The World Economic Forum on East Asia 2012

Thinkers & Doers, Movers & Shakers will gather from the 30th of May until the 1^st of June in Bangkok for the annual World Economic Forum on East Asia 2012. The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by shaping global, regional and industry agendas. In the past the event proofed to combine economics with social aspects. Thus the interactive and outcome-oriented session of discussions will be interesting to follow no matter whether one is particular attracted by economic topics or not. As the meeting is considered to be among the highest ranking economic discussions world-wide it will draw a great deal of attention and his outcome has the ability to influence the world economy in the foreseeable future.

This year’s event will engage business, political, academic and other leaders of society to have a lively debate. Doubtless the participant who will attract the most attention will be Burma’s pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi. This will mark her first overseas trip in over 20 years, in which she didn’t left Burma out of fear she wouldn’t be allowed back into the country by the military regime. Her international journey follows months of dramatic change in Burma, including a historic election in April that won her a seat in a parliament that replaces nearly five decades of oppressive military rule. As well attending will be Burmese President Thein Sein and other leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as the ASEAN Economic Community 2015 will be the major point of discussion throughout the event.

According to the summit’s website the event will be under the theme “Shaping the Region’s Future through Connectivity”. Thus the debates will be about how to ensure a competitive and connected region, as well as to reinforce ongoing integration efforts toward the proposed ASEAN Economic Community 2015. To achieve this major milestone in only three years, stronger linkages across Southeast Asia are urgently needed. Therefore the program objectives include:

• How will leaders from ASEAN better link the region’s transportation infrastructure, health systems and institutions to maximize convergence of people, goods, services and economic-hubs?

• How will governments and institutions develop the financial policies to manage inflation, capital outflows, commodity price volatility and balanced growth towards greater domestic and regional demand?

• How will the region leverage its demographic dividend and technology base to develop the models to increase growth through innovation, improve talent mobility, entrepreneurship and skill building?

• How can the high economic growth economies of ASEAN help to rebalance both the global and the regional overall economic outlook?

Whether the ASEAN Economic Community 2015 will be a success is still doubted by many critics who say that the region is still too diverse for such integration. For that reason the World Economic Forum on East Asia 2012 will be a good indicator on the readiness for ASEAN. Check Asianowblog next week for a follow up on the World Economic Forum 2012.