Santiago, May 25, 1998 – Internet users around the world are able to follow the 31st International General Meeting (IGM) of the Pacific Basin Economic Council via the PBEC website (www.pbec.org). The opening plenary session of the IGM was held today, with President Eduardo Frei Ruiz Tagle delivering the keynote address. The annual conference, which runs to May 27, brings together more than 500 senior business executives and government officials from throughout Asia, the Pacific and the Americas. The theme of this year’s IGM is “Pacific Prosperity: Sustaining Momentum into the 21st Century.” With its International Secretariat in Honolulu, Hawaii, PBEC is an association of top business leaders representing more than 1,100 major corporations in 20 economies around the Pacific. In addition to President Frei, other prominent participants at the 31st IGM include the vice presidents of Argentina, Ecuador and Peru, as well as U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen and Yoshihide Munekuni, the chairman of Japanese automotive giant Honda.

Anyone interested in learning about PBEC and monitoring the IGM can access the website, which will be updated daily. Speeches, session summaries and other reports will be available on-line. The website also allows users wanting more information to communicate directly with PBEC via e-mail. “The Internet has become a highly useful tool for international conferences,” says Stephen Olson, PBEC’s Manager for Policy Coordination and Communications. “Going on-line widens our audience tremendously. While networking and making contact face-to-face with delegates may not be possible, at least Internet users can participate to a degree and keep track of IGM proceedings.”

The IGM is an opportunity for the Pacific region’s foremost executives to gather with other international leaders to discuss, in a frank and intimate setting, the key issues in the regional economy, and to publicly issue policy recommendations and statements. PBEC member corporations account for more than US$4 trillion in global sales and employ more than 10 million people. The unprecedented scope of PBEC’s membership constitutes a broad and balanced reservoir of international business knowledge, unmatched in credibility and expertise. Last year in Manila, PBEC celebrated its 30th anniversary, making it the Asia-Pacific’s most senior regional business organization. PBEC is the voice of business in the Pacific.

Contact:
Stephen Olson
PBEC International Secretariat
900 Fort Street, Suite 1080
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 USA
Tel. 521-9044 ext. 17
Fax.521-8530
E-mail: steve@pbec.org

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