The Trilateral Commission held its 2023 plenary meeting in India, New Delhi, drawing over 260 leaders from 46 countries in the worlds of business, government, academia, the media, and civil society from around the globe—all participating in their individual capacity—to promote dialogue on key issues facing the international community. JCIE has served as the Asia Pacific Secretariat (formerly the Japan Secretariat) since the commission was launched in 1973.
This year was the 50th Anniversary of the Commission and was also the first time that the group has met in India, an occasion that was celebrated at a 50th anniversary gala dinner hosted by the Indian Group. Across the three days of meetings participants heard from Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s Minister for External Affairs; Gan Kim Yong, Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry; and Taro Kono, Japan’s Minister for Digital Transformation, among others. Some of the topics featured in this year’s discussion included India’s politics, economy, and society, the war in Ukraine, geopolitics in Indo-Pacific, the global food crisis, supply chains, whether social media enhances or undermines democracy, and a look forward towards the next 50 years of the Trilateral Commission. Participants also recognized Hideko Katsumata, JCIE/Japan’s Executive Director and COO, who has been a key part of the Commission’s Asia-Pacific Secretariat since its inception 50 years ago.