Meeting Transcript: Regulation, Behavior, and Paternalism

Meeting Transcript: The Global Burden of Disease and its Implications for U.S. Policy

Resources on an emerging global health priority

Non-communicable diseases (also called chronic, "lifestyle," or "choice" diseases) are the most common causes of death worldwide. Once linked primarily to the developed world, data now show that most of the tens of millions of annual deaths related to diseases like cancer and cardiovascular disease occur in the developing world. In April 2011, UN health ministers agreed to the Moscow Declaration (PDF), which calls for global action on NCDs, with a focus on the developing world, setting the stage for a high-level UN meeting in September 2011. The scope of the problem -- and the policy challenges -- are explored in the following materials.

The Program on U.S.-Korea Policy aims to deepen and broaden the foundations for institutionalized cooperation between the United States and South Korea by promoting a comprehensive U.S.-ROK alliance partnership on emerging global, regional, and non-traditional security challenges. Objectives of the program include the establishment of a deeper understanding of South Korea's efforts to contribute on the international stage; its potential influence and contributions as a middle power in East Asia; and the peninsular, regional, and global implications of North Korean instability.

Initially established as the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy at The Asia Foundation in January 2009 with generous support from the Smith Richardson Foundation, the program became a part of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in September 2011. The program is funded with support from the Smith Richardson Foundation, Korea Foundation, and South Korean private sponsors, including Hyundai Motors, Korea International Trade Association, and the Federation of Korean Industries, as well as individual donor Sandor Hau.

The Program on U.S.-Korea Policy publishes a monthly newsletter on important issues in U.S.-Korea relations. Project results and issues of the newsletter prior issued prior to October 2011 are located here.

The Program on U.S.-Korea Policy also has projects planned in several areas.

During the first decade of the twenty first century, Latin America has shown itself to be a region with strong growth, stable financial markets, varying but quite vibrant democracies, and vital voices in a number of multilateral forums. Yet it still faces formidable challenges, including boosting economic competiveness, deepening socially inclusive democracies, and building state capacity to improve the lives of all 500 million citizens in the region. The Roundtable Series on Latin America looks broadly at the issues facing Latin American and U.S. policymakers in the coming years ahead, including strengthening the rule of law, physical infrastructure and human capacity building, taxation and governments' revenue stream, poverty and inequality, the potential for public-private partnerships, and capitalizing on energy resources across the region.

Part of CFR's Renewing America initiative, this roundtable series brings high-level attention to homegrown challenges to U.S. national security. Meetings in this series are led by individual CFR fellows and examine how policies at home will directly influence the economic and military strength of the United States and its ability to act in the world.

Increasingly, regional and subregional organizations and initiatives complement--and compete with--global institutions in addressing shared threats and overcoming collective action problems. Yet the depth and performance of these institutions and arrangements varies hugely across regions and issue areas. Few have analyzed the risks and opportunities of these trends -- and how the United States can and should respond to them. To fill this gap, the IIGG program is organizing meetings on Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. Some of these events will occur in the United States, others in the respective regions.

This workshop series is made possible by the generous support of the Robina Foundation.

The Roundtable Series on Japan is an ongoing series that provides a forum for leading U.S. and Japanese experts to analyze Japan's domestic and foreign policy. Of particular interest is the analysis of U.S.-Japan policy cooperation in a fluid Asia-Pacific region.

This series is made possible in part by the generosity of the following corporate and foundation sponsors: US-Japan Foundation, Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Mitsubishi International Corporation, Sony Corporation of America, Toyota Motor North America, and the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ.

The U.S.-India Joint Study Group on Shared National Interests, cosponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations and Aspen Institute India, was convened to assess issues of current and critical importance to the U.S.-India relationship and to provide policymakers in both countries with concrete judgments and recommendations. The group was co-chaired by Robert D. Blackwill, Henry A. Kissinger senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy at CFR and former ambassador to India; and Naresh Chandra, chairman of India's National Security Advisory Board and former Indian ambassador to the United States. Diverse in backgrounds and perspectives, Joint Study Group members aimed to reach a consensus on policy through private and nonpartisan deliberations.

This roundtable series examines the impact of Islamist movements in the Middle East and Pakistan, with special attention to innovative efforts by civil society groups to counter radicalization.

This roundtable series is made possible from the generous support of Kathryn W. Davis.

Africa After 50 is a roundtable series that examines new trends and regional dynamics that are shaping Africa's future and will impact U.S. policy opportunities on the continent. The emergence of new strategic players, especially China, India, and Middle Eastern countries, have created a more complex diplomatic landscape for the United States and African countries to navigate. Sustained economic growth over the past decade attracts interest in the region as a frontier and emerging market for global capital. Africa's entrepreneurs, rising urban middle classes and youth, and the introduction of new media are setting the stage for the next fifty years. Political stability and security remain fragile and depend on the increasing effectiveness of national and regional institutions. The African Union and sub-regional organizations in particular, have become more assertive in conflict resolution efforts across the continent, but long-term security will also require good governance innovation at the local and national levels. This series examines Africa's outlook after fifty years of independence from this new baseline by fostering discussion about the changing demographics, political and societal institutions, and the financial and physical infrastructure that will enable positive change. Hence the series focuses on new thinking and new strategies for Africa's transformation.

Increasingly, Israelis and Palestinians are discussing unilateral steps they can take as an alternative to failed negotiating efforts. One notable option that is gaining traction is a possible Palestinian unilateral declaration of statehood. Similarly, some Israelis are looking at steps they can take to ensure their security if bilateral agreements prove impossible. Made possible in part by the generous support of the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, the Roundtable Series on Israeli and Palestinian Unilateralism aims to create a forum for an informed debate on unilateral actions by examining their legal and political implications and their possible consequences for the region.

The challenges that confront the U.S.-Japan relationship today are many, and the opportunities to devise new ways of cooperating ample. Yet we still know too little about how to adapt our alliance to the changing demands within Japan for greater accountability and transparency in governance. The March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake has confounded the governance pressures on Japan's new government, and expanded our bilateral alliance agenda. The confusion and disconnect between the two governments during the early months of Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) rule suggest the need for a much better understanding of the domestic pressures on Japan's new government for change in alliance policy. The Japan studies program is excited to announce a new study to analyze domestic political change in Japan and its effect on the U.S.-Japan alliance.

This project is made possible by grants from the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership and the U.S.-Japan Foundation.