Since 2000, the Millennium Development Goals have provided a global framework for improving the lives of millions of impoverished women, men and children. The 2015 deadline for their realisation is approaching. Just as we press as hard as possible to achieve them, we must also...
Japan’s newly elected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made his first overseas visit to South-east Asian countries. Very soon he will make the more usual pilgrimage from Tokyo to Washington DC, to meet the American President. What should he say to President Barack Obama as both begin...
The 41st ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting (AEM) held in Bangkok in 2009 requested to the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) to undertake the Comprehensive Mid-Term Review (MTR) of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint and in providing policy analyses/recommendations to the...
The legal process begun by the Philippines to challenge claims by China to the South China Sea surprised the region. International arbitration is allowed under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), but the move adds urgency and new elements to...
The SIIA held our New Year’s Party at IndoChine Club Street on 24th January 2013. We were honoured to have Ambassador Chan Heng Chee, Ambassador-at-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Michael Tay, Executive Director, Russia-Singapore Business Forum and Janice Koh, Nominated Member of the Parliament to join us...
Everyone’s pivoting to Asia, even Asians. After the Barack Obama administration’s rebalancing and Australia’s white-paper pledge to give more emphasis to the region, here comes Japan. The recent visit to Southeast Asia by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe underscores this. Rather than heading to Washington, his...
The past year has been an eventful one for Thailand, with the country dealing with recovery from floods at the end of 2011 as well as political change. Thailand experienced strong growth in 2012 – but the situation for this year is uncertain. In the...
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) continues its move towards greater institutionalization of the organization’s rules and procedures. An ASEAN Charter was signed on its 40th anniversary (on 20 November 2007) to make it a more rules-based organization. An ASEAN Inter-governmental Commission on Human...
The SIIA's Annual Members’ Circle (AMC) is a closed-door event and kept to around 30-40 selected participants to enable free flowing exchange and closer interaction. Held over half a day, discussions revolve around global economics issues and key issues which experts are looking at for...
The international monetary system is on the brink of change. The role of the US dollar as the primary reserve currency is being challenged in multiple ways. These points find unequivocal agreement. However, there is a great debate on the system's future shape. Will the...