Pacific Day 2013

The CSIS Pacific Partners Initiative and the Ambassadors and Representatives of Pacific Island Countries and Territories in Washington, D.C. cohosted the annual “Pacific Day” on June 17. 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” was held at the Embassy of New Zealand. Admission to the event is by invitation only, but the seminar was webcast live on CSIS.org. 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 2013 Seminar Program on this page.

Agenda:

4:00 p.m.   Introduction

Ernie Bower
Co-Director, Pacific Partners Initiative, CSIS

4:05 p.m.   Keynote address: Pacific Island Policy Challenges 

Hon. Henry Puna
Prime Minister of the Cook Islands and Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum

4:25 p.m.   Q&A with Prime Minister Puna

Moderated by Ernie Bower
4:35 p.m.   The Micronesia Challenge

Hon. Hersey Kyota
Dean of the Pacific Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of Palau

4:50 p.m.   Refreshments break

5:00 p.m.   Panel discussion: The Future of the Pacific

Panelists:

Kiran Ahuja
Executive Director, White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

Faipule Salesio Lui
Ulu of Tokelau

Edgard Kagan
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Affairs

Craig Hawke
Head of New Zealand Development Program

Adam Shumacher
Director of the Office of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, USAID

6:00 p.m.   Concluding remarks

Ernie Bower
Co-Director, Pacific Partners Initiative, CSIS

6:15 - 9:00 p.m. Reception