Social Resilience International Workshop, 12 July 2011, Tokyo | Japan

Over the last 20 years, economic crises have hit the region almost every ten years. There is a need to consider not only the short-term economic rescue policy, but also the resilient infrastructure against frequent economic crises in the long term.

The Japanese National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation (JANCPEC) held PECC International Workshop on Social Resilience on 12 July 2011 in Tokyo to discuss measures to strengthen social safety nets in the Asia-Pacific region. The workshop consisted of four sessions including pension system, health care system, unemployment insurance scheme, and macroeconomic analysis.

Program agenda with presentations, research papers, and video clips (streamed) 

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SINCPEC Conference: Growing APEC Economies: New Challenges and Approaches, 29-30 June 2011, Singapore

PECC conference organized by the Singapore National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation (SINCPEC) in partnership with the United States Asia Pacific Council (USAPC/ US member committee for PECC), "Growing APEC Economies: New Challenges and Approaches" took take place in Singapore on 29-30 June 2011.

Presentations, speeches, and photos available for download

The conference served as an opportunity to share interim findings in the run up to the 20th PECC General Meeting hosted by USAPC in Washington D.C. in September 2011. This year, the key motivation was to help APEC economies cope with external shocks such as the US Government's quantitative easing, and rebalance export-driven development model by identifying services as an alternative growth pillar. More...

CTPECC: Youth Camp, 30 June - 1 July 2011, Taipei | Chinese Taipei

The annual CTPECC Youth Camp took place in Tianmu Convention Center in Taipei. The purpose of the youth camp is to inform undergraduate students of important current international affairs and to equip them with skills needed to analyze and deliberate on global economic and political affairs. More...

COMING UP... 

20th PECC General Meeting (PECC XX) and Standing Committee Meeting, 28-30 September 2011, Washington D.C. | USA 

20th General Meeting of PECC will be hosted by USAPC in Washington D.C. on 29 September 2011. It will be held back-to-back with the next Standing Committee meeting of PECC (28 and 30 September 2011). The overall theme for the GM XX will be "State of the Region."

20th GM: Tentative program agenda (35KB, pdf) 

26th Pacific Economic Community Seminar on Structural Unemployment, 13-14 October 2011, Taipei | Chinese Taipei

The recent global crisis had serious impacts not only on economic development but also on labor markets in the region. Current unemployment rates are still much higher than the pre-crisis level despite a GDP upturn, which implies that the unemployment problem could be structure-related. Accelerating the recovery of job markets is essential for reviving the economy as well as maintaining social stability.

Tentative program agenda

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The Oceans at Risk: What protection from deep sea to coastal areas?, 22-24 November 2011, Nouméa | New Caledonia

The first of the series of three under the PECC International Project (2011-2012), Sustainable Management of Marine Resources, the above seminar will take place in Noumea, New Caledonia on 22-24 November 2011. The seminar will bring together academics, policy-makers, and business executives to discuss and examine the consequences of climate change on oceans, exploitative versus responsible usage of marine resources as food, energy, and goods, treatment of solid and liquid waste in coastal areas and vessels, as well as the ways to achieve sustainable management of biodiversity in and around the oceans. Case studies from different economies, best practices and innovative approaches will be shared through these seminars. More...

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MEMBER COMMITTEE UPDATES

PECC Mourns the  passing of former SINCPEC chair, Prof. Tan Teck Meng

 Professor Tan Teck Meng, former chair of SINCPEC, passed away in the early morning of 7 July 2011 in his sleep. He had been battling cancer for some time.

Prof. Tan was the chair of SINCPEC from 1997 to 2008; he was also a member of the Finance Committee and Trustee of the PECC Special Fund Trust. He will be missed by the PECC community.

We offer our condolences and sympathies fo the family of the late Professor Tan Teck Meng. Please leave your personal messages at our blog site.

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HKCPEC: 47th Annual Meeting, 16 August 2011, Hong Kong | China

The 47th Meeting of the Hong Kong Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation (HKCPEC) was held on 16 August 2011 at the Trade and Industry Department office. The meeting agenda included:

• 20th General Meeting of PECC and youth delegates;
• HKCPEC participation in PECC Internship Program, 2012;
• HKCPEC Seminar;
• Youth Program 2011/ 2012

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CHILPEC: Edgardo Boeninger Memorial Lecture, 5 July 2011, Santiago | Chile

The Fundación Chilena del Pacífico held the inaugural Edgardo Boeninger Memorial Lecture on 5 July. Dr Edgardo Boeninger was the international chair of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council from 1995 to 1997. He was formerly a member of the Senate and Secretary General of the Presidency of Chile under Patricio Aylwin.

The lecture was delivered by Prof. Gareth Evans AO, QC, former Australian Foreign Minister, Chairman Emeritus of the International Crisis Group, Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne and Chancellor, the Australian National University.

"Middle Power Diplomacy"

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