The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada), created by an

Act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...

in 1984, is an independent, not-for-profit

think-tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmental ...

on Canada's relations with Asia. Based in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, with a secondary office in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, APF Canada functions as a knowledge broker, providing current and comprehensive research, analysis and information on

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

's transpacific relations. The Foundation promotes dialogue on economic, security, political and social issues, fostering informed decision-making in the Canadian public, private and non-governmental sectors. APF Canada also provides grants to support policy research and informed discussion on Canada's relations with

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

History of the Foundation

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada was created as part of the Canadian government's growing interest in relations with Asia under the administrations of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Its inception in 1984 was led by the

Department of External Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...

, and was specifically proposed by the director general of the Department's Asian and Pacific bureau, Tom Delworth. At the time the Department was headed by Secretary of State for External Affairs

Joe Clark Charles Joseph Clark (born June 5, 1939) is a Canadian statesman, businessman, writer, and politician who served as the 16th prime minister of Canada from 1979 to 1980. Despite his relative inexperience, Clark rose quickly in federal polit ...

. Soon after, Vancouver businessman John Bruk was commissioned by the Department to undertake a study of the proposal. His report was accepted and became the basis for the founding Act. Mr. Bruk became the founding Chairman. The founders aimed to create an independent source of thought on Canada's trade, investment and political relations with Asia. This came amidst the growing perception of Canada as a

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

country, compared with its relations being conducted primarily by the Eastern provinces across the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

. As a result, it was mandated that the Foundation's primary office should always be in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

as to promote relations with Asia across the Pacific. This idea was the premise for the creation of the

Asia–Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative The Asia–Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative is an integrated set of investment and policy measures of the Canadian federal government that are focused on trade with the Asia–Pacific Region. Asia–Pacific Gateway and Corridor The Asia� ...

, whose mission is to establish Canada's Asia–Pacific Gateway and Corridor as the best transportation network facilitating global

supply chain In commerce, a supply chain is a network of facilities that procure raw materials, transform them into intermediate goods and then final products to customers through a distribution system. It refers to the network of organizations, people, acti ...

s between North America and Asia. The Foundation was initially funded on short-term plans or for specific projects with contributions from both the Federal and Provincial governments, as well as by corporate and private donors. In 2005 a founding supporter of the Foundation, Senator Jack Austin, led an initiative to award the Foundation a C$50-million endowment from the

Government of Canada The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown ...

, from which it now draws much of its funding, in addition to private and corporate donations.

Mandate

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada) is a not-for-profit organization focused on Canada's relations with Asia. Its mission is to be Canada's catalyst for engagement with Asia and Asia's bridge to Canada. A leader in research and analysis on Canada-Asia relations for over 30 years, APF Canada partners with government, business leaders, academics, and opinion makers in Canada and across the Asia Pacific region to offer clear, specific, and actionable policy advice. APF Canada's thematic priorities include: promoting trade, investment, and innovation; advancing sustainability; building skills and competencies; and, understanding Asia now.

Governance

The affairs of the Foundation are managed by a

Board of Directors A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...

. The Board consists of a Chairperson and up to six other directors appointed by the Governor in Council; up to 18 additional directors appointed by the Board after consultation with provincial governments and other interested outside parties; and the President of the Foundation. The Chairperson and each of the Board members is appointed for a term of three years, and may serve a maximum of three terms. The Board, which has ultimate responsibility for the Foundation's activities, meets at least twice a year. It is responsible for setting the strategic directions of the Foundation, management of the

endowment fund A financial endowment is a legal structure for managing, and in many cases indefinitely perpetuating, a pool of financial, real estate, or other investments for a specific purpose according to the will of its founders and donors. Endowments are of ...

, and appointment of the President. Stewart Beck is the current President and CEO. Prior to joining the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, Mr. Beck was the Canadian High Commissioner to India.

Former Heads

* Yuen Pau Woo

Affiliations

* Canada participates in the

Pacific Economic Cooperation Council The Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) is a network of member committees composed of individuals and institutions dedicated to promoting cooperation across the Asia Pacific region, headquartered in Singapore. PECC has 23 full member commit ...

(PECC) through the Canadian Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation (CANCPEC), which is administered by the Foundation. * The Foundation serves as the secretariat for Canada's APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) members, providing research, analysis, and administrative support. * The Foundation is the APEC Study Centre for Canada, a role the Foundation was given by the Government of Canada in 1995. As the Study Centre, the Foundation produces research papers and commentary on priority issues for Canada's involvement in APEC. Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Asia Pacific Foundation Of Canada Think tanks based in Canada Political and economic think tanks based in Canada Think tanks established in 1984 Organizations based in Vancouver