The 5th Annual Japan-U.S. Joint Public Policy Forum
"Japan-U.S. Leadership in the Asia-Pacific: Outlook and Challenges Ahead"
Co-organized by Sasakawa Peace Foundation and Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Home to countries with the world's largest population, including China, India, and Indonesia, and accounting for 40 per cent of global growth in 2012, the Asia Pacific region represents half of the world's population and serves as an engine of global economic growth. While Japan, the United States, and the world at large have a major stake in ensuring peace, security and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region, the region's security environment is characterized by many uncertainties. In addition to dealing with the North Korean nuclear and missile threats and concerns over China's growing military might, Japan and the United States must take on efforts to counter challenges such as proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, and piracy, while also tackling energy security and environmental issues as well as emerging issues of space and cyber security. In particular, the region's growing population and economic activities have brought forth serious issues of securing and managing competition over vital resources.

The Sasakawa Peace Foundation, in cooperation with the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, will hold the fifth Japan-U.S. Joint Public Policy Forum to have a day-long discussion on the outlook and challenges ahead for Japan and the United States to take leadership and ensure peace, security and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region. This forum was launched in 2009 to strengthen cooperation between Japan and the United States on issues of regional and global importance by facilitating policy dialogues between Japanese and American experts. Since 2009, the forum has taken up topics including bilateral cooperation on nuclear non-proliferation (2009), economic partnership following the global financial crisis (2010), Japan-U.S. cooperation after the Great East Japan Earthquake (2011), and the future of energy (2012).

The 2013 forum will open with a keynote speech by former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Kurt Campbell, who will address the way forward for U.S. "rebalance" toward Asia and U.S.-Japan partnership. The keynote session will be followed by two panel discussions, each bringing together two American and two Japanese experts. In the first panel, panelists will identify current and emerging regional security and economic challenges, and assess the effectiveness of existing institutions and mechanisms in dealing with those challenges. The second panel will focus on the domestic challenges that Japan and the United States face, and discuss sustain domestic support for active diplomacy and regional leadership.

Through these discussions, the forum will seek to explore how Japan and the United States can work independently and collaboratively toward continued peace, security and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific.

The forum will bring together American and Japanese experts on regional security and economic issues as well as Japan and U.S. domestic political and economic issues will identify the most significant current and emerging challenges in the region; examine the effectiveness of existing regional mechanisms in dealing with these challenges; seek creative ways to work around the domestic constraints in each country; and consider how Japan and the United States can work independently and collaboratively to strengthen current regional institutions and mechanisms as well as assess whether new frameworks can be developed to protect the national interests of each and sustain domestic support for active diplomacy and regional leadership.

Details of the event are as follows:

Ustream Viewing will be made available by IWJ (Independent Web Journal).

Please visit http://www.ustream.tv/channel/iwakamiyasumi4