Lao PDR, APCSS team up to prep nation for ASEAN leadership
|
The Lao People's Democratic Republic will assume the Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2016. To assist in preparations for this regional leadership role, the ASEAN department within Lao PDR’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs – supported by the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies – hosted a seminar April 7 to 8 in Vientiane. The chairmanship will involve leadership of various ASEAN organizations and events to include nearly a thousand meetings and summits. Through these, Lao PDR will lead discussions on key regional security issues impacting member nations and dialogue partners. According to APCSS Director Lt. Gen. (Ret) Dan Leaf, the role will require strong inter-agency cooperation within the Lao PDR government. To read more, click here.
|
|
|
Professor shares DRR findings at U.N. world conference
|
|
Associate Professor Jessica Ear represented the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies at the Third U.N. World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction March 17-18 in Sendai, Japan. The WCDRR played host to 187 nations and more than 6,500 participants. R3ADY Asia-Pacific, an APCSS network partner in the DRR field, conducted multiple side events, including the March 17 session in which Ear shared findings from the recent APCSS workshop “Building Partnerships in South Asia Disaster Risk Reduction,” in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Ear reported that workshop participants drew from examples of best practices, such as relevant information sharing, technical assistance and utilizing unique strengths of NGOs, to identify key opportunity areas for DRR partnerships in the region. To read more, click here. |
|
|
112 Fellows attend ASC 15-1
|
APCSS launched the Advanced Security Cooperation Course (ASC 15-1) April 2 with 112 Fellows in attendance. This latest ASC iteration featured a negotiation exercise that challenged Fellows to overcome competing priorities to develop a budget to combat climate change effects. The course is designed to provide primarily mid-level government and military leaders an executive education in security-related fields, such as economics, politics, culture and defense. Pictured at right is South Korean Air Force Capt. Hyosun Kim (center) who is conferring during a seminar session with (left) Capt. Tai Anh Nguyen, Vietnam Ministry of Defense, and (right) Col. Chansothea Mok, Cambodia Ministry of Defense. Read more on this course at http://www.apcss.org/.
|
|
 |
Dr. Jeffrey Hornung discusses the potential impact of Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to the United States in "Mr. Abe goes to Washington." Hornung opines that a "strong" narrative surrounding Abe's April 29 speech to a joint session of Congress was that he needed to address and/or further apologize for Japan's wartime deeds. He notes concerns about the speech registered by groups, such as the American Defenders of Bataan and the Washington Coalition for Comfort Women Issues. The article was published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Hornung also authored "U.S.-Japan: A Pacific Alliance Transformed," published by The Diplomat, an on-line journal. In this article, Hornung addresses new defense cooperation guidelines released during Abe's Washington visit.
|
In "Pakistan: National Security Dilemmas and Transition to Democracy," Dr. Saira Yamin uses Pakistan's recent return to a democratic system of government to test the thesis that emergent and hybrid democratic regimes are often unstable and conflict-ridden. In essence, she states, the processes by which a country transitions exacerbates those conditions, such as weak and poorly equipped institutions, that cause social, political and economic tensions. Yamin's article was published by the Journal of Asia Security and International Affairs.
|
|
|
|
|
April 1: AMB Tony Lynch, Deputy Secretary of Defence (Policy and Planning), New Zealand.
April 16: Dr. A Scobell, Senior Political Scientist, Rand Corporation
April 20: Vice Adm. Chou Mei-wu, Deputy Director General, National Security Bureau, Taiwan.
|
|
Our latest edition of Currents magazine is available here.
|
|
If you have a new email please update your subscription to ensure you are getting the latest APCSS updates. Mahalo.
If you have any questions please contact the editor at hallj@apcss.org
|
|
|
