November 11-12, 2008
China World Hotel,
Beijing, China Read more...
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PBEC Priority Issue Areas, April 2008
This month's review:
FINANCE and TRADE: The dollar under siege: Can it survive financial turmoil as the global currency of choice?; World trade growth slows markedly as commodity prices soar.
HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT: Basic skills in short supply.
INFRASTRUCTURE: Challenges for the Eurozone.
ENVIRONMENT: Carbon trading, China's 'green cars' and California "Here I come"
COMPANY / COUNTRY FOCUS: Company of the Month: SABIC; Country Focus: Australia.
The conference opened with introductory remarks by Michael Toedman, International Managing Director of Business Week, Li Zibin, president of China Association of Small and Medium Business and Dr. Vachara Phanchet, Chairman of the Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC), followed by a welcoming address by the Forum’s Chairperson, Her Excellency, Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of Foreign Trade, Government of United Arab Emirates.
The two morning sessions were devoted to a lively discussion of de-coupling and a keynote address by His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al-Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the United Arab Emirates. In the former, the concept of de-coupling was examined in the context of an a precarious IT-driven financial system and economic infrastructure, whose vulnerability to unforeseen or unforeseeable events was underscored in terms of risk management. Only 20% of potential risk to system stability could be envisaged, leaving 80% to chance.
Featured Member - Spring 2008 Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC)
In the Spring 2008 issue of the PBEC Update we featured PBEC Member - DIFC and its Chief Economist Dr. Nasser Saidi in an abbreviated interview. To view the entire interview and profile please click the read more link below. To view/download the Spring 2008 Issue of the PBEC Update, click here
The CEO Challenge
Sustaining Growth, Expanding the Boundaries
15-16 April 2008 ♦ Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai This event is complimentary for PBEC Members
In association with: Dubai School of
Government
China co-host: China Association of
Small and Medium
Enterprises
Strategic Partners: Iskandar Region
Development Authority
Standard Chartered Bank
Official PR Partner: NettResults
Supporting Organizations: FORSA
Hill & Associates
MAC Capital
Monitor Group
Bangkok Airways
Debevoise and Plimpton
Bangkok Dusit Medical Hospital
Bliss-Tel Public Company
Trinity Group
Media Partners: BusinessWeek Al-Arabiya
CNBC Arabia
Gulf Business
Zawya
Al Eqtisadiah
Global Enterpreneur
Platts
In strategic partnership with: Island Shangri-la, Hong Kong - 21 January 2008
In this first event of 2008 we had gathered an expert panel of industry resources for a half-day dialogue to identify key influencers that will shape the course of 2008
The event was very well received by the 80+ participants and 11 media representatives for this half-day event. Christopher Graves moderated the event and in true PBEC form made sure the panelists did not provide canned responses, but rather a frank discussion of the health of the global and regional economy. The issues raised whether the US and Asia were in fact beginning to de-couple or becoming more tightly integrated were especially timely as the Hang Seng Index and others were plunging on the fears of a US recession the very same day. A PBEC first was the use of live electronic polls which provided the audience with an opportunity to weigh in on questions posed, with instant answers provided on the screens for further discussions..
The participants also received the latest report from Standard & Poor's Asia-Pacific Markets Outlook and the 2007-2008 State of the Region Report recently released by the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council.
PECC - State of the Region 2007-2008 Rapport - Link
PECC - State of the Region 2007-2008
"The Asia Pacific region will experience slower economic growth in 2008, but is likely to avoid a sharp downturn due to the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the United States, according to the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council’s annual State of the Region Report."
To view the report in its entirety; please visit the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council’s website HERE.
Report Published December 13, 2007.
PECC is a partnership of business, government, and academics serving as a regional forum for cooperation and policy coordination. www.pecc.org
2007 11th Annual BusinessWeek CEO Forum
THE 11TH ANNUAL CEO FORUM
The 11th Annual BusinessWeek CEO Forum was held in Beijing, China on 6-7 November. The event was a huge success and PBEC was well represented through its Members and Board of Directors.
This year, the theme was “Staying on the Fast Track: Leadership, Innovation, Performance.”
The CEO Forum was sponsored by Al Zayani Investments, Atheeb, Gulf Finance House and Hill & Associates, in addition to PBEC. It drew a wide cross-section of business, media and academic participants, including the former prime ministers of Great Britain and New Zealand, a bevy of currently serving ministers, corporate CEO’s, a Nobel laureate in economics and other distinguished individuals.
Similarly, the panels covered a wide swath, ranging from “Beating The Odds: Drivers of Growth: Sustaining Economic Expansion” and “Innovation Agility: Defining Successful Business models, Cultivating Constraints” to “Keeping the Family in Business: Balanced Performance, Governance and Meritocracy” and “Delivering on Mergers: Leveraging Strengths and Realizing Global Presence.” Others included such pressing issues as energy, “The Energy Roadmap: Managing Demand, Reshaping the Competitive Landscape,” human capital development, “The Battle for Brainpower: Inspiring Passion, Nurturing the Talent Pool,” strategy, “From Great Strategy to Great Performance: Rethinking Execution, Delivering on Potential,” communications, “ Shifting the Boundaries: Challenges from the New Media, Using the Power of Collaboration,” social responsibility, “Imagining a Transformed World: Sustainable Business Models, New Frontiers for Social Responsibility,” and broader economic and political themes, “A Partnership of Equals: Forging a Common Future for the Middle East and Asia” and “The Leadership Challenge Securing Peace, Extending the reach of Development, the latter a closing keynote address by former British Prime minister Tony Blair. All of the above were consistent with PBEC’s priority issue areas.
Dear Fellow Members of the Pacific Basin Economic Council,
It has been only two weeks since I was elected Chairman of the Pacific Basin Economic Council, at our most recent Board of Directors meeting. Our former Chairman, Mr. Scott Price, most recently CEO of DHL Express Asia-Pacific, announced that he would assume the role of CEO of DHL Express’ European operations and recently relocated to Brussels.
Launched in 2000, the UN Global Compact brings business together with UN agencies, labor, civil society and governments to advance ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption.
Georg Kell, Executive Director of the Global Compact noted that “The Pacific Basin Economic Council is the only Global Business Association headquartered in Asia participating in the Global Compact, and the first participant to focus on these issues exclusively from an Asia-Pacific perspective.”
October 10th, 2007 
Launched in 2000, the UN Global Compact brings business together with UN agencies, labor, civil society and governments to advance ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. 
