Conference on EU and Asian Policy Responses to Climate Change and Energy Security, Post Copenhagen
This conference was intended to provide a platform to help facilitate the exchange of perspectives on EU and Asian climate change policy responses among participants coming from different disciplinary and industrial backgrounds. It focused on themes and challenges that confront policy-makers following the COP15 held in Copenhagen in December 2009, and how these would shape the options that are being formulated for presentation at COP 16 in Mexico at the end of 2010. To this end, particular emphasis was placed on knowledge-sharing and understanding what is being done in Europe and Southeast Asia on issues such as biofuels and their impact on forests, progress in renewable energy technologies, nuclear energy and sustainable urbanisation. The role of technological innovation, government cooperation and a mutual recognition of diverse contexts were explored within these sub-themes.
Conference on Networked Regionalism versus Institutional Regionalism
The conference report considers regionalism as of emerging central importance in systems of global governance. While states remain the main actors, increasingly regions and regional actors are managing complexities and interdependence arising from globalisation. The report examines the conceptual boundaries of “networked regionalism”- as manifested in regional entities such as ASEAN and APEC - versus “institutional regionalism”, epitomised by the EU model. It compares the trajectories of regionalism in these 3 blocs and where they may be headed in the future. The report also assesses how Asia and the EU deal with policy issues such as trade, environment and migration through the different, evolving processes and mechanisms. It concludes that there is no single model of regionalism that would suit all regions, and that perhaps a more inclusive, networked forms of management could be more effective to deal with transnational, transboundary problems.
Migration, Societal and Market Transformations- Perceptions, Debates & Policies in Asia and Europe
The movement of people across frontiers has been a constant feature of human history. However, the rapid pace of globalisation, developments in modern transport and communications, the rising gap in wealth distribution and many other factors have resulted in large scale migration and immigration of all patterns in recent times. These wide-scale patterns pose challenges to nation-states, societies and communities with impacts to bear on the economy, employment and wages, the fabric of society and culture, and issues of integration and citizenship. Bearing in mind the migration regimes of the EU and ASEAN members, the conference sought to address these complex and multi-faceted issues by gathering researchers, policy makers and activists for a series of lectures and panel discussions on approaches towards immigration, management of diversity, and the ramifications of securitisation of migration. The EU Centre has summarised the presentations made, key issues and questions raised, and policy recommendations in a concise report, or you may prefer to browse the relevant sections below.
Opening Session
- Introduction
- Managing Labour Mobility in the Evolving Global Economy
Michele Klein-Solomon, Director of Migration Policy and Research, International Organization for Migration (IOM), presents an overview
- Migration Regimes in Asia
Manola Abella, Project Coordinator, International Labour Organization (ILO), charts the evolution of migration regimes in Asia, their socio-economic impact, including in the ‘Tiger’ economies
Panel One- Assumptions and Approaches towards Immigration
- International Migration, an Asian Perspective
Prof Graeme Hugo, University Professorial Research Fellow, Dept of Geographical & Environmental Studies, Adelaide University, on shifting paradigms in international migration and steps needed - Roots and Developments of European Migration Policy
Dr Marek Kupiszewski, Director, Central European Forum for Migration Research, traces developments and dilemmas in European migration policy
Country Case Studies
- Reforming Migration Policy in Japan
Prof Yasushi Iguchi, Kwansei Gakuin University
- The Tug of War over Multiculturalism: Contestation between Governing and Empowering Immigrants in Taiwan
Assoc Prof Hsiao-Chuan Hsia, Graduate Institute for Social Transformation Studies, Shih Hsin University, examines marriage migration in Taiwan
- The ’Othering’ in Migration Phenomenon
Braema Mathi, Coordinator, Singapore Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Body (MARUAH), points out paradoxes and ironies of migrant workers in Singapore
Panel Two- Managing Diversities: Approaches Towards Integration and Social Cohesion
- Underlying Factors Behind the Success and Failure of Integration
Dr Patrick Weil, Director, Centre for Study of Immigration, Integration & Citizenship Policies, University of Paris 1, Pantheon-Sorbonne, gives an overview of immigration in Europe
Panel Three- The Securitisation of Migration: Consequences and Impact
- Securitization of Migration or Effective Migration Management?
Irena Vojackova-Sollorano, Regional Representative, Regional Representative for Southeast Asia, International Organization for Migration (IOM)
- The Migration-Security Nexus in Asia: Exploring Levels of Analysis Issues
Dr Melissa Curley, Lecturer in International Relations, University of Queensland, analyses the definitions of illegal migration
- The Many Faces of Migrants: Securitisation and its Discontents
Nur Azha and Kevin Punzalan, RSIS Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, call for a desecuritisation of migration and a more human-security centric approach
Conclusions
Resources
The Role of the European Union (EU) in Shaping Asia’s Future
Should the EU play a role in shaping Asia’s future, and can it play this role? Or would Asia develop its own trajectory with widespread implications for the EU and its member states? This paper presented at the EUSA Conference deftly and succinctly addresses questions that arise along with Asia’s growing clout, economically and in terms of its ‘soft’ power. It also weaves in how the EU and China’s relationship with the US can affect the power and security polemics, with implications for the emerging global order. Interdependence between Europe and Asia has increased to the point where Asia is the EU’s biggest trading partner. Economically the EU’s GDP blocs outstrip the US in terms of purchasing power parity. In 10 years, China’s alone would surpass both the EU and China’s GDP. Yet growing interdependence comes with its challenges that the EU cannot ignore. For Asia, these include competition for resources, water, energy, environmental degradation, terrorism and extremism. At the same time, the rise of China and India raises questions on whether they would rather work from within the international system or change it from the outside. What would be the EU’s influence on the emerging multilateral order? The EU’s coherence in projecting a common foreign and security policy, the ways in which it deepens political and military integration, and engages the post-Bush administrations, could determine its voice and centrality on the global arena, as well as whether this new multilateralism could take on a more institutional, binding, and cooperative flavour; whether the ‘New World’ would in essence comprise multiple poles of asserted national power.
Green Innovations, Our Future Together Europe Day Symposium & Exhibition
The “Green Innovations, Our Future Together” Symposium was the EU Centre’s first outreach event targeted at the general public and schools. Conceived to coincide with Europe Day festivities, and to highlight the EU’s policy and technology ‘green’ innovations, the Symposium and Exhibition drew over 300 participants for a day- long public conference with talks on the EU’s environment policies and presentations by some well-known environmentally responsible European companies on their green CSR programmes, products and services. His Excellency Holger Standertskjöld, Head of the EC Delegation in Singapore, delivered the keynote, a preview of Copenhagen 2009, the UN Climate Conference to be hosted by Denmark to be hosted in December. The EU will aim to reach a global agreement on climate mitigation and adaptation measures.
His Excellency Jörg Ranau, Ambassador, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to Singapore, then presented on the “German Strategy for Adaption to Climate Change”. He spoke on the key ways Germany will be taking on global warming. The German plan approaches climate change by raising the bar. Germany’s aim is to reduce emissions by 40% compared to 1990 levels, double its energy efficiency by 2020, and have one third of its electricity share made of renewable energy. The German strategy is expected to create half a million jobs.
The dignitaries’ speeches were followed by a series of talks by high-level corporate executives, including from PricewaterhouseCoopers, Total Oil, Siemens, Ericsson, Envac, Tetra Pak, Broadway Malyan, A*STAR and DHI on sustainable energy, water and waste management, intelligent green buildings, and using microalgae to produce biofuel. The end goal was to empower public and private sector participants, all of whom stakeholders in the environment, to understand how global agreements, national programmes, corporations, organisations and individuals can make a difference and inspire them to individual and collaborative actions to combat climate change. Hence, it was apt that a panel discussion led by the National Environment Agency on “Partnerships for a Sustainable Future” capped the session. On the sidelines of the Symposium, EU diplomatic missions held an exhibition of green initiatives from their respective member states. A few companies also participated to showcase their company’s green innovations, despite the financial crisis.
The Symposium also produced a collection of original artistic, literary and essay works by winners and the best submissions from the “Green Innovations, Our Future Together” theme competition, which drew over 100 entries from Secondary to University students in about a month. One hundred percent of audience who gave their feedback gave the educational value of the event a “good” or “excellent” rating.
Please visit our events page for video clips of the Symposium, speaker presentations and speeches.
European Union Centre in Singapore 11 Slim Barracks Rise (off North Buona Vista Road), #06-01 Executive Centre (NTU@one-north), Singapore 138664