Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Political Dialogue Asia

📢 Post-event Update: “𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁: 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀” 📅 3 – 4 June 2026 | 📍 Suva, Fiji 🇫🇯

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Regional Programme Political Dialogue Asia, in cooperation with the The University of the South Pacific, organised a two-day conference on climate change as a non-traditional security threat, with a particular focus on resilience and adaptation in Small Island States.

The event brought together experts, academics, policymakers, legal practitioners ⚖️, students, diplomats, and civil society representatives to discuss the security implications of climate change for Pacific Island communities. The discussions covered a wide range of issues, including climate security, human security, sustainable development 🌱, gendered and intersectional impacts, climate justice ⚖️, sea-level rise, maritime delimitation, and access to climate justice.

We were honoured to open the conference with welcome remarks by Professor Rupert Sutherland, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Futures at the University of the South Pacific, followed by a keynote address by H.E. Dr Andreas Prothmann, Germany’s Ambassador to Fiji 🇩🇪🇫🇯.

As climate change continues to shape the security landscape of the Indo-Pacific 🌏, sustained dialogue and cooperation with the Small Pacific Island Developing States remains essential to combat the threat to human civilisation posed by anthropogenic climate change. Our aim is to help reduce human suffering by ensuring that the voices of those most affected are heard, respected, and reflected in policy decisions.

The Pacific region has long been at the forefront of global climate advocacy 🌍, and Germany hears this message. Our partnership with the Pacific must be rooted in mutual understanding and respect. Through this dialogue, we seek practical solutions—whether through legal protections ⚖️, resilience strategies, or policy innovation 💡. Our shared responsibility is to act—together—before the next crisis becomes irreversible.

🙏 A special word of appreciation to the University of the South Pacific for the excellent cooperation!

📣KASYP Batch 18 applications are now open! 📣

Calling all young Asian politicians to apply for KASYP – Konrad Adenauer School for Young Politicians.

ℹ️The Konrad Adenauer School for Young Politicians (KASYP) is a capacity-development programme implemented by the Regional Programme Political Dialogue Asia of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS PDA) since March 2010. Throughout its years of existence, KASYP’s overarching objective has been to contribute to KAS PDA’s goal of fostering representative and accountable democratic parties in the region through strengthening the capacities of young political leaders.

If you are keen on pursuing a vocation in public service through political leadership, KASYP might just be the right training programme for you! 🌏🤝

📝 Apply now: 👉📲 bit.ly/KASYP18Application
📅 Application deadline: 30 August 2026

🤖🌏 AI Governance in the Indo-Pacific: Competition, Sovereignty and Strategic Adaptation

📅 24 June 2026
🕠 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM (SGT)
📍 Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Singapore Office
ARC 380, #11-01, Singapore
🔗 Register now: https://bit.ly/AiGovernanceIndoPacific

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Regional Programme Political Dialogue Asia and the Institute of South Asian Studies - NUS (ISAS), National University of Singapore, are pleased to organise the ISAS-KAS Panel Discussion on “AI Governance in the Indo-Pacific: Competition, Sovereignty and Strategic Adaptation.”

Artificial intelligence is shaping economic transformation, public-sector innovation, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity and geopolitical competition. At the same time, AI governance raises important questions relating to digital sovereignty, economic security, infrastructure dependence, data ecosystems and strategic autonomy.

The discussion will explore how governments and policymakers in the region are balancing innovation and regulation, openness and sovereignty, and economic pragmatism with strategic autonomy. It will also consider whether ASEAN’s soft-law and development-oriented approach to AI governance could offer a meaningful model for the Global South, while assessing the opportunities and challenges facing Singapore as a global AI hub.

The event will feature a keynote address by Mr Errol Levy, Chargé d’Affaires a.i., Delegation of the European Union to Singapore, followed by a presentation of the report “AI Governance in the Indo-Pacific: Competition, Sovereignty and Strategic Adaptation” by Dr Karthik Nachiappan, Research Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore.

The panel discussion will be followed by a networking reception, offering participants an opportunity to continue the exchange informally with speakers, organisers and fellow attendees.

🌊 World Ocean Day | Protecting Our Shared Future

On World Ocean Day, we are reminded that for countries like the Small Island States in the Pacific such as 🇫🇯 Fiji, 🇹🇻 Tuvalu, 🇻🇺 Vanuatu & 🇼🇸 Samoa, the ocean is not just a resource—it is identity, livelihood, a mode of transport, and home. Yet, climate change is transforming this reality. Rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and increasingly severe weather phenomena 🌪️⛈️ are no longer distant risks, but daily challenges.

Climate change has become a non-traditional security threat—a risk multiplier that intensifies vulnerabilities, threatens food and water security, and puts entire indigenous communities at risk of displacement.

Across the Pacific, security is no longer only about borders—it is about whether people can continue to live on their land with dignity and hope for the future. 🌏

Germany’s Indo-Pacific engagement recognises this harsh reality. Sustainable ocean governance, climate resilience, and multilateral cooperation are not only environmental priorities—they are essential for peace 🕊️, stability ⚖️, sovereignty 🏛️, and human security 💡.

By amplifying Pacific perspectives, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s Political Dialogue Asia Programme aims to contribute to policies that are grounded in real needs—supporting resilience, strengthening legal protections, and advancing innovative solutions.

Protecting the ocean also means protecting people—their livelihoods, their cultures, and their future. 🌊💙

The inaugural Sri Lankan–German Business Forum 2026 🇱🇰 🇩🇪 demonstrated the growing momentum in German–Sri Lankan economic relations and the strong potential for deeper cooperation across trade, investment, innovation 💡, connectivity 🌏, and sustainable development 🌱.

As a cooperation partner, KAS PDA Singapore was pleased to support this important platform, which brought together government representatives, business leaders, entrepreneurs 🚀, and development partners to discuss practical pathways for strengthening bilateral and regional cooperation.

We were also honored by the presence of Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister, Harini Amarasuriya, whose remarks highlighted the importance of inclusive economic growth, international partnerships, and Sri Lanka’s continued engagement with global investors and partners 🌍. Particularly noteworthy were the discussions on the EU’s Global Gateway initiative 🌐 and Sri Lanka’s role as a regional maritime ⚓ and logistics hub 🚢. These exchanges highlighted the country's strategic importance in the Indian Ocean and the opportunities that emerge when public and private stakeholders work together to advance connectivity, economic resilience, and sustainable growth 🌱.

The forum also showcased the dynamism of Sri Lanka’s innovation ecosystem 💡, with the Startup Night at TRACE Expert City 🚀 providing a valuable platform for entrepreneurs to present solutions addressing real-world challenges. The energy, creativity, and ambition on display offered a powerful reminder of the country's significant potential.

We extend our sincere appreciation to AHK Sri Lanka for its leadership in organizing this landmark event and, in particular, to Martin Klose and Malintha Gajanayake for their outstanding commitment and collaboration 🤝. Bringing together such a diverse group of stakeholders and launching a forum of this scale in its inaugural year is a remarkable achievement 👏.

Happy Vesak Day!🪷🙏🏻

Wishing all a blessed Eidul Adha! 🌙

🌏Connecting Leadership, AI, and Sustainable Development

In today’s rapidly changing world, the challenges of artificial intelligence, urban sustainability, and climate policy are deeply intertwined. How we govern emerging technologies shapes our cities, societies, and the future of work, while sustainable development ensures that technological progress serves people and the planet. Addressing these issues requires cross-border dialogue, innovation, and responsible leadership—precisely the goal of recent exchanges in Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

As the regional hub for Political Dialogue in Asia, KAS PDA Singapore was honored to join KAS Shanghai and Director David Merkle for two landmark initiatives:

🤖 Europe–China Future Young Leaders Program 2026 – Young leaders explored how AI is transforming work, governance, and cooperation. Through workshops and hands-on exercises, participants developed transnational leadership skills, a key focus of KAS PDA’s regional mission.

🌱 Workshop on Green Transition and Sustainable Governance – Jonas Nitschke represented KAS PDA Singapore, sharing perspectives on EU Climate Policy and the Global Gateway, exploring how cities and nations can align technological progress with societal and environmental well-being.

These exchanges reflect KAS PDA’s commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders in Asia, enabling them to react to complexity and turn understanding into action.

🙏 Many thanks to David Merkle, KAS Shanghai, and CUHK Shenzhen for facilitating these inspiring dialogues!