The 8th Annual Conference of NEAT

The Network of East Asian Think- tanks (NEAT) held its 8th Annual Conference (AC) and 13th Country Coordinators Meeting (CCM) in Manila, the Philippine from August 23 to 24, 2010. The host was the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and 45 specialists and experts representing different think tanks in the ASEAN+3 nations participated.

As for Japan, 8 participated, who were HIRABAYASHI Hiroshi, Executive Vice-President of the Council on East Asian Community (CEAC) and Vice president of Japan Forum on International Relations (JFIR), HIRONO Ryokichi, Vice President of CEAC and Professor Emeritus of Seikei University, KAWAI Masahiro, Member of CEAC and Dean of the Asian Development Bank Institute, KONDO Takehiko, Member of CEAC and Professor of Meisei University, OHGA Keiji, Member of CEAC and Professor of Nihon University, SHINDO Eiichi, Vice President of CEAC and Professor Emeritus of Tsukuba University, YANO Takuya, Executive Secretary of CEAC and Senior Research Fellow of JFIR, KIKUCHI Yona, Secretarial Staff of CEAC and Associate Research Fellow of JFIR.

Prior to the AC and the CCM, five Working Groups (WGs) were established and have been conducting research activities on the topics of (1) East Asian Food Security (sponsored by Japan), (2) East Asian Financial Cooperation (sponsored by China), (3) Cultural Exchange (sponsored by Korea), (4) East Asian Trade and Investment Facilitation (sponsored by China), and (5) Water Resource management (sponsored by Singapore), (6) East Asian Evolving Regional Architecture (sponsored by Thailand). The AC and the CCM heard reports from the WGs, and, after heated discussions by all participants, adopted a set of policy recommendations which has been submitted to the ASEAN+3 Summit to be held in Ha Noi in October.

It is to be noted that this year's NEAT policy recommendations as well retained an article saying, "The NEAT reaffirms that the goal of community building in East Asia should be to promote the welfare and well-being of the people and realize the East Asian vision of Peace, Prosperity and Progress. Community building should be based on universal values including good governance, the rule of law, democracy, human rights, and international law and norms. East Asian countries should promote these values as common goals."