Koh Tommy Koh – författare

The European Union is the most successful regional organisation in the world. ASEAN is the most successful regional organisation in Asia. The story of the important and multi-faceted relationship between these two organisations has seldom been told. This is the first book about the relationship, written from the ASEAN perspective. It contains essays from all the ten ASEAN countries. The book describes the many areas in which ASEAN and the EU have convergent interests and, the few areas in which they have divergent views. The book also looks to the future and suggests some possible areas of cooperation. The Foreword is written by Singapore''s Foreign Minister, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.

Singapore and India established diplomatic relations in August 1965. However, their ties date as far back as the 10th century. The last half century has seen a blossoming of their relationship. The two countries'' warm and substantive friendship is based upon history, economics, defense cooperation and a high degree of mutual trust. The relationship is quite unique because a significant portion of Singapore''s population consists of ethnic Indians and an Indian language, Tamil, is one of Singapore''s official languages.The book brings together 52 of Singapore''s thought leaders. They come from different sectors of the Singapore''s society. Each of them has written an essay on India''s past or present or future. Each essay is short, easy to read and full of insight and humour. One of the writers is Singapore''s Senior Minister, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a person who is admired both in Singapore and in India. The book includes essays on Nalanda University, Amaravati, India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. On the lighter side, the book contains two charming essays by Ambassador Karen Tan and Eirliani Abdul Rahman on their time in India.The book''s foreword is written by Mr Goh Chok Tong, Singapore''s second Prime Minister. It was Mr Goh who overcame prejudice and inertia and launched a new beginning in Singapore-India relations.This publication is a candid reflection of India and India-Singapore relations by Singaporeans who carry the hope that India will rise above its challenges to join the ranks of the great nations of the world. It will be of interest to Singaporeans who are interested in India and Indians who are interested in Singapore.

On the 8th of August 2017, ASEAN will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding. ASEAN is of great importance to Singapore, the region and the world.In 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN in short, was founded by five countries in Southeast Asia which had just gained independence from their former colonial masters, united by a determination for the region to live in peace and stability. Singapore was one of the five founding members of ASEAN, together with Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand. The grouping was joined later by Brunei (1984), Vietnam (1995), Laos and Myanmar (1997), and finally, Cambodia (1999). ASEAN is today a very successful inter-governmental organization which promotes peace, stability, economic development and regional integration.This volume brings together 46 essays written by Singaporeans who have played a part in the partnership between ASEAN and Singapore. The reader will be able to glean an insight into the workings of ASEAN and Singapore''s contributions to ASEAN through the lens of diplomats, academics, civil society leaders and officials.

This is the sequel to the bestselling book, The Little Red Dot, published in 2005. While the first volume consisted of a collection of essays by Singapore''s first- and second-generation diplomats, this second volume contains essays written by the third generation of young ambassadors. The Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Raymond Lim, has contributed the Foreword. Written in an entertaining and accessible manner, this book is a highly enjoyable read for all who are interested in Singapore current affairs and in the art and science of diplomacy. It contains many inspiring stories which have not been told before.

On the historic occasion of the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2007, the leaders of the ten-member countries signed the ASEAN Charter. This is an important milestone for the regional group as the Charter will make ASEAN stronger, more united and more effective. The Charter embodies the ASEAN community''s purposes and principles, organs and decision-making process; a new legal personality; a system for the settlement of disputes; and an ASEAN Human Rights Body.The Making of the ASEAN Charter captures the insiders'' views of the drafting of the Charter and hence is a must-read for anyone interested in ASEAN, international law and the art and science of negotiations.

2005 was the 40th anniversary of Singapore''s independence. This collection of essays by Singapore''s past and present diplomats tells the remarkable story of how this small and vulnerable country has become a stable, prosperous and respected member of the international community. The essays include those from the late President Wee Kim Wee and President S R Nathan as well as seminal contributions from the four former Foreign Ministers - Mr S Rajaratnam, Mr S Dhanabalan, Mr Wong Kan Seng and Professor S Jayakumar. The current Foreign Minister, Mr George Yeo, has written the foreword. The absorbing stories about people, places and international politics make this book a highly enjoyable read for all who are interested in Singapore, its history, and foreign policy.In the stories contained in this book you will find and discover:

On 1 January 2004, the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (USSFTA) came into force. The USSFTA was the result of a two-year negotiation process which started towards the end of the Clinton Administration and concluded under the Bush Administration. How did the negotiation process straddle the two administrations? What is the rationale for the FTA? What were the unique features of the negotiating process? Was negotiating with the US different from negotiating with other countries? How will the FTA benefit the two countries? What is the impact on ASEAN, APEC and the WTO?This book captures some of the personal insights thrown up in the negotiations and offers highlights and analysis of the USSFTA. Contributors to the volume include the Chief Negotiators of the two delegations, the US and Singapore Ambassadors, key negotiators and close observers of the process. Selected key documents pertaining to the USSFTA process have also been included. This book is a comprehensive reader on the story behind the negotiations of the USSFTA.

A disease that has given globalization a bad name, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), has plagued no fewer than 30 areas in recent months. In this book, for the first time, leading scientists and researchers converge to shed light on the impacts and implications of this new global threat.Collected together within the volume are more than 20 articles that discuss and examine the SARS outbreak from wide-ranging perspectives — political, social, economic and health. The reader is given insights into how the SARS outbreak has altered public and political understanding of the threat of infectious disease in general. There are lessons for global public health that have emerged from the response to SARS, especially as they pertain to preparedness for the next new disease.Informative but not heavy, insightful but not overwhelming, The New Global Threat: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and Its Impacts is an indispensable source of information for anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of the hitherto unknown disease — students, academics and corporate leaders alike.

This volume represents a first dialogue between European and Asian economists concerning the common outlook of the two continents following the financial crisis which struck Asia in 1997.The papers in this volume were presented at the ASEF/CEPII conference in Paris in May 1998, which brought together Asian and European economists and economic practitioners for an open and critical appraisal of the nature and causes of the crisis, and the role which the enhanced Asian-European relationship might have in addressing the future. Several Asian countries and major multi-lateral organisations (the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, the Bank for International Settlements, and the OECD) were represented.Among the issues addressed are the consequences of the crisis for international trade, investment and growth, at both the regional and the global level, and the architecture of the globalised, international financial system which has undergone a new crisis due to events in Asia. Conclusions are drawn concerning the evolution of the monetary and financial turmoil, and solutions for the future of the region and for its relations with Europe are considered.This volume aims to preserve the lively nature of the discussion and the cultural diversity of the presentations, while capturing the current state of the debate on the crisis.

Professor Tommy Koh is Singapore''s Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rector of Tembusu College, Special Adviser of the Institute of Policy Studies, and Chairman of the Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore.In his distinguished career, Prof Koh has served as Singapore''s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, as Ambassador to the United States of America, as President of the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea and Chairman of the Preparatory Committee and the Main Committee of the UN Conference on Environment and Development. He was the UN Secretary-General''s Special Envoy to Russia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. He chaired two dispute panels for the WTO. He was also Singapore''s Chief Negotiator for the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. He was also the chairman of the group which drafted the Asean Charter. He chairs three committees for the National University of Singapore relating to law, Asia research and environmental management. An active patron of the arts, Prof Koh has served as Chairman of the National Heritage Board, National Arts Council and many other cultural groups.In recognition of his meritorious public service and achievements, he was conferred many honours, both locally and internationally. He has been named as ‘Champion of the Earth’ in 2006 by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Prof Koh has been selected to receive Harvard''s 2014 Great Negotiator Award sponsored by the Program on Negotiation based at Harvard Law School (an interuniversity consortium of Harvard, MIT, and Tufts) as well as Harvard''s Program on the Future of Diplomacy.This collection of Prof Koh''s favourite essays and lectures gives the reader an insight into his illustrious academic and diplomatic career. The volume also includes his articles on diplomacy and international law, art, culture, heritage, nature and environmental issues.

The first two volumes of The Little Red Dot series covered a wide range of views about Singapore''s diplomacy by Singaporean diplomats. This new addition to the series offers a complementary perspective of Singapore and its bilateral relations, through the eyes of past heads of missions from foreign countries who have served as ambassadors to Singapore. The reader will be able to glean insights from the foreign diplomats who took an active role in getting to know Singapore, and at the same time, also worked hard to promote their respective countries'' interests. As seen from their perspectives, the reader can learn more about what was unique about Singapore, what they learnt and what made their postings to Singapore memorable. These candid reflections will allow Singaporean readers to understand how different elements of our country are often seen as a whole, and how that in turn contributes to the impressions that our foreign friends have of Singapore. Often cited by the contributors are the success of Singapore''s economic development, our cohesive multi-cultural and multi-religious society, our good governance, our education system and opportunities for the young. These aspects that are highlighted, among others, are what makes Singapore unique and they are also important to Singapore''s future. There were, of course, some critical comments on some aspects of our culture and political arrangements. We should evaluate them with an open mind, always willing to learn from our friends.