brought together representatives from more than 40 public policy institutions from around the world.
Asia has benefited greatly from the accelerating processes of globalization. The rapid growth and success of Asian societies also means that Asian societies will play a bigger role in shaping the future processes of globalization. Asians will go from being passengers on the bus of globalization to becoming the co-drivers. But to where will they drive this bus? The Singapore conference attempted to address some of these larger global challenges. It looked into the likely impact of Asia on the global economic and financial architecture and on the new political architecture of global governance.
For information, see:
http://www.igloo.org/gppn2007/
3rd Southeast Asia Water Forum
Date: October 22–26, 2007
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Organizers/Supporters: Malaysian Water Partnership and Malaysia’s Department of Irrigation and Drainage; support from the Asian Development Bank
Southeast Asia is a water-rich region, but it is also one of the most populated regions. It is home to three of the largest megacities in the world, and rapid urbanization brings its own set of problems, from the lack of water supply to excess untreated wastewater and proliferation of water-borne diseases. The third Southeast Asia Water Forum provided an opportunity for participants from government and development agencies, along with other water experts, to explore the different ways by which these water issues can be addressed. The meeting theme was “Consolidating Actions towards Effective Implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM): What Have We Done? What More Shall We Do?” The goal was to take stock of the implementation of IWRM in the member countries and share experiences in the implementation of IWRM. The forum involved parallel sessions on network and partnerships for implementing integrated water resources management; urban water management; monitoring of investments in IWRM and results; and water management in the Mekong Basin—sustainable sanitation systems, water resources, and river basin.
For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/documents/events/2007/Third-SEAWF/default.asp#Venue

Asia 2012: Security Challenges and Opportunities for Development
Date: October 23, 2007
Location: Washington DC, USA
Organizers/Supporters: American Enterprise Institute (AEI)
The Asia Pacific region is undergoing continuous change as China, India, and Japan emerge as great powers with a wide array of political, economic, and military interests. How will these emerging powers compete with each other—and the United States—for primacy in Asia? Will economic growth sustain the rise of these economic powers, or will unexpected economic fault lines shatter ambitions for ever-growing GDPs? How will Asia’s burgeoning regional organizations respond to the array of transnational threats in the region? AEI hosted leading scholars and policymakers in a one-day seminar to address these and other questions concerning the challenges and opportunities that Asia will face over the next five years.
For information, see:
http://www.aei.org/events/eventID.1591,filter.all/event_detail.asp

2nd BIMP-EAGA Chief Ministers, Governors and Heads of Local Government Forum
Date: October 23–24, 2007
Location: Mindanao, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: Asian Development Bank
Representatives of local governments, central governments, and the private sector from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines (BIMP) attended this forum. The goal of the gathering was to increase awareness of local governments in the East ASEAN Growth Area (EAGA) of the concepts, benefits, opportunities, and potential risks of regional cooperation and integration to local economic development and improve local participation in EAGA activities. The meeting updated the local government units on EAGA developments and enabled them to define their specific roles in the EAGA and make use of opportunities provided by subregional cooperation. Participants also discussed and agreed on measures to advance EAGA trade, investment, and tourism initiatives on a multilateral, bilateral, and port-to-port basis.
For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2007/2nd-BIMP-EAGA-Chief-Ministers/default.asp

6th ASEAN People’s Assembly (APA): ASEAN at 40—Realizing the People’s Expectations
Date: October 23–26, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies (ASEAN-ISIS)
Representatives from Southeast Asian civil society groups, think tanks, and academia called for stronger civil society involvement with ASEAN as a response to recent developments in the region during its 40th year. Movements in the ASEAN Charter, the Myanmar situation, and human rights were among those actively discussed during the sixth APA. Plenary and panel presentations and discussions were conducted on a range of issues and concerns affecting peoples of Southeast Asia, including terrorism and transnational security problems, peace and social conflict, media and press freedom, a regional human rights mechanism, human security and human development, security sector reform and governance, and ASEAN community building, among others. The 2007 APA also focused on good practices in people-centered community building in various parts of Southeast Asia and beyond.
For information, see:
http://www.aseanhrmech.org/news/asean-peoples-assembly-greater-participation.html

16th Northeast Asia Economic Forum
Date: October 25–26, 2007
Location: Toyama, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Northeast Asia Economic Forum (NEAEF); Hokuriku Economic Federation; Hokuriku Around Japan Sea Economic Exchange Conference (AJEC); Toyama Prefecture; Toyama City; Institute for International Studies and Training; with cooperation of Japan Committee for the Promotion of the Asian Energy Community; Northeast Asia Project Development Center; University of Toyama; University of California, Berkeley East Asia Program (US); Tianjin Municipal Government (China); BOGO Economic Research Institute (Korea); Beijing Institute for Frontier Science (China); Korea Energy Economics Institute; China Asia Pacific Institute; Korea Asia Pacific Institute; University of Hawaii College of Social Sciences (US)
Leading researchers and government experts attended the 16th NEAEF, which focused on regional cooperation on environmental protection; energy cooperation for efficiency, conservation, and sustainability; and transportation and logistics. The session on the environment confirmed the importance of “sustainable economy and society” as a common agenda for the countries in Northeast Asia, while other sessions stressed the important role of energy for economic development and security in Northeast Asia and the need to pursue common strategies of transportation and logistics and to promote complementary transportation systems. The participants also recognized the need to examine and coordinate the construction of a new comprehensive logistics system in Northeast Asia through cooperation among the countries in the region.
For information, see:
http://www.neaef.org/pubs/neaef16/neaef16-dl.html

2nd Kyoto Seminar on Sustainable Growth in the Asia-Pacific Region: Deepening Economic Interdependence and Risk Management
Date: October 25–26, 2007
Location: Kyoto, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan; Kyoto University
The second Kyoto Seminar on Sustainable Growth in the Asia-Pacific Region was attended by about 40 experts from governments, research institutes, and academic and business societies in the Asia Pacific economies, as well as representatives from regional and global organizations. Participants discussed wide-ranging regional issues including structural changes in the supply chain, trade and investment patterns, future obstacles and risks for economic growth, information gaps emerging from globalization, and indicators related to sustainable growth.
Participants agreed that while the Asia Pacific region has achieved rapid economic growth, there are significant potential risks and challenges to future sustainable regional growth—infrastructural and regulatory weaknesses, insufficient technology transfer, excess liquidity in some economies, accelerating environmental challenges including climate change, and natural disasters. Governmental policy and regional and international cooperation are of primary importance to managing these risks, but they require greater information sharing. The participants therefore discussed the design and potential benefits of an "Economic Information Sharing Mechanism of the Asia-Pacific (EiSMAP)."
For information, see:
http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/economy/eismap/index.html

United States Relations with ASEAN at Thirty
Date: October 26, 2007
Location: Washington DC, USA
Organizers/Supporters: East-West Center; Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS)The purpose of this daylong conference was to reflect on 30 years of relations between the United States and ASEAN and to look ahead at ways of cooperating further. Panelists included a delegation of prominent Southeast Asian policymakers and specialists under the auspices of the Singapore-based ISEAS as well as DC-based experts and government officials.
For information, see:
http://www.eastwestcenter.org/events/past-east-west-center-events/?class_call=view&conf_ID=1249&mode=view

ASEAN Civil Society Conference 2007
Date: October 26–28, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Singapore Institute of International Affairs; ASEAN
The ASEAN Civil Society Conference 2007 was an effort to present civil society views to the ASEAN Summit 2007 as part of the increasing engagement between ASEAN and civil society. The conference brought together some 50 representatives from all ASEAN member countries. The participants were drawn from regional NGOs, think tanks, and civil society organizations that had participated in larger meetings and networks among their counterparts in preparation for the ASEAN Summit. Observers from ASEAN governments and international organizations also attended. The secretary-general of ASEAN delivered a keynote address and agreed to bring the conference statement to the attention of the ASEAN Summit.
For information, see:
http://www.siiaonline.org/?q=news/asean-civil-society-conference-–-october-26-28-2007

12th International Conference of the Pacific Basin Consortium: Environment and Health in the 21st Century—Challenges & Solutions
Date: October 26–29, 2007
Location: Beijing, China
Organizers/Supporters: Pacific Basin Consortium; sponsored by National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, USA; World Health Organization; East-West Center; Institute for Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences; International Copper Association; Global Environment and Energy in the 21st Century; University of Arizona, Tucson; Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany
Nearly 200 scientists, engineers, policymakers, students, and government representatives from more than 20 countries participated in this four-day meeting. The primary objectives of the conference were to (1) present research related to environmental pollutants, advances in reducing the generation of hazardous chemical pollutants, and the ecology and health effects of climate change; (2) increase interdisciplinary and international cooperation in understanding and addressing threats to human and environmental health in the region; and (3) discuss ways to reduce risks to human and environmental health within a larger context that recognizes the importance of addressing development, poverty, equity, and sustainability.
A pre-conference training workshop on children’s environmental health (CEH) was also conducted on October 26 by an international team of experts to highlight key children’s environmental health issues and present the WHO Training Package on CEH for the Health Sector.
For information, see:
http://pbc.eastwestcenter.org/2007ConferenceSummary.html

The Situation on the Korean Peninsula and the Security of Northeast Asia
Date: October 27–28, 2007
Location: Beijing, China
Organizers/Supporters: Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies and Center for Regional Security Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS)
CASS brought together scholars from the United States, Russia, South Korea, and China for a conference that examined the current situation on the Korean Peninsula and its implications for the security of Northeast Asia.
For information, see:
http://iaps.cass.cn/english/news/intro.asp?page=5

3rd East Asian Institutes Forum: East Asian Economic Integration—Recent Development and Key Agenda
Date: October 29, 2007
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Organizers/Supporters: Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP)
The KIEP held the third East Asian Institutes Forum, an initiative that was created to offer a platform in which the heads of leading think tanks in East Asia could gather and discuss fundamental issues for further economic integration and promote greater research cooperation between leading think tanks in the region. Since 2005, about 20 think tank heads and other prominent scholars throughout the region have participated.
For information, see:
http://www.eastasianet.org/

International Conference on Gender, Rights and Empowerment in Southeast Asia
Date: October 30–31, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: Women’s Action & Resource Initiative (WARI)
WARI’s 2007 conference focused on both the practical application and the theoretical aspect of gender in Southeast Asian societies. Policymakers, scholars and researchers, activists, and representatives from women’s organizations, NGOs, donor agencies, and gender focal points gathered to analyze women’s socioeconomic roles, their changing contexts and opportunities, and the efforts made by governments and NGOs to enhance their contributions. Specifically, the objectives of the two-day gathering were to analyze gender issues and the socioeconomic role of women in the traditional and modern sectors; to provide data on opportunities and constraints on women, including the status of women in education, health, politics, natural resources, and civil society; to document lessons learned from governmental and NGO programs; to suggest policy measures to improve education and opportunities to enable women to participate in the new economic order effectively; and to set a new tone of discussion on globalization and development.
For information, see:
http://geocities.com/wari9/conference2006.htm

1st CSCAP Study Group on Preventive Diplomacy and the Future of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)
Date: October 30–31, 2007
Location: Brunei Darussalam
Organizers/Supporters: Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP); co-chaired by USCSCAP and CSCAP Singapore; support from US Department of State
The first meeting of this CSCAP study group met immediately prior to the ARF Inter-sessional Support Group (ISG) on Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) and Preventive Diplomacy. All ISG participants were invited and encouraged to attend the CSCAP meeting in their private capacities. About 80 individuals participated in the study group, including representatives from CSCAP member committees, ARF members, and Pacific Forum CSIS Young Leaders.
Sessions provided an overview of preventive diplomacy and the ARF, examined the relationship between preventive diplomacy and confidence building, and considered case studies on preventive diplomacy in Aceh, Mindanao, and the South China Sea. A session on reinvigorating the ARF looked at ways to improve the organization’s performance and make it more relevant, while another session turned to the Six-Party Talks and their relevance to preventive diplomacy. The discussions confirmed the view that the time has come to review the ARF, its status, its successes, and its shortcomings. Participants generally agreed that the ARF has served as an important and successful vehicle for promoting security cooperation and building confidence among its members, but the evolution from the promotion of CBMs to the promotion of preventive diplomacy measures has been slow.
For information, see:
http://www.cscap.ca/Preventive_Diplomacy_SG.html

Asian Energy Security Workshop 2007
Date: October 31–November 2, 2007
Location: Beijing, China
Organizers/Supporters: Nautilus Institute; in collaboration with the Beijing Energy Training Center, Tsinghua University
The Asian Energy Security (AES) Project emphasizes collaborative research, involving groups from each of the countries of Northeast Asia, on both national and regional approaches to energy security concerns. In 2007, the project expanded its focus to also include energy experts from Vietnam, Indonesia, and Australia.
A main focus of the AES 2007 project meeting was on different “paths” for nuclear power development in those countries in the region where nuclear power is used. The AES project meeting started with a day of updates from participants on the overall energy, energy policy, and energy security situations in their countries, as well as updates on their work in modeling different energy futures (including paths that incorporate regional energy cooperation strategies) for their countries using a common energy/environmental analysis software tool. The second and third days focused on special project topics, including discussions of future energy paths, nuclear fuel-cycle issues, and planning for future collaborative project activities.
For information, see:
http://www.nautilus.org/energy/2007/beijingworkshop/index.html

November

5th East Asia Forum
Date: November 1, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: East Asia Forum (EAF)
The EAF is an international organization established following a proposal in the reports of the East Asia Vision Group and the East Asia Study Group, which were established at the request of the ASEAN+3 Summit. The Korean government took the initiative in establishing the EAF and held the first meeting in 2003. While the Network of East Asian Think-Tanks aims to promote the networking of think tanks and act as a source of research information to assist in building an East Asian community, the EAF assembles business, academia, and government representatives from ASEAN+3 countries and provides a knowledge base for regional integration in East Asia. The fifth EAF featured two sessions, one on the topic of “Enhancing Regional Investment” and another on “Further Strengthening Environmental Cooperation.”
For information, see:
http://www.ceac.jp/e/exchangEaf.html

Emerging Asian Regionalism: Ten Years after the Crisis
Date: November 1–2, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Asian Development Bank (ADB)
This was the third workshop of a project on Emerging Asian Regionalism, and the study group members sought to finalize the structure and content of a report that was to be launched at the ADB Annual Meeting in May 2008. Participants reviewed how Asian countries underwent two decades of dramatic change—from the rapid economic growth of the mid-1990s, to the large setbacks during the crisis, up to the renewed expansion a decade after the 1997–1998 Asian financial crisis—with a focus on Asian regionalism. Roughly 50 international economic experts, heads of Asian, North American, and European think tanks, and ADB staff participated.
For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2007/Asian-Regionalism/default.asp

Asia-Pacific Conference
Date: November 1–2, 2007
Location: Beijing, China
Organizers/Supporters: Japan Economic Foundation; Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
A small gathering of economic experts, including policymakers and researchers from ASEAN nations, Japan, China, and Australia, was held on the theme, “A New Age of Trade in Asia.” The first session considered the recent free trade agreement (FTA) movements in the East Asia region and future prospects for an integral FTA in the region. In the second session, participants discussed how to deal with the different proposals for creating an FTA in the East Asia region as a whole. The final session focused on the Korea-US FTA and its implications for East Asia and Europe.
For information, see:
http://www.jef.or.jp/en_act/act_asia.asp?acd=111

Expert Group Meeting on Energy Security and Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific
Date: November 1–2, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
At the 63rd session of ESCAP in May 2007, the commission decided that the topic for its 64th session (Bangkok, 2008) would be “energy security and sustainable development.” The study will result in a publication assessing the current status of energy security in Asia and the Pacific region and identifying policy options. The Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on Energy Security and Sustainable Development was held to critically review the draft of the research plan for a study on energy security and sustainable development in Asia Pacific that is designed to enhance the quality and ensure the accuracy of information and data. The EGM reviewed the overall structure and provided general comments relevant to energy security issues, as well as providing detailed comments on each chapter of the initial draft.
The EGM was attended by expert representatives from China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and the United States. It was also attended by representatives and experts from international agencies and research institutes.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/esd/newsletters/documents/NewsletterDec2007.pdf

15th Conference of the East and Southeast Asia Network for Better Local Governments
Date: November 1–4, 2007
Location: Gumi, South Korea
Organizers/Supporters: East and Southeast Asia Network for Better Local Governments; (ESEA) Konrad Adenauer Stiftung
The primary objective of ESEA is the promotion of innovations in local government management. The network also seeks to actively engage in the promotion of best practices through continued information exchange and replication mechanisms among network member countries. This 15th meeting of the network included the participation of local administration experts and representatives of ESEA. The theme for the meeting was the role of local governments in promoting international tourism and foreign investment.
For information, see:
http://www.kas.de/proj/home/events/73/2/year-2007/month-11/veranstaltung_id-25918/index.html

Regional Seminar on Gender, Poverty and Infrastructure
Date: November 4–6, 2007
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Organizers/Supporters: Asian Development Bank (ADB)This seminar focused on integrating gender issues in the implementation of ongoing projects in the following sectors: rural and urban infrastructure, water supply and sanitation, water resources management, transport, and energy. The objectives of the seminar were to showcase gender-inclusive ADB loan projects currently achieving results and build the gender and development capacity of project staff implementing ADB-financed loan projects. Fifty-five participants attended from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Norway, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. Participants concluded that infrastructure projects can reduce poverty and gender inequality because poverty often has a “woman’s face.” However, projects can also have negative impacts on poor men and women. Key elements for successful gender mainstreaming include adopting holistic approaches and proper sequencing of the preparation and implementation of a gender-inclusive project design and a Gender Action Plan that identifies specific targets, activities, and resources to ensure women will participate in and benefit from infrastructure projects.
For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2007/Gender-Poverty-Infrastructure/default.asp

Expert Group Meeting on Emerging Issues in Rural Poverty Reduction: The Role of Participatory Approaches
Date: November 6–7, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Poverty and Development Division
ESCAP views poverty as a complex and multidimensional condition having three closely interrelated aspects: the lack of regular income, employment, and productive assets; the lack of access to services (e.g., social safety nets, water, and sanitation); and the lack of power or opportunity to participate. Participatory development approaches, which address the third aspect of poverty, have become core components in many rural poverty reduction programs. However, it is clear that different conditions and circumstances require different approaches to participation.
This meeting discussed key issues concerning participatory approaches, poverty reduction, and rural development in Asia Pacific. The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences on topics such as typologies of participation and their suitability for different situations, the importance of context, the nature of the state and decentralization, participatory development and poverty, the challenges of scaling up, and participatory governance.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/pdd/calendar/EGM-pr/index.asp

Carbon Forum Asia 2007
Date: November 6–7, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: International Emissions Trading Association; Koelnmesse; in partnership with Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Asian Development Bank, Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore
Carbon Forum Asia 2007 brought together 106 exhibitors from 26 countries, 110 specialized regional and international speakers, and 1,071 participants from 46 countries to generate new business opportunities for emissions reductions, exchange opinions on how best to use these new opportunities, and engage with key players in the Asian carbon market.
The conference program gathered regional and international speakers from a wide scope of private and public sectors such as industrial companies, insurance companies, technology providers, banks and legal advisors, and project developers. The final plenary focused on the path forward for the development of a clean development mechanism (CDM) in Asia.
For information, see:
http://www.koelnmesse.com.sg/CarbonForumAsia/CFA-07-Conference_Program.pdf

2nd Korea-ASEAN Cooperation Forum
Date: November 6–7, 2007
Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
Organizers/Supporters: Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS), Korea Foundation; Institute of International Relations (Vietnam)
The second Korea-ASEAN Cooperation Forum was held on the theme of “The Future of Korea-ASEAN Cooperation and East Asian Cooperation.” The first forum was held in Indonesia in November 2006. The chancellor of IFANS headed the Korean delegation, which was comprised of experts from various sectors, while representatives from the 10 ASEAN member countries joined the forum from the ASEAN side. Participants discussed subjects such as the evaluation of regional circumstances and prospects for the future, Korea-ASEAN economic cooperation, and the promotion of regional cooperation in East Asia.
For information, see:
http://www.kf.or.kr:8080/eng/program/new_forum13.jsp

2nd Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction
Date: November 7–8, 2007
Location: New Delhi, India
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction; hosted by the Government of India; side events sponsored by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); United Nations Economic and Social Council for the Asia and Pacific (UNESCAP); World Health Organization; United Nations International Children Emergency Fund; World Bank; Asian Development Bank; US Agency for International Development; Asian Disaster Reduction Centre, Kobe; Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; Asia Disaster Preparedness Centre, Bangkok; South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
Approximately 500 participants, including 35 ministers dealing with disaster risk management and development issues, high level delegations, scientists, practitioners, civil society members, and representatives from the UN and international and regional organizations, participated in the ministerial meeting and adopted the Delhi Declaration for Disaster Risk Reduction 2007 which, as one major achievement, institutionalizes the biannual Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction as a major political forum in the Asia Pacific region.
The ministers and heads of delegations made statements at four high-level roundtables on the themes of mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in national policies and programs, promoting a regional cooperation mechanism on disaster reduction, integrating disaster reduction into rehabilitation and reconstruction activities, and enhancing public-private partnership in disaster risk reduction. Side events included an expanded International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) Asia Partnership Meeting, a SAARC-Japan Workshop on Regional Cooperation on Disaster Risk Reduction, meetings on regional cooperation in disaster management in ASEAN and in Central Asia; and a session on Meeting the Challenges of Disaster Risk Reduction in Communities and Cities. Other sessions covered issues unique to island countries, risk financing and insurance, and preparedness for professional disaster response management systems.
For information, see:
http://www.unisdr.org/asiapacific/ap-docs/Delhi_Declaration.pdf
http://nidm.gov.in/amcdrr/index.asp

Shanghai International Maritime Forum
Date: November 7–9, 2007
Location: Shanghai, China
Organizers/Supporters: Maritime Safety Administration of the People’s Republic of China and the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration
The Shanghai International Maritime Forum 2007, organized by the Maritime Safety Administration of the People’s Republic of China and the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration, brought together senior officials from international organizations, NGOs, governmental agencies, maritime industries, and worldwide experts in the field of oil transportation, emergency response, insurance, oil pollution compensation, and other relevant areas. Various issues related to the theme of “Global Focus on the Oil Transportation and Marine Environment Protection” were addressed, such as high-quality management of oil transportation by ship, the implementation of international conventions related to marine environment protection, emergency response strategies for serious incidents and accidents, clean-up techniques, and legal issues on liability and compensation.
For information, see:
http://www.ipieca.org/activities/oilspill/gi_workshops.php

6th High-Level Conference on Asian Economic Integration: Agenda for the East Asia Summit
Date: November 12–13, 2007
Location: New Delhi, India
Organizers/Supporters: Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS); Institute of Southeast Asian Studies; Institute of Developing Economies; Sasakawa Peace Foundation
RIS launched this conference series in 2003 to contribute to the process of regional economic integration in Asia. The conference was attended by over 90 senior think tank experts, policy-makers, business leaders, journalists, and other stakeholders from East Asia Summit (EAS) countries. Participants considered economic, strategic, and business perspectives on the relevance of Asian economic integration in the EAS framework and the specific issues concerning integration of trade and investment regimes, as well as regional monetary and financial cooperation against the background of Asia’s emerging importance in the world economy.
The conference welcomed the evolution of the EAS as an annual forum for dialogue on regional issues among members of the ASEAN10 and their six dialogue partners. The participants felt that, instead of diffusing the agenda to cover diverse issues, the EAS should concentrate on taking visible, concrete steps toward economic integration. They suggested key priorities for the EAS to promote regional cooperation in select areas: (1) the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Arrangement of East Asia; (2) the Asian monetary and financial architecture; (3) cooperation and coordination among networks of Asian think tanks; and (4) institution building for educational, cultural, and media exchanges. The conference report was submitted to chair of the EAS.
For information, see:
http://www.ris.org.in/conf_asian_eco_int_report.htm

Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue: Envisioning a Peace and Security Mechanism for Northeast Asia
Date: November 12–14, 2007
Location: Moscow, Russia
Organizers/Supporters: University of California, San Diego; financial support provided by the East Asia Foundation (Korea), Ploughshares Fund, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of South Korea, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration, with principal support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York
The Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue (NEACD) met to explore how to establish a permanent Northeast Asia security and peace regime. The goal was to come up with practical, consensus-based proposals that would help to inform the deliberations of the Six-Party Talks Working Group on the Northeast Asia Peace and Security Mechanism. A one-day workshop, “Envisioning a Future Peace and Security Mechanism for Northeast Asia,” was held in advance of the NEACD plenary session. Government officials from all countries involved in the Six-Party Talks attended the workshop and the plenary meeting along with leading academics.
The discussions examined comparative insights from other parts of the world, key objectives of the future multilateral security regime, and institutional design. Participants agreed that the best approach to building a future permanent Northeast Asia multilateral security regime is an evolutionary one based on the Six-Party Talks.
For information, see:
http://igcc.ucsd.edu/regions/asia_pacific/NEACD18.php

ASEM Workshop on Avian Influenza Control
Date: November 12–14, 2007
Location: Beijing, China
Organizers/Supporters: Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM); hosted by Ministry of Agriculture of China
First proposed at the 6th ASEM Summit, the ASEM Workshop on Avian Influenza Control was held to promote highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) prevention and control through a sharing of experiences on policy, regulations, and technical measures, and to explore cooperation mechanisms for ASEM countries. Government officials, experts, and professional researchers from ASEM nations attended the event. They discussed HPAI rapid testing, monitoring, and emergency treatment; experiences and practices on development and application of an HPAI vaccine and other prevention and control materials; the possibility of establishing a cooperation mechanism on HPAI prevention and control among ASEM members; and the latest scientific and technological research progress on HPAI prevention and control.
For information, see:
http://www.aseminfoboard.org/content/documents/070928_WkshpAvianFlu_CN.pdf

14th Asia Pacific Security Seminar: Prospects for Regional Security Cooperation—Confidence Building Measures and Security Frameworks in the Asia-Pacific Region
Date: November 12–16, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: National Institute for Defense
Studies Participants from 21 Asia Pacific countries gathered to discuss the prospects for security cooperation. Following a keynote speech entitled, “Strengthening Asia Pacific Security: Confidence Building and Security Architecture,” participants addressed three issues: assessing potential threats and/or destabilizing factors in the region (i.e., territorial disputes, arms build-up, WMD proliferation, international terrorism, poor governance, piracy, pandemics, natural disasters, illegal immigration, transnational organized crimes, ethnic conflict and separatism, resource competition, poverty, socioeconomic disparity, and environmental degradation); understanding each country’s confidence-building policy; and exploring future security cooperation.
At the wrap-up discussion, participants discussed areas in which multilateral frameworks might be built, whether the UN can be more effective, and the roles major powers should play in order to maintain stability. The results of the meeting were to be reported at the next ARF Meeting of the Heads of Defense Universities/Colleges/Institutions.
For information, see:
http://www.nids.go.jp/english/exchange/researchexchange/index_e.html

Thrust and Parry in the Global Game: Emerging Asian Corporate Giants and the World Economy
Date: November 13–14, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Tokyo Club Foundation for Global Studies
This conference was organized into three sessions: Asian economies engaging abroad, Asian firms engaging abroad, and impacts and responses to emerging Asian giants. Participants discussed foreign direct investment, structural and institutional perspectives on the RMB and China’s external imbalance, the challenge for Europe from the outward expansion of Chinese and Indian firms, outward direct investment by Chinese and Indian enterprises, the opportunities presented by the Chinese market, outsourcing, and trading with Asia’s giants.
For information, see:
http://www.tcf.or.jp/seminars/2007/20071113-14.html

The Dynamic Economies of India and China: What Lessons for Others?
Date: November 13–18, 2007
Location: Salzburg, Austria
Organizers/Supporters: Salzburg Global SeminarWith their abundant supplies of low-cost labor, natural resources, and highly educated elites, India and China have experienced rapid economic success over the last decade and are emerging as two of the world’s most powerful economies. Interestingly, India and China have managed this growth by relying on drastically different economic models and development strategies. By examining India and China’s different paths to global economic power and the potential sustainability challenges facing both countries in the future, this meeting sought to identify practical lessons for other emerging economies. Session participants, including representatives from banks, investment firms, government ministries, economic policy centers, NGOs, and academia, examined both the positive and negative impacts of India and China’s rise to economic power and sought to identify new strategies for sustainable economic growth.
For information, see:
http://www.salzburgseminar.org/2009/sessions.cfm?IDSpecial_Event=1270

Regional Counterparts Collaboration Workshop
Date: November 14–16 2007
Location: Hawaii, USA
Organizers/Supporters: Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (APCSS)
This workshop was designed as a collaborative, multinational workshop of presiding officials from security studies institutes across the Asia Pacific region to address shared major regional and global security issues. The intent of the workshop was to identify collaboration interfaces related to educational and leadership development concepts and means, research partnering, and faculty exchanges. Specifically, the 29 participants sought to identify opportunities in the areas of virtual participation and curriculum enhancement via video teleconferencing; create partnerships to co-host or facilitate outreach events in a conference, workshop, or research project format; enlist regional experts to participate in select APCSS events; and explore adjunct faculty opportunities, potential joint publications, and research projects.
For information, see:
http://www.apcss.org/core/APCSS%20News/releases/2007/RegionalCounterparts.htm

11th Regional Consultative Meeting on Good Urban Governance
Date: November 15, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Poverty and Development Division
Good governance has become, implicitly or explicitly, a core concept in most strategies implemented by the United Nations and its partner organizations. From the Millennium Declaration to the UN Convention against Corruption, good governance has been identified as critical for the success of poverty reduction efforts. Recently, the scope of the Regional Consultative Meeting has been broadened to cover not only good urban governance but also other issues related to urban poverty and human settlements. The Regional Consultative Meeting is open to any organization working on urban governance issues in Asia Pacific. The purpose of the meeting was to update partner agencies on current and future regional activities and to find mechanisms for complementing or reinforcing each other’s work for the promotion of good urban governance and eradication of urban poverty.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/pdd/calendar/rcmgg/good-govern.asp

Northeast Asia Partnership Forum
Date: November 15, 2007
Location: Vladivostok, Russia
Organizers/Supporters: UN Development Programme (China/Tumen Secretariat); Boao Forum for Asia
The Northeast Asia Partnership Forum was one of three main events in the framework of the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI). This forum brought together about 80 regional and international policymakers and other experts to exchange views and recommendations to further strengthen interregional cooperation in Northeast Asia and establish a stronger GTI partnership network. The forum followed the ninth meeting of the GTI Consultative Commission, an intergovernmental cooperation mechanism among China, North Korea, South Korea, Mongolia, and Russia. The decision by governments at that meeting to create a Business Advisory Council, an Energy Board, a Tourism Council, and an Environmental Framework were received with great interest at the forum.
The Northeast Asia Partnership Forum included sessions on prospects and challenges of cooperation in Northeast Asia; why GTI matters as a gateway to Northeast Asia cooperation; energy security and development; and tourism, the environment, and climate change.
For information, see:
http://www.tumenprogramme.org/news.php?id=494

Energy and Security in Northeast Asia: Towards a Northeast Asian Energy Cooperation Council
Date: November 16–17, 2007
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Organizers/Supporters: Korean Association of International Studies; Seoul National University
Experts from Northeast Asia and the United States gathered for a two-day meeting to discuss regional cooperation on energy and security. Participants began by examining the current status and prospects in intergovernmental collaboration mechanisms for energy cooperation in Northeast Asia, as well as Russian, Japanese, US, and Chinese energy diplomacy and energy security. Subsequent sessions focused on the record and prospects for energy cooperation and security. Participants assessed past attempts at international cooperation and the lessons these provide for future efforts at regional energy cooperation. The second day’s discussions focused on the requirements for organizing a Northeast Asian Energy Cooperation Council—the mission, structure, and method of operation—as a new framework for facilitating regional cooperation.
For information, see:
http://tongil.snu.ac.kr/tboard/view.php?id=com022&page=1&sn1=&divpage=1&sn=off&ss=on&sc=on&sp=on&no=110&PHPSESSID=87878ed3e4052acef8ee2651eab5a93a

2007 ASEAN Business and Investment Seminar
Date: November 16–18, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: ASEAN Business Advisory Council
The 5th ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ASEAN-BIS) met first in a session titled “Future of ASEAN: In Discussion with Eminent Persons,” in which delegates engaged in a dialogue with an illustrious panel of speakers. The session marked the start of three days of public-private sector dialogue and collaboration to discuss the way forward for ASEAN businesses as ASEAN turns 40. Topics included dynamic Asia; ASEAN integration in the Asian landscape; the rise of ASEAN and Asian multinational corporations; and ASEAN integration—its opportunities and challenges.
The ASEAN-BIS has been held annually since 2003 and is the ASEAN Business Advisory Council’s premier platform for private sector feedback and interaction with the region’s political leaders to facilitate the creation of the ASEAN Economic Community.
For information, see:
http://www.41amm.sg/amm/index.php/web/press_room/news_archive/asean_can_look_forward_with_confidence_optimism_channel_newsasia

In and Out of Asia—Migrating Talent, Globalising Cities
Date: November 19–21, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Migration Research Cluster, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore
In today’s highly globalized economy, many countries and their globalizing cities are increasingly turning to global talent for economic development, especially in high-growth sectors. Current migration trends show that global talent flows are growing and moving mainly to the European Union, the United States, Canada, and Australia. Asia, as the world’s fastest growing economic region, has joined in the global competition for talent, both in terms of talent outflows from home countries to other Asian countries and other parts of the world and of talent inflows from the rest of the world to Asia.
This international conference aimed to explore the intertwining economic, social, cultural, and socio-psychological issues of global talent in-migration in Asia, with a focus on the following themes: (1) the attractions of places and policies; (2) socio-psychological dimensions of global talent management (e.g., issues of behavioral and psychological adaptation of expatriates’ relocation, job performance, work relations with local colleagues, etc.); and (3) cultural politics of everyday encounters.
For information, see:
http://www.ari.nus.edu.sg/events_categorydetails.asp?categoryid=6&eventid=643

Regional Meeting: Towards a Joint Regional Agenda for the Alleviation of Poverty through Agriculture and Secondary Crop Development
Date: November 21–22, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Centre for Alleviation of Poverty through Secondary Crops’ Development in Asia and the Pacific (CAPSA)
The 1990s saw a general decline in the prominence of agriculture in development circles, leading to consistent decreases in public allocations to agriculture throughout the region. Recently, however, there has been renewed pressure to reinvent the role of agriculture in the alleviation of poverty. It has also become quite clear that poverty in Asia Pacific is centered in rural areas, with 70 percent of the region’s poor being dependent on agriculture or related services. It was against this background that the CAPSA conducted a regional meeting that brought together more than 30 researchers, development practitioners, and government officials from ESCAP member countries and international institutions to share information and to create a regional agenda for research and development priorities on poverty alleviation through agriculture.
For information, see:
http://www.uncapsa.org/Document/RegionalSeminar.pdf

International Conference on Air Quality Management in Southeast Asia
Date: November 21–23, 2007
Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Organizers/Supporters: Southeast Asia Urban Environmental Management Applications Project; Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology
This three-day event brought together a diverse pool of researchers, experts, policymakers, and development organizations to tackle crucial issues related to improving air quality in urban areas across Southeast Asia. Conference participants from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam, among others, tackled seven priority themes: air quality management and modeling, air quality management and policy issues, socioeconomic considerations in air quality management, sustainable transport planning and energy systems, impact monitoring and an integrated assessment approach to urban air quality, gender and social equality concerns in air quality improvement, and health risks related to air quality deterioration in Asian cities.
For information, see:
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-71642.html

Responding to Recent Changes in the Global Security Environment
Date: November 22, 2007
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Organizers/Supporters: Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS)
The INSS strives to lay the foundation for developing Korea’s national strategy and to explore policy alternatives in the area of national security. To this end, it convened a multinational and interdisciplinary group of experts to consider changes in the global security environment, addressing such themes as dealing with North Korean weapons of mass destructive and the globalization of organized crime. Participants also considered security challenges and responses in Northeast Asia, analyzing the Northeast Asia security environment, and the emerging risks of large-scale attacks and cyber-terrorism in Northeast Asia.
For information, see:
http://www.inss.re.kr/app/board/view.act;jsessionid=0C8D5791497834D1F02779F8089B372A?metaCode=en_news&boardId=923be9f505236f262d1ded06

3rd Asian Political and International Studies Association (APISA) Congress: Asian Conceptions of Justice
Date: November 23–25, 2007
Location: New Delhi, India
Organizers/Supporters: APISA; University of Delhi; Jamia Milia Islamia University; Centre for Policy Research
The theme of the third APISA Congress was “Asian Conceptions of Justice.” The concept of justice that lies at the core of normative political theory has today become central to international relations (transnational justice), public policy (social justice), feminist theory (gender justice), and economics (distributive justice). The meeting addressed this theme in four concurrent panels that incorporated key research question. These included conceptions of transnational justice, humanitarian aid, international human rights organizations, cosmopolitanism, global civil society, just wars, distributive justice, resource transfers (taxation), pensions, social security, social policy, labor and peasant insurance, affirmative action policies, welfare policies, normative conceptions of justice, Asian conceptions of justice, feminist conceptions of justice, subaltern perspectives on justice.
For information, see:
http://www.apisanet.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=56&Itemid=61

Expert Workshop on Assessing National Security Policy in Southeast Asia
Date: November 23–25, 2007
Location: Bali, Indonesia
Organizers/Supporters: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung; Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces
This workshop was the third in a series of workshops on the role of ASEAN parliaments in security sector governance and reform, launched in February 2006. The second gathering, held in March 2007 in Manila, brought parliamentarians and their staff together with security officials and representatives of civil society and media from several ASEAN countries to examine security policy review and the role that ASEAN parliaments should play in this regard.
National security policy (NSP) review is an important starting point for security sector reform as well as for regional confidence building. Given this background, this follow-up workshop in Bali sought to provide an overview on the state of NSPs in ASEAN member states. Participants considered relevant policy documents, examined formulation and implementation of the policies, and provided recommendations for further action, with particular emphasis on the role of parliamentarians. Background papers on Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand were prepared by think tank experts but presented at the workshop by parliamentarians from the respective countries.
For information, see:
http://www.fesspore.org/

6th Asian Public Intellectuals Workshop: Asian Transformations in Action
Date: November 25–29, 2007
Location: Davao, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: Nippon Foundation
The sixth Asian Public Intellectuals (API) Workshop was a forum for showcasing the ideas, practices, and voices of 2006–2007 API Fellows who are located in varied geographical and sociocultural settings, professional worlds, and schools of thought. Participants in the workshop shared their understandings of the social transformations occurring in the region, seeking to understand the social conditions from which transformative actions emerge, the medium and practices of social transformation, and the outcome of such practices. Papers were discussed in parallel sessions on such topics as the intermingling of the specificities of globalization, civil society’s mediations, circles of power and counterbalances, and blurred borders and social integrations. A synthesis and plenary discussions were held on the fourth and final day.
For information, see:
http://www.api-fellowships.org/body/newsletter/issue16.pdf

Fostering International Dialogue on Korean Security, 5th Meeting
Date: November 26, 2007
Location: London, UK
Organizers/Supporters: International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)The IISS hosted the fifth workshop of its ongoing Korean Security program. The workshop brought together a broad group of government officials, academics, and journalists from numerous countries concerned about Korean security issues. Participants discussed the recent progress of the Six-Party Talks, as well as North Korean denuclearization, prospects for North Korean economic development, engagement initiatives including academic exchanges, and broader regional security issues in Northeast Asia. Two representatives of the North Korean Institute for Disarmament and Peace attended the workshop.
For information, see:
http://www.iiss.org/programmes/non-proliferation-and-disarmament/recent-non-proliferation-conferences/korean-security-dialogue-november-2007/

1st Meeting of the Commission on AIDS in the Pacific
Date: November 26–27, 2007
Location: Nadi, Fiji
Organizers/Supporters: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS); Commission on AIDS in the Pacific
In 2007, UNAIDS set up an independent Commission on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific with a view to obtain appropriate policy recommendations directed toward the governments in the areas of prevention, care, and impact mitigation. In order to develop a comprehensive viewpoint in these areas, the commission needs to conduct a review of existing data and carry out new studies to better understand the epidemic and the trends, the vulnerability and risk behaviors, the potential of the epidemic under different response scenarios, and the socioeconomic and developmental impact.
Based on the results of this first meeting, the commission was to spend the next 12 months deliberating on various issues relating to the spread of HIV/AIDS in the region and then issue their findings and recommendations in an authoritative report for Pacific Island leaders, government officials, and regional opinion leaders.
For information, see:
http://www.aidscommissionpacific.com/events_calendar.html
http://www.thebody.com/content/news/art44117.html

Asia-Pacific Regional Implementation Meeting for the 16th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development
Date: November 26–27, 2007
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
The objective of this meeting was to articulate regional concerns at the 16th and 17th sessions of the Commission for Sustainable Development by assessing progress toward achieving the goals identified in international commitments to sustainable development, and identifying priority areas for policy attention. Participants from the Asia Pacific region included representatives from ministries working in the thematic areas, planning officials, national sustainable development councils, economic and social development boards and councils, relevant civil society organization, and international organizations. Thematic reports were prepared on agriculture and land, rural development, desertification, and drought. A special report on climate change and its implications for agriculture and rural development was also prepared. The outcome of the meeting, including a review of the international action programs and policy options to address key challenges, was presented in a report to the commission.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/esd/rim/16th/index.asp

Committee on Emerging Social Issues 4th Session
Date: November 26–28, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Emerging Social Issues Division
The Asia Pacific region faces new and continuing challenges from global and regional development trends that impact deeply on individuals, families, and communities. Threats to “human security,” as well as new regional challenges have an impact on overall socioeconomic development. The Committee on Emerging Social Issues is responsible for helping ESCAP members design and implement effective policies and strategies to promote equal opportunities for the productive participation of all social groups and the overall improvement of the quality of life. This session of the committee featured discussions on financing for social development, population and social integration, gender and development, and health and development. Committee members also discussed issues of program planning and evaluation.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/esid/Committee2007/index.asp

Middle East & Asia Energy Summit
Date: November 28–29, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Gulf Research Center; in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Trade & Industry of Singapore; S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies; IBC Gulf Conferences
The Middle East has 60 percent of worldwide oil reserves and 40 percent of worldwide gas reserves, and about two-thirds of its energy exports go to Asia, a dynamic industrious region that faces a striking lack of energy resources. Thus the dependence is mutual and the chances for cooperation manifold. The Middle East & Asia Energy Summit offered the opportunity to get firsthand knowledge from senior speakers and industry insiders about issues such as whether the Middle East will be able to quench Asia’s growing oil thirst; the challenges of enhanced oil recovery; prospects of trade in liquefied natural gas; country assessments for Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran, and Iraq; petrochemicals and refining; tanker shortages, pipeline projects, and the transport of refined products; strategic storage solutions; and choke points and the management of geopolitical risk. This two-day summit addressed these concerns and placed them within the context of the international marketplace and its future development.
For information, see:
http://www.grc.ae/index.php?frm_system_action=&PK_ID=220&frm_pageno=&frm_action=show_event&frm_module=events&frm_useraction=&frm_eventtype=FK_EVENTTYPES&sec=events&frm_tseats=0&sec_type=d&op_lang=&override=Event+Detail

2007 International Expert Group Conference on Energy Cooperation in Northeast Asia
Date: November 28–29, 2007
Location: Vladivostok, Russia
Organizers/Supporters: Korea Energy Economics Institute; JoongAng Ilbo; Primorsky Territory Government
The 2007 International Expert Group Conference on Energy Cooperation in Northeast Asia was organized to provide energy experts and government officials from Northeast Asia with a forum to share their perspectives on bilateral and multilateral energy cooperation measures in order to effectively strengthen regional energy security in a dynamically changing environment.
The 2007 conference focused on opportunities and challenges and was organized into four plenary sessions: history and vision, feasible regional energy cooperation projects (oil and gas vision), feasible regional energy cooperation projects (electricity vision), and implementation issues in promoting regional energy cooperation in Northeast Asia.
For information, see:
http://www.keei.re.kr/web_keei/en_news.nsf/mainV/61F63A9114623BDC492574340036208A?OpenDocument

1st ASEAN and Asia Forum 07
Date: November 30, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Singapore Institute of International Affairs; in collaboration with Stanford University; Singapore Institute of Management; Japan External Trade Organization; University of Cambodia; International Foundation for Arts and Culture; Hanns Seidel Foundation
The first-ever ASEAN and Asia Forum 07 was held in Singapore. The forum included a panel discussion with Ong Keng Yong, the secretary-general of ASEAN, and Simon Tay, chairman of SIIA, as well as a dialogue with Surin Pitsuwan, the incoming ASEAN secretary-general. Panels focused on four themes: (1) “From Crisis to Community and Beyond,” which offered perspectives on the most recent summit, the ratification of the ASEAN Charter, ASEAN’s post-crisis performance, and its outlook for the future; (2) new and emerging issues, which discussed climate change, energy security, the political upheaval in Myanmar, and whether the human rights body in the ASEAN Charter should extend beyond a consultative role; (3) the economies of Indonesia and Vietnam in the context of ASEAN; and (4) the nexus between security, democracy, and regionalism in East Asia.
For information, see:
http://www.siiaonline.org/?q=events/asean-and-asia-forum-2007

Capital Flows, Macroeconomic Management and Regional Cooperation in Asia
Date: November 30, 2007
Location: Washington DC, USA
Organizers/Supporters: Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP)
While Asian economies have recovered well from the financial and economic crisis of 1997–1998 and have seen a resurgence in international capital flows, they continue to face enormous challenges in macroeconomic management. This KIEP workshop consisted of four sessions on various monetary and financial issues in Asia. A common theme across most papers related to exchange rate management in Asia, an issue that is of paramount interest to the region specifically, but also to an unbalanced global macroeconomy. Session one examined capital account liberalization and capital flows in Asia. Session two focused on the issue of liquidity management by Asian economies in the presence of persistent balance of payment surpluses and consequent reserve accumulations. Session three moved to the issue of policy coordination issues in East Asia and the impact of exchange rate regimes. Regional monetary cooperation in Asia was the focus of a panel of distinguished economists in the concluding session.
For information, see:
http://www.kiep.go.kr/eng/std_data_view.asp?num=181330&sCate=013003&sSubCate=&lTp=r&nowPage=1&listCnt=10

December

Bilateralism Versus Multilateralism in Southeast Asia
Date: December 1, 2007
Location: Hiroshima, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Hiroshima Peace Institute; Konrad Adenauer Stiftung
This was the first gathering of researchers from Japan, Southeast Asia, the United States, and Europe who are working on a research project to examine a number of high profile cases of bilateral tensions between ASEAN member states to determine the causes of persistent bilateral tensions. After elaborating the reasons, the next stage of the research will examine how the tensions were eventually resolved. Researchers are examining why countries with bilateral tensions did not choose ASEAN or its institutions as the vehicle for dispute resolution and what the role of ASEAN is for dispute settlement in the context of bilateral disputes.
Nine sets of important relationships were chosen: Vietnam-Cambodia, Vietnam-Lao PDR, Myanmar-Thailand, Malaysia-Thailand, Indonesia-Malaysia, Indonesia-Philippines, Malaysia-Philippines, Malaysia-Singapore, and Indonesia-Singapore. These relationships are a reasonable sampling of the entire region, which in itself is indicative of the pervasiveness of bilateral tensions in the region. In order to frame the research within the international and regional contexts, there will also be papers on the nature of international relations and of Southeast Asian international relations in particular.
For information, see:
http://serv.peace.hiroshima-cu.ac.jp/English/
http://www.kas.de/proj/home/events/73/2/ month-12/year-2007/index.html

2nd ASEAN GO-NGO Forum
Date: December 3, 2007
Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
Organizers/Supporters: ASEAN; Government of Vietnam; International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW)
Representatives from ASEAN member states and NGOs gathered in Hanoi for the 2nd ASEAN GO-NGO Forum to share experiences in social welfare and make recommendations to their government leaders. The forum examined two major consultation papers commissioned for the meeting: “trafficking and related labor exploitation in the ASEAN region” and “social protection in ASEAN: issues and challenges for ASEAN and its member countries.” In addition, the meeting heard reports on the key national and regional challenges for policy development and implementation to provide better services and opportunities, within a rights-based framework, for people with disabilities.
The GO-NGO Forum endorsed continuing the forum on an annual basis. It also recognized the need to undertake more national-level government-NGO dialogue on the issues identified in the lead-up to next year’s forum in Manila. The recommendations committed each ICSW National Council member and the relevant social welfare and development department in each ASEAN country to meet at least twice over the next eight months to prepare for the adoption of recommendations at the next forum.
For information, see:
http://www.mofa.gov.vn/en/nr040807104143/nr040807105001/ns071204091512

5th East Asia Congress: Mapping the Second Decade of East Asian Community Building
Date: December 3–4, 2007
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Organizers/Supporters: Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia
The East Asia Congress is aimed at crystallizing the concept of an emerging East Asian community of peace, prosperity, and progress by providing a platform for dialogue among high government officials, business leaders, scholars, and the media. It is dedicated to formulating initiatives for the future. Participants at the fifth congress discussed the implications of the shift in economic gravity to East Asia; East Asia’s relations with the United States and Europe under new leaderships; comprehensive economic partnerships (“East Asia, East Asia Plus, or Asia Pacific?”); balancing the economic, social, and political considerations of cross-border people flows; East Asia’s financial stability; deepening the political and social agenda of East Asian cohesion; and mapping the second decade of East Asian community building.
For information, see:
http://www.isis.org.my/events.htm#events_ASEAN_TT2

New Modes of Governance in the Asia-Pacific: Transparency and Accountability
Date: December 3–4, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: National University of Singapore Centre on Asia and Globalisation; Asia Research Centre, Murdoch University
New modes of governance in the provision of public goods in areas ranging from labor standards to security are either emerging in Asia Pacific, or pressures are being exerted for the adoption of such modes. This includes informal policy networks, new hybrid public and private partnerships, and new regulatory regimes involving standard-setting organizations. The very understanding of “public” goods is also at stake in these developments.
Comprehending these changes and the underlying dynamics responsible for them was the purpose of this workshop. Toward that end, participants addressed the following questions: What new modes of governance have emerged or are in the process of emerging? Do these modes transcend traditional divides between national and international boundaries or reinforce them? What political coalitions are driving these new modes of governance? Are these coalitions sustainable or are they facing, or likely to face, political resistance? Are these new modes of governance enhancing or diminishing political accountability or democratic representation?
For information, see:
http://wwwarc.murdoch.edu.au/projects/nmogap_events.html

ASEAN Roundtable 2007: Building a Robust Regional Financial Architecture in East Asia
Date: December 3–4, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
The ASEAN Roundtable 2007 examined the economic and financial reforms that had been undertaken by crisis-affected countries since the 1997 Asian financial crisis. The roundtable also identified the policy challenges that lie ahead to build a robust regional financial architecture in East Asia. An edited volume was to be published based on the papers presented at the roundtable.
For information, see:
http://www.iseas.edu.sg/iframes/iframe_res.htm

2nd US-Japan-China Tri-Lat on Confidence and Security Building Measures
Date: December 4–6, 2007
Location: Hawaii, USA
Organizers/Supporters: Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (APCSS); funded by the Stanley Foundation
This workshop, developed in coordination with the Stanley Foundation, was a follow-on, trilateral, Track 1.5 working group that sought to develop concrete and realistic confidence and security building measures (CSBMs) that can contribute to reducing the dangers of misunderstanding, miscalculation, and conflict, as well as of the misapprehension of military activities. There were 21 participants representing China, Japan, the United States, the Stanley Foundation, the US Pacific Command, the Pacific Air Forces, and the APCSS. Workshop participants drafted a consensus-based paper with concrete CSBM recommendations for their respective governments.
For information, see:
http://www.apcss.org/graphics/graphics_conference.htm#2006

Meeting of the NEAT Working Group on East Asian Labor Migration
Date: December 5–6, 2007
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Organizers/Supporters: Network of East Asia Think-Tanks (NEAT); jointly hosted by NEAT Malaysia and NEAT Philippines
The NEAT Working Group Meeting on East Asian Labor Migration convened scholars and experts from eight ASEAN member countries (Brunei and Cambodia were absent) as well as China, Japan, and South Korea. The meeting was organized around five panels: recent studies on labor migration in East Asia, recruitment of migrant workers, safety and welfare of migrant workers, undocumented workers in East Asia, and repatriation of migrant workers. Sessions looked at the relevant policies and best practices. The report, produced by NEAT Malaysia and NEAT Philippines, was to be submitted to the sixth NEAT Annual Conference in 2008.

For information, see:
http://www.neat.org.cn/english/hzdten/contentshow.php?content_id=100
Regional Thematic Working Group on International Migration, including Human Trafficking
Date: December 6, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); International Organization for Migration (IOM)
ESCAP and the IOM are current co-chairs of the Regional Thematic Working Group on International Migration including Human Trafficking, a regional coordination mechanism set up by 16 UN agencies and other relevant international and intergovernmental organizations working on aspects of international migration within their respective program of work. The functions of the working group include information sharing, identification of priority areas for cooperation and joint programs, and dissemination of good practices in migration management. This was the last of four meetings held in 2007.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/2007/jun/g25.asp

High-Level Expert Meeting on Reducing Poverty by Promoting Industrial Development through Trade Facilitation
Date: December 6–7, 2007
Location: Vientiane, Lao PDR
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Trade and Investment Division; Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Lao PDR
Fourteen experts from government, international organizations, and research institutions throughout Asia Pacific gathered to develop recommendations for tackling obstacles related to trade transactions and promoting regional cooperation on trade facilitation. The first session of the meeting examined the importance of trade facilitation to industrial development and poverty reduction. Subsequent sessions addressed the challenges and opportunities of trade facilitation in Asia, the implementation of trade facilitation measures, and ways to strengthen regional cooperation on trade facilitation. The final session was a roundtable discussion on the establishment of an Asia Pacific Forum for Efficient Trade.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/tid/projects/poverty.asp

6th CSCAP General Conference; 28th CSCAP Steering Committee Meeting
Date: December 6–8, 2007
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Organizers/Supporters: Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP); hosted by CSCAP Indonesia; with support from AusCSCAP, CSCAP Japan, CSCAP Singapore, and CSCAP China
The sixth CSCAP General Conference was convened on the topic of “Great Power Relations and Regional Institution Building in Pacific Asia.” Approximately 280 participants from more than 15 member countries attended. The CSCAP General Conference is a biannual event where high-ranking officials and security experts from the Asia Pacific region meet to discuss security issues of relevance and to seek new ideas in response to evolving developments in Asia Pacific security. The conference lasted two days, with the first day devoted to the strategic and macroeconomic relationship among China, Japan, and the United States, gauging their respective views regarding one another’s roles and intentions in the region and then exploring how to build a sustainable regional order. Day two of the conference addressed specific issues and threats regarding peace and security in the region, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, peacekeeping and peace building, maritime security in the Malacca Straits, terrorism, and the security implications of climate change. At the sidelines of the conference, CSCAP launched the first annual CSCAP Regional Security Outlook, which was subtitled “Security through Cooperation—Furthering Asia Pacific Multilateral Engagement.”
For information, see:
http://www.csis.or.id/events_past_view.asp?id=150&tab=2

ASEAN-China Trade Relations: 15 Years Development and Prospects
Date: December 6–8, 2007
Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
Organizers/Supporters: Centre for ASEAN and China Studies; sponsored by the ASEAN-China Cooperation Fund
This conference reviewed the multilateral trade relations between ASEAN and China as well as bilateral trade relations between ASEAN countries and China since ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations were established in 1991. Two scholars from each ASEAN country and four scholars from China were invited to participate. Participants exchanged views on several topics: (1) developments in ASEAN-China trade relations over the last 15 years (in terms of trade of goods, trade of services, and foreign direct investment); (2) forecasts of developmental trends in the ASEAN-China trade relationship; and (3) initiatives and recommendations to promote the development of ASEAN-China trade relations through 2020.
For information, see:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2007-12/08/content_6307475.htm

Asian Economic Panel Meeting
Date: December 7–8, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Brookings Institution, Global Economy and Development Program; 21st Century Center of Excellence at Keio University; Earth Institute, Columbia University; Korea Institute for International Economic Policy; Institute of Governmental Affairs, University of California, Davis
The Asian Economic Panel, founded in April 2001, brings together prominent economists from around the world who gather twice yearly to discuss economic issues that are of vital importance to Asian economies, collectively or individually. Some of the topics on the agenda at the December meeting included the substitution among the exports of Taiwan, China, and other areas in US imports; dissecting offshore outsourcing and research and development; quantitative estimates of the economic impacts of the Korea-US FTA; poverty in rural Cambodia; market access implications of the ASEAN-China FTA for Malaysian manufacturing exports; the progress of securitization in Japan; and US-China trade—where are the exports? A special session also focused on issues related to the renminbi.
For information, see:
http://www.brookings.edu/global/asian-economic-panel.aspx

Regional Biosecurity Workshop
Date: December 7–9, 2007
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organizers/Supporters: Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland School of Public Policy, University of Maryland
Following up on a May workshop in Singapore, the Center for International and Security Studies hosted a workshop to bring together government, scientific, international security, and industry experts from the Pacific region to examine the opportunities and challenges posed by advances in the life sciences. Papers presented at the workshop addressed such themes as life science research and global health security, strengthening of oversight over dual-use research in Asia; country-specific perspectives and policies on dual-use research; the national biosafety framework in Nepal; and managing of the promise and danger of biotechnology.
For information, see:
http://www.cissm.umd.edu/projects/pathogens.php

6th CSCAP Study Group Meeting on Countering the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction
Date: December 9–10, 2007
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Organizers/Supporters: Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP); co-chaired by CSCAP Vietnam and USCSCAP; logistical support from CSCAP Indonesia and the Centre for Strategic and International Studies; funding from Carnegie Corporation of New York, Department of Energy of the United States, Department of State of the United States, and the Ploughshares Fund
Thirty-three participants from 17 member committees attended this CSCAP study group gathering, along with members of the Pacific Forum CSIS Young Leaders program. The conference began with an assessment of the outlook for the global nonproliferation regime. The key concern of this meeting was “rehabilitating” the nonproliferation treaty (NPT) after the failed 2005 Review Conference. There was a long list of substantive issues: disarmament, nonproliferation, restrictions on withdrawal from the NPT, compliance with the treaty, and regional nuclear weapons free zones, especially in the Middle East. Sessions looked at the regional nuclear energy outlook, the Six-Party Talks on North Korea’s nuclear program, and the implementation of plurilateral initiatives to promote nonproliferation.
For information, see:
http://www.cscap.ca/WMD_SG.html

1st Southeast Asian Forum on Islam and Democracy
Date: December 10, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS); Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy; Magbassa Kita Foundation
This gathering brought together a delegation of Muslim experts, scholars, advocates, and leaders from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines to exchange views and share experiences on Islam and democracy. The forum also sought to address the pervading image of terrorism and extremism in Islam. Participants noted that Islamic extremism has taken the spotlight in the media, as opposed to the other facets of the Muslim faith. While most believed that the Muslim mainstream in Southeast Asia can be described as progressive, extremist movements also need to be taken seriously.
The Southeast Asian region is home to the largest Muslim community in the world with more than 200 million adherents of Islam. The Philippines alone hosts a large Muslim minority, standing at 5 percent of the Filipino population. The KAS Philippines office has been working with Muslim civil society groups in its effort to develop Muslim civil society, promote inter-religious dialogue and understanding, and further deepen democracy in the Philippines.
For information, see:
http://www.kas.de/proj/home/events/69/2/-/-/veranstaltung_id-28268/

Research Workshop on Emerging Trade Issues for Developing Countries in Asia-Pacific Region
Date: December 10–11, 2007
Location: Macao, China
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; World Trade Organization; International Development Research Centre (Canada)
This workshop brought together regional policymakers and regional and international researchers and analysts to (1) identify areas of future research and policy dialogue on trade and on economic and trade policy coherence, and (2) discuss future collaborative work on the interplay between trade, investment, and governance in order to contribute to sound policies to the region’s development. The workshop featured sessions that examined new versus old paradigms of trade and their relevance for developing countries in Asia Pacific, trade in components and parts and foreign direct investment in East Asia, advances in measuring the impacts of trade on distribution and poverty, systemic issues in law and economics, advances in measuring trade barriers in services and non-tariff barriers, assessments of impacts of preferential trade agreements, and “life after Doha—mutlilateralizing regionalism.”
For information, see:
http://unescap.org/tid/projects/tradeissue.asp

1st Northeast Asia Government-Business Dialogue
Date: December 11–12, 2007
Location: Jeju, South Korea
Organizers/Supporters: Korea Energy Economics Institute
The first Northeast Asia Government-Business Dialogue took up the theme of “Challenges of and Vision for Energy Cooperation in Northeast Asia.” The dialogue is intended to serve as a forum for government officials and business executives involved in the energy sector of the subregion to come together and discuss the issues hindering transborder energy trade, accelerate energy infrastructure development, and hold bilateral and multilateral discussions to foster exchanges in investment and technology. Participants in the dialogue comprised government officials and business executives from Russia, Mongolia, China, and South Korea.
After the opening session, government representatives outlined their national policies on energy cooperation, while ESCAP representatives delivered a comprehensive presentation on Northeast Asian energy cooperation. Sessions were then held on the oil, gas, coal, and electricity sectors in the region, during which experts explained ongoing projects in those sectors and the impediments to their realization. Discussions then focused on how to mitigate those obstacles. On the second day of the dialogue, government-business partnership strategies were discussed.
For information, see:
http://www.keei.re.kr/web_keei/en_news.nsf/BymainV/EE241F173B4DE9784925743400359E63?OpenDocument

1st Government-Business Dialogue on Energy Cooperation in Northeast Asia
Date: December 11–12, 2007
Location: Jeju, South Korea
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; Korea Energy Economics Institute
As decided by the second Senior Officials Committee Meeting of the Inter-governmental Collaborative Mechanism on Energy Cooperation in Northeast Asia in 2006, the first Government-Business Dialogue (GBD) was held as one of the 2007 activities within the framework of the Working Group on Energy Planning and Policy (WG-EPP). The first dialogue was attended by government officials, senior business representatives, and experts from the oil, gas, coal, and electricity sectors of China, Mongolia, South Korea, and the Russian Federation. The objectives were to enhance opportunities to facilitate energy cooperation, in particular collaboration between the government and business sectors through multilateral channels to promote and enhance energy development and trade within Northeast Asia; and identify intraregional cooperation measures to facilitate trade and joint development of energy resources.
The GBD deliberated on the following items: (a) overview and policies of Northeast Asian countries toward energy cooperation, including policies on trade, investment, and infrastructure development; (b) ongoing or potential cooperation projects briefing; (c) impediments to energy cooperation and options to mitigate these impediments; and (d) consensus on government-business partnership strategies.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/esd/energy/dialogue/cooperation/soc3/documents/update/SOC3-report.pdf

International Symposium on Security Affairs 2007: North Korea’s Nuclear Issues—Toward Peace and Security in Northeast Asia
Date: December 13, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: National Institute for Defense Studies
Distinguished experts from the United States, China, Russia, South Korea, and Japan explored the political and military implications of North Korea’s nuclear issues for regional security in general and Japan’s security in particular. North Korea’s nuclear test in October 2006 heightened tensions in Northeast Asia and raised international concerns about nuclear proliferation, culminating in the adoption of UN security resolutions condemning Pyongyang’s provocations. Participants debated whether providing energy aid would be enough incentive to convince Pyongyang to abandon all its nuclear programs and discussed the potential impact of upcoming presidential elections in South Korea and in the United States on the Six-Party Talks process.
For information, see:
http://www.nids.go.jp/english/dissemination/other/symposium/2007/symposium-19/symposium-19.pdf

3rd Session of the Senior Officials Committee on Energy Cooperation on Northeast Asia (3rd SOC Meeting)
Date: December 13–14, 2007
Location: Jeju, South Korea
Organizers/Supporters: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; Korea Energy Economics Institute
This session was attended by representatives from Mongolia, South Korea, and Russia, as well as by experts from regional energy institutes. After presentations on the energy outlook for and energy cooperation in Northeast Asia by experts from China, Japan, Mongolia, South Korea, and Russia, the third senior officials committee meeting turned its attention to the outcomes of the Working Group on Energy Planning and Policy (WG-EPP) Meeting, held earlier in 2007. The SOC endorsed all the submitted issues from the WG-EPP, such as the Northeast Asia Energy Outlook Report, Government-Business Dialogue Summary, and Planned Activities for 2008. Moreover, it discussed a five-year strategy and funding arrangements.
For information, see:
http://www.unescap.org/esd/energy/dialogue/cooperation/soc3/index.asp
http://www.unescap.org/esd/newsletters/documents/NewsletterDec2007.pdf

Regional Conference on Legal Empowerment for Women and Disadvantaged Groups
Date: December 13–14, 2007
Location: Manila, Philippines
Organizers/Supporters: Asian Development Bank (ADB); Asia Foundation
This two-day regional conference held at ADB headquarters in Manila marked the completion of a three-country technical assistance project on Legal Empowerment for Women and Disadvantaged Groups. The conference featured presentations and panel sessions in which participants representing the ADB-Asia Foundation project team and their partners from Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Pakistan; government officials and civil society leaders; and specialists in legal empowerment from other regions and donor agencies discussed issues and experiences in legal empowerment and future opportunities.
For information, see:
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2007/Legal-Empowerment-Women/default.asp

ARF Workshop on Management and Security of Stockpiles of Small Arms and Light Weapons Including Their Ammunition
Date: December 13–14, 2007
Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Organizers/Supporters: ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)
The ARF representatives as well as representatives from such NGOs as the Cambodian Mine Action Center, Cambodian Red Cross, and Japan Center for Conflict Prevention attended a workshop that took place in the framework of the Project on SALW [Small Arms and Light Weapons] Control and Improved Safe Storage of Ammunition and Explosives in Cambodia. The objective of the workshop was to provide guidance and exchange views on the effective management and security of public stockpiles of SALWs including their ammunition and also explore measures for regional cooperation. The participants agreed that safety and security of SALWs requires political intervention, will, and commitment in terms of providing the necessary resources and proper legislation, adequate training doctrines, and appropriate technology. The workshop participants stressed that any effort to ensure the safety and security of SALWs would need to address links to transnational crime, such as drug smuggling and cross-border illicit trade. This requires extraregional and international cooperation with the assistance of the police, customs, and law enforcement officers. Joint land border and maritime patrols were also highlighted as examples.
For information, see:
http://www.41amm.sg/amm/index.php/web/layout/set/print/info_for_delegates/statements/chairman_s_statement_15th_asean_regional_forum_24_july_2008_singapore

13th Asia Pacific Agenda Program (APAP) Forum: East Asia and a Rising India—Prospects for the Region
Date: December 14–15, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE)
Nearly two dozen experts from around East Asia gathered in Singapore for the 13th APAP Forum on “East Asia and a Rising India: Prospects for the Region.” The participants gathered to explore the implications of India’s growing interactions with East Asia and how to involve India in East Asia community-building initiatives. Discussions were based on the findings of a JCIE joint study. Leading policy experts from East Asian countries and India had been meeting in workshops to discuss the implications of India’s inclusion in the region, the question of how to best manage a regional order characterized by the involvement of multiple large powers, and the interests and concerns that India has regarding community building in East Asia. This study was being coordinated as part of the Asia Pacific Agenda Project.
For information, see:
www.jcie.or.jp/thinknet/apap/forums/13th.html

8th Trilateral Commission Pacific Asia Regional Meeting
Date: December 15–17, 2007
Location: Singapore
Organizers/Supporters: Trilateral Commission; Japan Center for International Exchange
The Trilateral Commission was formed in 1973 by private citizens of Japan, Europe (European Union countries), and North America (United States and Canada) to foster closer cooperation among these core democratic industrialized areas of the world with shared leadership responsibilities in the wider international system. Over time, in the belief that its framework needed to be widened to reflect broader changes in the world, the Japan Group has become the Pacific Asian Group, and the North American and European groups have also expanded their membership.
In addition to convening an annual plenary, each regional group carries out some activities of their own. The Pacific Asian Group held its eighth meeting in 2007. Members met to discuss the role of ASEAN in global governance, the evolution of ASEAN as a regional architecture, the challenge of environmental security for Asia, and the global impact of the Asian financial crisis.
For information, see:
http://www.trilateral.org/PAGP/REGMTGS/07singapore.htm

Towards an East Asia Community: Beyond Cross-Cultural Diversity—Inter-cultural, Inter-societal, Inter-faith Dialogue
Date: December 17, 2007
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Organizers/Supporters: Japan Foundation; Waseda University Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
In addition to economic integration, experts from ASEAN countries discussed an East Asia community focusing on the cultural, societal, and religious diversity in the region. To explore a common platform on which people in the region can build a sense of identity, 30 young intellectuals from countries in East Asia (ASEAN, Japan, South Korea, China, India, Australia, and New Zealand) also contributed to these dialogues.
For information, see:
http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/jenesys/intel/exchange/sympo07.html

PAFTAD 32: The Impact of International Arrangements and Organizations on Development in Asia and the Pacific
Date: December 17–19, 2007
Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
Organizers/Supporters: Pacific Trade and Development Forum (PAFTAD)
PAFTAD conferences are generally held on an annual basis. PAFTAD’s International Steering Committee, with the assistance of major research and academic institutions in the host country, sets a theme, defines research plans, and commissions research papers. Researchers are given up to two years to carry out their research before presentation for discussion and refinement at the PAFTAD conference. Through discussion and debate at the conference, papers are refined and prepared for publication as part of the PAFTAD Conference series.
PAFTAD 32 focused on the impact of international arrangements and organizations on development in Asia Pacific. Research presented included work on international public goods; the rationale, evolution, achievements, and potential of APEC; making the international system work for the platinum age; the effects of GATT/WTO on Asia’s trade performance; the International Monetary Fund and East Asia: the legacy of the 1997–1998 crisis and actions for the future; and the evolution of the World Bank and its implications for the Asian Development Bank.
For information, see:
http://www.eaber.org/intranet/publish/paftad/conferences.php

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