LAEBA Conference on Accelerating Regional Integration in the Asia-Pacific Region
Agenda

Registration

Welcome remarks - Mario Lamberte (Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI))

Keynote Address^* - Michael Tay (2009 Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat)

Session 1: The State of Play of Regional Integration in LAC-Asia Pacific
This panel will serve as an introduction to the most relevant issues affecting the regional integration agenda in LAC-Asia Pacific with special attention to the state of play of different integration processes currently underway (APEC / FTAAP / ARCO / ASEAN+ / etc…) and ways for the process to be accelerated.

Chair: Braulio Vargas (Escuela de Administracion de Negocios para Graduados (ESAN University))

Presentation of the Asian Perspective
Lead Presenter: Erlinda Medalla (Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS))

• Presentation: Prospects for Regional Cooperation between Latin America and Caribbean and Asia Pacific [ PDF 1MB | 26 pages ]

Discussant: Chen-Sheng Ho (Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER))

• Presentation: Comments on "Prospects for Regional Cooperation between Latin America and Caribbean and Asia Pacific: Perspective from East Asia" [ PDF 162.6KB | 8 pages ]

Presentation of the Latin American Perspective Lead Presenter: Antoni Estevadeordal (IDB)

• Presentation: Regional Integration in LAC [ PDF 701.4KB | 36 pages ]

Discussant: Richard Feinberg (University of California, San Diego)

Coffee Break

Session 2: Regional Integration “at the border”
This panel will address issues regarding the process of trade and investment liberalization in the Asia-Pacific region with particular attention to the trade facilitation agenda.

Chair: Richard Feinberg (University of California, San Diego)

Paper 1 - Asia
Doug Brooks and Susan Stone (ADB and OECD)

• Presentation: Accelerating Regional Integration: Issues at the Border [ PDF 1.4MB | 30 pages ]

Discussant: Braulio Vargas (ESAN University)

Paper 2 – Latin America
Brian Staples (Trade Facilitation Services Inc., Canada)

• Presentation: Origin & the SME: Trade Facilitation Disaster or Trade Facilitation Opportunity? [ PDF 78.1KB | 14 pages ]

Discussant: Barbara Stallings Brown University, USA

• Presentation: At the Border Trade Facilitation: Latin America vs East Asia [ PDF 39.2KB | 8 pages ]

General Discussion

Wrap-up: Chair

Lunch

Session 3: Regional Integration “behind the border”
This panel will address issues regarding the need to improve business climate for further integration with particular attention to the internationalization of SMEs in regional and global value chains.

Chair: Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, (Institute of Policy Studies, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore)

Paper 1 - Asia
Hank Lim and Fukunari Kimura (Singapore Institute of International Affairs and Keio University, Japan)

• Presentation: The Internationalisation of SMEs in Regional and Global Value Chains [ PDF 671.4KB | 12 pages ]

Discussant: Aekapol Chongvilaivan (Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore)

Paper 2- Latin America
Grant Aldonas and Alberto Trejos, (Split Rock International and INCAE, Costa Rica)

• Presentation: Regional Integration Behind the Border – Applying a Value Chain Approach [ PDF 3.6MB | 33 pages ]

Discussant: Josef T. Yap Philippine Institute for Development Studies

• Presentation: Regional Production Networks and Trade: Comparing Latin America and East Asia [ PDF 352.8KB | 14 pages ]

General Discussion:

Wrap-up: Chair

Coffee Break

Session 4: Regional Integration “across the border”
This panel will address issues regarding the need to enhance connectivity between countries and regions to deepen the regional integration prospects in this region with particular attention to the role of trade logistics.

Chair: Pradumna Bickram Rana (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)

Paper 1 - Asia
Ruth Banomyong (Thammasat University, Thailand)

• Presentation: Supply Chain Dynamics in Asia [ PDF 6.7MB | 23 pages ]

Discussant: Sarah Yueting Tong (National University of Singapore)

Paper 2 – Latin America
Pablo Guerrero (IDB)

• Presentation: Trade logistics and physical integration in Latin America and the Caribbean [ PDF 3.9MB | 36 pages ]

Discussant: Darryl Jarvis (Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS)

• Presentation: Comments on "Supply Chain Dynamics in Asia" [ PDF 48.1KB | 5 pages ]

General Discussion:

Wrap-up: Chair

Closing Remarks - Antoni Estevadeordal (IDB)