Pacific Day 2012

The CSIS Pacific Partners Initiative and the Ambassadors and Representatives of Pacific Island Countries and Territories in Washington, D.C. will cohost the annual “Pacific Day” May 23. The event will feature a seminar from 4:00 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. and a reception from 6:15 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. “Pacific Day” will be held at the Embassy of New Zealand. Admission to the event is by invitation only, but the seminar will be webcast live here. For more information, email Michael Appleton, Second Secretary (Political) at the Embassy of New Zealand.

Further information, including bios for all speakers, is available in the Pacific Day 2012 Seminar Program on this page.

Agenda:

4:00 p.m. Introductions

• Ernie Bower, Co-Director, Pacific Partners Initiative, CSIS.
• Rt. Hon. Mike Moore, Ambassador of New Zealand to the United States.
• Hon. Hersey Kyota, Ambassador of Palau to the United States, Dean of the Pacific Diplomatic Corps.

4:10 p.m. Keynote address: The Pacific Century
Hon. Murray McCully, Foreign Minister, New Zealand, the outgoing Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum.

4:35 p.m. Reply:
Dr. Esther Brimmer, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, United States.

4:45 p.m. Questions for Minister McCully
Moderated by Ernie Bower.

5:00 p.m. Coffee break

5:10 p.m. Panel discussion and Q&A
Moderated by Ernie Bower. 
Panellists:

• Hon. Robert Aisi, Chair, Pacific Small Island Developing States Group and Permanent Representative of Papua New Guinea to the UN.
  Topic: Pacific small island developing state issues at the UN.
• Hon. Marlene Moses, Chair, Alliance of Small Island States and Permanent Representative of Nauru to the UN.
  Topic: Small island state issues at the UN.
• Durwood Zaelke, President, Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development.
  Topic: Climate change mitigation strategies.
• Kate Brown, Coordinator, Global Island Partnership.
  Topic: Biodiversity and livelihoods.
• Patrizia Tumbarello, Head of Pacific Islands Unit, International Monetary Fund.
  Topic: Economic prospects for the Pacific Islands.
• Eddie Walsh, journalist and Non-Resident Fellow, Pacific Forum CSIS. Topic: The role of major powers in the Pacific.

6:10 p.m. Concluding/summarising remarks by Ernie Bower.

6:15 - 9:00 p.m. Reception