event

Ocean Nations: An Indo-Pacific Islands Dialogue 

Sun. September 19th, 2021

Japan Society, New York City

Join us for a special two-day dialogue on island nations' perceptions of regional priorities and challenges in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. This forum will create a platform for government and non-governmental actors to exchange experiences and explore the strategic, economic, and diplomatic dynamics between island states and major outside powers.

This special program will feature keynote and special addresses by Maldives Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel; Fiji's Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the UN Satyendra Prasad, and the Foreign Secretary of Sri Lanka Jayanath Colombage.

Due to security barriers set up for the UN Generally Assembly in New York, all in-person attendees should enter the Japan Society via 2nd Avenue and 47th Street. At the security checkpoint, be prepared to share your name with officials to proceed to the venue for the Islands Dialogue.

This event is co-sponsored by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

Agenda

Sunday, September 19, 2021

2:00–3:00 p.m.
Registration

3:00-3:15 p.m.
Introduction and Welcome Remarks
Atsushi Sunami, President, Sasakawa Peace Foundation

Evan A. Feigenbaum, Vice President for Studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

3:15–4:15 p.m.
Islands in Geopolitics
This panel will explore how islands view the ongoing geopolitical competition in the Indian and the Pacific Oceans, the implications, threats, and the opportunities it creates.

Amatlain Elizabeth Kabua, Permanent Representative, Republic of the Marshall Islands

J.D. Koonjul, Permanent Representative, Republic of Mauritius

Moderator: Darshana M. Baruah, Associate Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Watch online

4:15–4:30 p.m.
Coffee Service

4:30–5:30 p.m.
Keynote Address
Ahmed Khaleel, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Maldives

Moderator: Ashley J. Tellis, Tata Chair for Strategic Studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Watch online

5:30–7:00 p.m.
Reception

Monday, September 20, 2021

9:15–9:30 a.m.
Second Day Introduction and Remarks

9:30-10:15 a.m.
Special Address
Jayanath Colombage, Foreign Secretary, Sri Lanka

Moderator: Lisa Curtis, Senior Fellow and Director, Indo-Pacific Security Program, Center for a New American Security

Watch online

10:15–10:30 a.m.
Coffee Service

10.30–11.30 a.m.
Island Security and the Blue Economy
Panelists will examine the convergence of threat perceptions between island nations and key security players in the Indo-Pacific, including the United States, India, France, and the United Kingdom. Discussants will also explore the impact of the environment on security and key priorities and challenges of SIDS and AOSIS, focusing specifically on the blue economy.

Teburoro Tito, Permanent Representative, Republic of Kiribati

Atsushi Watanabe, Senior Research Fellow, Ocean Policy Institute, Sasakawa Peace Foundation

Anna Powles, Senior Lecturer in Security Studies, Massey University, New Zealand

Watch online

11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Lunch

2:00–3:00 p.m.
Investment and Development Cooperation
What are the key challenges for investment and development cooperation in islands across the Indian and Pacific Oceans? This panel will feature a conversation on opportunities for investment and cooperation in island nations.

Hiroyuki Suzuki, Chief Representative, Washington Office, Japan Bank for International Cooperation

Fiona Webster, Deputy Head of Mission to the UN, Australia

Moderator: Zainab Usman, Senior Fellow and Director, Africa Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Watch online

3:00–3:30 p.m.
Coffee Service

3:30–4:30 p.m.
Keynote Address
Satyendra Prasad, Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the UN, Fiji

Moderator: Darshana M. Baruah, Associate Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Watch online

4:30–4:45 p.m.
Coffee Service

5:00–6:00 p.m.
U.S. View on Islands in the Indo-Pacific
This panel will discuss U.S. engagements, priorities, and views toward island nations in Washington’s Indo-Pacific framework.

Lisa Curtis, Senior Fellow and Director, Indo-Pacific Security Program, Center for a New American Security

Edgard Kagan, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for East Asia and Oceania, U.S. National Security Council

Randall G. Schriver, Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs

Moderator: Evan Feigenbaum, Vice President for Studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Watch online

6:00–6:15 p.m.
Closing Remarks
Junko Chano, Executive Director, Sasakawa Peace Foundation

Darshana M. Baruah, Associate Fellow, South Asia, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

6:15–7:30
Closing Reception

event speakers

Ahmed Khaleel
Ahmed Khaleel is minister of state for foreign affairs for the Maldives. Throughout his long tenure in foreign service His Excellency Khaleel has risen through the diplomatic ranks as a result of his immense positive contribution to the Foreign Service of the Maldives. As Secretary, Bilateral, His Excellency Khaleel was instrumental in shaping the Maldives overall bilateral engagement with its partners and contributed to shaping and conducting the foreign policy of the Maldives.
Jayanath Colombage
Jayanath Colombage is the foreign secretary for Sri Lanka. He has served the Sri Lanka Navy for a period of 36 years and retired as the Commander of the Navy on 01 July 2014. He is the 18th Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy and was decorated for gallantry and commended for exceptional service to the Navy.
Lisa Curtis
Lisa Curtis is deputy assistant to the President and senior director for South and Central Asia at the National Security Council. Formerly, she was a senior research fellow on South Asia at The Heritage Foundation's Asian Studies Center. Prior to joining Heritage, she served on the professional staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where she held the South Asia portfolio for the then-chairman, Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN).
Amatlain Elizabeth Kabua
Amatlain Elizabeth Kabua is the permanent representative of the Marshall Islands to the United Nations. Until her latest appointment, Ms. Kabua had served as ambassador to Fiji since 2009. From 2003 to 2009, she held the position of field service consultant to her country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, having serving earlier as ambassador to Japan between 1997 and 2003.
Edgard Kagan
Edgard D. Kagan is the senior director for East Asia and Oceania on the National Security Council. Previously he served as Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi and U. S. Consul General in Mumbai. A Foreign Service officer since 1991, he served at U. S. Embassies in Australia, China, Israel, Hungary, and the Ivory Coast.
J.D. Koonjul
J.D. Koonjul is ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Mauritius to the United Nations. Honoured in 2016, as grand officer of the Order of Star and Key of Mauritius (G.O.S.K), ambassador Koonjul is nationally and internationally known for his wide knowledge, insight, clarity of vision and leadership in advocating the cause of Small Island Developing States, respect for international law and the rule of law.
Anna Powles
Dr. Anna Powles is a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Defence and Security Studies at Massey University. Dr. Powles is also an Associate Scholar with the MacMillan Brown Center for Pacific Studies, University of Canterbury, and has previously held visiting fellowships with the East-West Center, in Honolulu.
Satyendra Prasad
Nonresident Senior Fellow, South Asia Program, Sustainability, Climate and Geopolitics Program
Randall G. Schriver
Mr. Randall Schriver is the Chairman of the Board of the Project 2049 Institute and a partner at Pacific Solutions LLC. Just prior, he served for two years as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs where he led a team of nearly one hundred professionals and was the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense on matters related to the Indo-Pacific region.
Hiroyuki Suzuki
Hiroyuki Suzuki is chief representative for the Japan Bank for International Cooperation in Washington DC. His career in JBIC spans over 20 years and a wide range of roles, starting in JBIC’s Treasury Department in 2000. Previously he was the senior representative for JBIC in Washington DC.
Teburoro Tito
Teburoro Tito is currently the Kiribati Ambassador to the United Nations, the United States, and also the Kiribati Ambassador Designate to Mexico and Canada. Prior to his appointment to the diplomatic service of his country, Mr. Tito had represented and served his people as the President of Kiribati. During his tenure as president he arranged for Kiribati’s membership of the United Nations and represented Kiribati at the annual UN General Assembly Summits from 1999 to 2002.
Atsushi Watanabe
Atsushi Watanabe is a senior research fellow with the Ocean Policy Institute at Sasakawa Peace Foundation. Since 2018, he has been a senior researcher at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation Institute for Ocean Policy, leading policy research on blue economy and blue carbon. Since July 2020, he has served as a director of the Japan Blue Economy Association.
Fiona Webster
Fiona Webster is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). She commenced as Australia’s Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in December 2020. Immediately prior to this, she was A/g First Assistant Secretary of DFAT’s Consular and Crisis Management Division.
Darshana M. Baruah
Nonresident Scholar, South Asia Program
Evan A. Feigenbaum
Vice President for Studies, Acting Director, Carnegie China
Ashley J. Tellis
Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs
Zainab Usman
Senior Fellow and Director, Africa Program
Atsushi Sunami
Atsushi Sunami is the President of The Sasakawa Peace Foundation, as well as the President of the Ocean Policy Research Institute of The Sasakawa Peace Foundation. He is also Director of the SciREX center and Executive Advisor to the President at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) and Guest Professor at the Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation at Waseda University.
Junko Chano
Junko Chano is the Executive Director at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF). Prior to joining SPF, Ms. Chano worked at several foundations including the Japan Foundation, Philadelphia Foundation and the Ford Foundation’s New York Office. At the Ford Foundation, she helped strengthening the capacity of community foundations that emerged around the globe.

Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie India, its staff, or its trustees.

event speakers

Ahmed Khaleel
Ahmed Khaleel is minister of state for foreign affairs for the Maldives. Throughout his long tenure in foreign service His Excellency Khaleel has risen through the diplomatic ranks as a result of his immense positive contribution to the Foreign Service of the Maldives. As Secretary, Bilateral, His Excellency Khaleel was instrumental in shaping the Maldives overall bilateral engagement with its partners and contributed to shaping and conducting the foreign policy of the Maldives.
Jayanath Colombage
Jayanath Colombage is the foreign secretary for Sri Lanka. He has served the Sri Lanka Navy for a period of 36 years and retired as the Commander of the Navy on 01 July 2014. He is the 18th Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy and was decorated for gallantry and commended for exceptional service to the Navy.
Lisa Curtis
Lisa Curtis is deputy assistant to the President and senior director for South and Central Asia at the National Security Council. Formerly, she was a senior research fellow on South Asia at The Heritage Foundation's Asian Studies Center. Prior to joining Heritage, she served on the professional staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where she held the South Asia portfolio for the then-chairman, Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN).
Amatlain Elizabeth Kabua
Amatlain Elizabeth Kabua is the permanent representative of the Marshall Islands to the United Nations. Until her latest appointment, Ms. Kabua had served as ambassador to Fiji since 2009. From 2003 to 2009, she held the position of field service consultant to her country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, having serving earlier as ambassador to Japan between 1997 and 2003.
Edgard Kagan
Edgard D. Kagan is the senior director for East Asia and Oceania on the National Security Council. Previously he served as Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi and U. S. Consul General in Mumbai. A Foreign Service officer since 1991, he served at U. S. Embassies in Australia, China, Israel, Hungary, and the Ivory Coast.
J.D. Koonjul
J.D. Koonjul is ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Mauritius to the United Nations. Honoured in 2016, as grand officer of the Order of Star and Key of Mauritius (G.O.S.K), ambassador Koonjul is nationally and internationally known for his wide knowledge, insight, clarity of vision and leadership in advocating the cause of Small Island Developing States, respect for international law and the rule of law.
Anna Powles
Dr. Anna Powles is a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Defence and Security Studies at Massey University. Dr. Powles is also an Associate Scholar with the MacMillan Brown Center for Pacific Studies, University of Canterbury, and has previously held visiting fellowships with the East-West Center, in Honolulu.
Satyendra Prasad
Nonresident Senior Fellow, South Asia Program, Sustainability, Climate and Geopolitics Program
Randall G. Schriver
Mr. Randall Schriver is the Chairman of the Board of the Project 2049 Institute and a partner at Pacific Solutions LLC. Just prior, he served for two years as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs where he led a team of nearly one hundred professionals and was the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense on matters related to the Indo-Pacific region.
Hiroyuki Suzuki
Hiroyuki Suzuki is chief representative for the Japan Bank for International Cooperation in Washington DC. His career in JBIC spans over 20 years and a wide range of roles, starting in JBIC’s Treasury Department in 2000. Previously he was the senior representative for JBIC in Washington DC.
Teburoro Tito
Teburoro Tito is currently the Kiribati Ambassador to the United Nations, the United States, and also the Kiribati Ambassador Designate to Mexico and Canada. Prior to his appointment to the diplomatic service of his country, Mr. Tito had represented and served his people as the President of Kiribati. During his tenure as president he arranged for Kiribati’s membership of the United Nations and represented Kiribati at the annual UN General Assembly Summits from 1999 to 2002.
Atsushi Watanabe
Atsushi Watanabe is a senior research fellow with the Ocean Policy Institute at Sasakawa Peace Foundation. Since 2018, he has been a senior researcher at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation Institute for Ocean Policy, leading policy research on blue economy and blue carbon. Since July 2020, he has served as a director of the Japan Blue Economy Association.
Fiona Webster
Fiona Webster is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). She commenced as Australia’s Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in December 2020. Immediately prior to this, she was A/g First Assistant Secretary of DFAT’s Consular and Crisis Management Division.
Darshana M. Baruah
Nonresident Scholar, South Asia Program
Evan A. Feigenbaum
Vice President for Studies, Acting Director, Carnegie China
Ashley J. Tellis
Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs
Zainab Usman
Senior Fellow and Director, Africa Program
Atsushi Sunami
Atsushi Sunami is the President of The Sasakawa Peace Foundation, as well as the President of the Ocean Policy Research Institute of The Sasakawa Peace Foundation. He is also Director of the SciREX center and Executive Advisor to the President at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) and Guest Professor at the Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation at Waseda University.
Junko Chano
Junko Chano is the Executive Director at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF). Prior to joining SPF, Ms. Chano worked at several foundations including the Japan Foundation, Philadelphia Foundation and the Ford Foundation’s New York Office. At the Ford Foundation, she helped strengthening the capacity of community foundations that emerged around the globe.