Over the last 20 years, economic crises have hit the region almost every ten years. There is a need to consider not only the short-term economic rescue policy, but also the resilient infrastructure against frequent economic crisis in the long term. 

In addition to the economic crises that have hit the region, the Asia-Pacific is also home to some of the world’s fastest ageing societies, over the next twenty years the region’s economies will need to consider the impact of demographic change on the sustainability of their social security systems. 

Experts gathered in Tokyo for a two-day workshop to discuss measures to strengthen social resilience in the Asia-Pacific region. The meeting was convened by the Japan Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation and the opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Koichi Takemasa, the State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Experts and officials discussed how to make the region’s societies more robust and resilient against economic crises. The workshop consisted of five main sessions including macroeconomic analysis, pension system, medical/ health care, unemployment insurance system, and carbon reduction.

The results of the workshop series will be documented and finalized in time for the APEC Summit scheduled for November 2010 in Yokohama.

For the program agenda and background information on the project, please refer to: www.jiia.or.jp/en/pecc

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