NEAT Japan Working Group Meeting on Toward Achieving 2050 Carbon Neutrality in East Asia

Source: NEAT Philippines Secretariat taken during the opening of NEAT Japan WG meeting on Toward Achieving 2050 Carbon Neutrality in East Asia, 17 August 2021

The fifth working group (WG) of the Network of East Asian Think Tanks (NEAT) this 2021 was hosted by NEAT Japan led by the Japan Forum on International Relations (JFIR). The WG meeting was held last 17 August 2021, 1300-1650H (GMT+9) via Cisco Webex with the theme “on Toward Achieving 2050 Carbon Neutrality in East Asia“.

The objectives of this WG meeting were as follows:

·       To know how the stimulus recovery packages for COVID-19 disaster contribute to socio-economic and energy structural changes toward decarbonisation? If not, what are the challenges and how can they be overcome?; and

·       To examine how the APT countries collaborate together at the regional level to commit and achieve carbon neutrality, including mutual learning for developing strategies and roadmaps for achieving it, development and transfer of decarbonising technologies, and innovation/harmonisation of policy schemes such as mobilising finance for green recovery (i.e. for clean energy investments) and transition management (or a “just transition”) involving the private and public sectors? How can increasing geopolitical tension in the region be mitigated through such regional collaboration toward 2050 carbon neutrality?

The meeting was attended by 22 representatives from 11 APT countries. Lead representatives presented their papers on the above mentioned theme. The meeting was divided into 2 sessions.

The host of the meeting, Mr. Kikuchi Yona, welcomed the participants, and invited them for brief introduction. He then called upon Dr. Kentaro Tamura (Institute for Global Environmental Strategies Japan) to moderate the succeeding sessions.

The theme of the first session corresponds to the objective 1 of the WG. Under this session, the suggested discussion points were:

·            How can a country mobilise finance for green recovery, including national fiscal policy reforms, private financing, and utilisation of regional/international funds? and

·            What are the challenges and how can they be overcome?

These were covered by the 5 presentations of expert representatives  from Japan , Indonesia, China, Malaysia and Viet Nam.

Source: NEAT Philippines Secretariat taken during the presentation of Dr. Yosuke Arino of Japan on session 1

For the second session’s theme which is aligned with objective 2, the following are the discussion points:

·       How can APT countries mutually learn ways to develop strategies and roadmaps for achieving carbon neutrality?

·       How can APT countries collaborate for development and transfer of decarbonising technologies within the region?

·       How can APT countries promote together long-term policy schemes for transition management (or a “just transition”) involving the private and public sectors? and

·       How can increasing geopolitical tension in the region be mitigated through such regional collaboration toward 2050 carbon neutrality?

This session was composed of 6 presentations by the representatives from Japan , Singapore, Lao PDR, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia and the Philippines.

Source: NEAT Philippines Secretariat taken during the presentation of Ms. Rosellon of the Philippines on session 2

After the 2 sessions, the host synthesized the presentations and discussions from the floor. He also gave final instructions for the working group.

The results of this WG meeting will be presented to NEAT Country Coordinators meeting on 01 September 2021, and will then be submitted to the APT leaders who will meet in November 2021. For more information, you may reach NEAT Japan through Mr. Kikuchi Yona  (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

You may access the program by clicking HERE.

NEAT Korea Working Group Meeting on East Asia Cooperation and Human Security in the Post-Covid 19 Era

Source: NEAT Philippines Secretariat taken during the NEAT Korea WG meeting on East Asia Cooperation and Human Security in the Post-Covid 19 Era, 23 July 2021

The fourth working group (WG) of the Network of East Asian Think Tanks (NEAT) this 2021 was hosted by NEAT Korea organized by the Korean Institute for Southeast Asian Studies. The WG meeting was held last 23 July 2021, 1100-1630H (GMT+9) via Cisco Webex with the theme “East Asia Cooperation and Human Security in the Post-Covid 19 Era“.

The objectives of this WG meeting were as follows:

·            To review the progress of East Asian socio cultural cooperation;

·            To assess each country ’s nee ds for human security cooperation;

·            To prioritize hum an security to enhance East Asian cooperation; and

·            To seek ways to common policy towards an East Asian community with reference to human security.

The meeting was attended by 19 representatives from 9 APT countries. In a two-session workshop, lead experts shared their views and observations on human security aspect of the pandemic. Discussions include country as well as regional issues.

Dr. Kim Hyungjun (President, Korean Association of Southeast Asian Studies) opened the meeting by disussing how South Korea handled and is handling the Covid-19 pandemic. He further discussed his insights about the effects of the pandemic in the region. He connected these issues to the theme of the working group.

Source: NEAT Philippines Secretariat taken during the opening address of Dr. Kim Hyungjun (President, Korean Association of Southeast Asian Studies)

The host of the meeting, Dr. Kim Hyung Jong (Yonsei University at Wonju), facilitated the transitions of the sessions to the esteemed moderators. He is also among the Session 1 presenters.

The first session was moderated and facilitated by Dr. Hwang Inwon (Gyeongsang National University and NEAT Korea’s Country Coordinator). The session is composed of 5 presentations by the expert representatives from Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and Korea.

Source: NEAT Philippines Secretariat taken during the presentation of Ms. Avyanthi Azis of Indonesia on session 1

Dr. Chae Suhong (Seoul National University) moderated the second session which covered 4 presentations by the representatives from Malaysia, Thailand, China, and Lao PDR.

Source: NEAT Philippines Secretariat taken during the presentation of Dr. Qistina of Malaysia on session 2

After the 2 sessions, the discussant, Dr. Kee Jaehyun (Asian Institute of Policy Studies), synthesized the presentations and discussions from the floor. He also gave his own insights about the theme highlighting the progress of Korea in dealing with the pandemic.

Prof. Kim Keeseok  (Kangwon National University) moderated  during the wrap-up session. Discussions focused on the various recommendations to be included in the draft working group report. The said draft will be circulated to the group for further inputs and comments. The host then concluded the meeting by expressing appreciation to the experts and participants.

The results of this WG meeting will be presented to NEAT Country Coordinators meeting on 01 September 2021, and will then be submitted to the APT leaders who will meet in November 2021. For more information, you may reach NEAT Korea through Dr. Kim Hyung Jong  (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

You may access the program by clicking HERE.

NEAT Philippines Working Group Meeting on ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation on MSMEs: Accelerating Digital Adoption to Thrive in the New Normal

Source: NEAT Philippines Secretariat taken during the NEAT Philippines WG meeting on ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation on MSMEs: Accelerating Digital Adoption to Thrive in the New Normal, 21 July 2021

The third working group (WG) of the Network of East Asian Think Tanks (NEAT) this 2021 was hosted by NEAT Philippines led by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Philippines, University of the Philippines Asian Center (UP Asian Center), and the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) Philippines. The WG meeting was held last 21 July 2021, 1300-1650H (GMT+8) via Cisco Webex with the theme “ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Cooperation on MSMEs: Accelerating Digital Adoption to Thrive in the New Normal”.

The objectives of this WG meeting were as follows:

1. To provide policy recommendations to accelerate the MSMEs digital adoption and enhance its participation to the digital economy to thrive in the new normal under the APT cooperation on MSMEs;
2. To provide a venue for knowledge sharing and exchange of best practices on policies and programs on accelerating MSME digitization and enhancing participation in digital economy among APT through the NEAT WG on MSMEs meetings and workshops;
3. To review existing MSME APT regional cooperation initiatives and mechanisms to advance MSME digitization and enhance MSME participaton to digital economy; and
4. To contribute to Brunei Darussalam’s Priority Economic Deliverables under Digitazation through undertaking collaborative research by documenting the status of MSME digitization and their participation  in the digital economy.

The meeting was attended by 32 participants from 11 APT countries. The main agenda of the meeting is the presentation of research outcomes. Divided into 3 sessions, nominated experts presented their research findings, some shared country level experiences while others provided some regional perspectives on the above-mentioned theme.  Ms. Jean Clarisse Carlos acted as the master of ceremonies, introduced the speakers for the opening ceremonies and facilitated the transitions of the sessions to the esteemed moderators.

In the opening ceremonies, the outgoing Philippine NEAT Country Coordinator and PIDS President, Dr. Celia M. Reyes, welcomed the participants and expressed her gratitude to the panel of experts, moderators and discussants for their significant contribution to the WG. She also introduced the incoming PIDS President and NEAT Philippines Country coordinator, Dr. Aniceto Orbeta, Jr. who moderated the session 2.

The Director of the Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development of the Department of Trade and Industry Philippines, Mr. Jerry Clavesillas gave an opening address highlighting the crucial importance of the theme at a time of great uncertainty and the need for dialogues with stakeholders, e.g. think tanks to guide government decisions.

Source: NEAT Philippines Secretariat taken during the opening address of Director Clavesillas

The first session was moderated by Dr. Josef Yap, a former PIDS President and NEAT Philippines Country Coordinator. Representatives from China, Indonesia, Japan, and Philippines presented their studies. The former Dean of the UP Asian Center, Dr. Joefe Santarita, led the discussion by reacting to the presentations and asking questions to the presenters.

Source: NEAT Philippines Secretariat taken during the presentation of Dr. Masahiro Kawai of Japan on session 1

The second session was moderated by the incoming PIDS President Dr. Aniceto Orbeta. Representatives from the Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines presented their studies. Mr. Jovito Katigbak of FSI led the discussion by reacting to the presentations and asking questions to the presenters.

Source: NEAT Philippines Secretariat taken during the presentation of Dr. Juita Mohamad of Malaysia on session 2

The last session was moderated by Dr. Francis Mark Quimba, Director of the Philippine APEC Study Center Network and PIDS Senior Research Fellow. NEAT colleagues from Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Lao PDR shared their studies. The moderator led the discussion by reacting to the presentations and to the presenters.

Source: NEAT Philippines Secretariat taken during the Q&A  on session 3

Director Jim San Agustin of the ASEAN Economic Community, Office of the ASEAN Affairs of the DFA Philippines, wrapped up the event by highlighting the importance of track 2 discussions. Dr. Reyes reminded the experts of the next steps.

NEAT Philippines will host the NEAT Country Coordinators meeting on 01 September 2021 where the results of this WG meeting will be presented. Further, the result of this working group is policy recommendations to the APT leaders who will meet in November 2021. For more information, you may reach NEAT Philippines through Ms. Jean Clarisse Carlos (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

You may access the program by clicking HERE.

NEAT Indonesia Working Group Meeting on ASEAN Plus Three and COVID-19 Pandemic: Country Responses and Regional Cooperation

Source: NEAT Philippines Secretariat taken during the NEAT Indonesia WG meeting on ASEAN Plus Three and COVID-19 Pandemic: Country Responses and Regional Cooperation, 14 July 2021

The second working group (WG) of the Network of East Asian Think Tanks (NEAT) this 2021 was hosted by NEAT Indonesia led by the Universitas Indonesia. The WG meeting was held last 15 July 2021, 1100H-1800H (GMT+7) via Zoom with the theme “ASEAN Plus Three and COVID-19 Pandemic: Country Responses and Regional Cooperation”.

The objectives of this WG meeting were as follows:

• - To exchange knowledge, experiences and views on the issue of COVID-19 responses at national and regional level;

• - To create a mutual learning forum which highlight the experiences of each APT country to deal with the pandemic, as well as assessing the existing regional cooperation; and

• - To develop and propose a recommendation to establish a better framework for regional cooperation under APT mechanisms for responding COVID-19 and other pandemics.

•  

The meeting was attended by 25 representatives from 11 ASEAN plus three countries. Lead representatives presented their papers on the above mentioned theme. The meeting was divided into four (4) sessions; the first to third sessions were dedicated to the sharing of insights and experiences of the APT countries, and the last one was to the discussion/drafting of the recommendations.

The Executive Director of the ASEAN Study Center and Faculty of Social and Political Sciences in Universitas Indonesia, Dr. Edy Prasetyono, welcomed the participants. The Director for ASEAN External Cooperation, Ms. Carolina Tinangon, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Indonesia also gave a short opening remarks.

The first session was chaired by Dr. Shofwan Albanna of Universitas Indonesia. Representatives from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Singapore, and Japan presented their studies.

Source: NEAT Philippines Secretariat taken during the presentation of the representative from NEAT Brunei Darussalam, Dr. Anie Haryani binti Abdul-Rahman during the first session of this event

The second session was chaired by Dr. Yeremia Lalisang of Universitas Indonesia. Representatives from the Philippines, China, and Indonesia presented their studies.

The third session was chaired by the NEAT Country Coordinator of Indonesia, Dr. Evi Fitriani of Universitas Indonesia. NEAT colleagues from Lao PDR, Malaysia, Viet Nam, and Korea shared their studies.

The last session was chaired by the lead in this working group, Dr. Shofwan Albanna. He facilitated the drafting of the report based from the presentations of the representatives from APT countries.

NEAT Indonesia will submit the final report of this WG to the NEAT Country Coordinators in late August in time for the 34^th NEAT Country Coordinators Meeting scheduled on 01 September 2021. Further, the result of this working group is policy recommendations to the APT leaders who will meet in November 2021. For more information, you may reach NEAT Indonesia through Dr.  Yeremia Lalisang, Universitas Indonesia (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

You may access the program by clicking HERE.

NEAT China Working Group Meeting on Climate Change and East Asian Sustainable Development

Source: NEAT Philippines Secretariat taken during the NEAT China WG meeting on Climate Change and East Asian Sustainable Development, 18 June 2021

The first working group (WG) of the Network of East Asian Think Tanks (NEAT) this 2021 was hosted by NEAT China led by the China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU). The WG meeting was held last 18 June 2021, 9:00am-12:30nn (GMT+8), with the theme “Climate Change and East Asian Sustainable Development”.

The objectives of this WG is as follows:

1. To share knowledge and experience on climate change and sustainable development;
2. To conduct joint research on the status quo and future development in the areas related to climate, food security (mainly focusing on agricultural system and production on land) and disaster management particularly, and most importantly; and
3. To pool wisdom to promote East Asian cooperation on climate-induced food security and natural disaster management in the context of the UN 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development.

The meeting was attended by 22 representatives from 12 ASEAN plus three countries. Lead representatives presented their papers on the above mentioned theme. The meeting was divided into two (2) sessions, namely: Impact of Climate Change on Food Security and Disaster Management; and Impact of Climate Change on Food Security and Disaster Management.

The first session on Impact of Climate Change on Food Security and Disaster Management was moderated by Dr. Sonny N. Domingo from the Philippine Institute for Development Studies. Representatives from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, and Lao PDR presented their papers.

The second session on Impact of Climate Change on Food Security and Disaster Management was moderated by Dr. Miao Ji of CFAU. Representatives from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam presented their papers.

CFAU will submit the final report of this WG to the NEAT Country Coordinators in late August and then plans to publish a collection of essays based on this WG meeting in 2022. For more information, you may reach NEAT China through Zhang Yingjin, Institute of Asian Studies, CFAU (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

You may access the program by clicking HERE.