The Pacific Dialogue was founded by the International Center for Communications at San Diego State University. The purpose of the organization is to encourage discussion of international telecommunications issues among influential decision makers from the Asia- Pacific region.

This document is a report of the discussions and subsequent conclusions brought about by the various participating communications leaders (complete listing included) at the inaugural meeting of the Pacific Dialogue 12 & 13 April 1994 in Singapore. The meeting focused on several key telecommunication issues to the region, and to the globe. The main topics discussed were the following:

• Intellectual property

• Cultural, economic, and protective regulations

• The implications of technical convergence and global cooperation

• International investment

The discussions produced numerous ideas concerning the past, present, and challenging future of telecommunications in the Asia-Pacific region. Some of the most notable conclusions are revealed below in summary:

• There is a common recognition of the importance of a global information infrastructure. The creation of wealth and well-being spreads beyond one country's borders. Universal access then becomes a key element in implementing that well- being.

• Although economical, technical, and intellectual barriers are slowly coming down, there still remains strong forces of which the global communicator must be aware: culture, intellectual property, and accepted foreign programming. Though the government's role is important in controlling these forces, it does have practical limits.

• In order for the citizens of the Asia-Pacific region to best benefit from the global network, international cooperation, as well as traditional principles of competition, must be reached among the regional nations. While regulation will remain in the hands of the governing body such as the ITU, the national government, or the private broadcaster, the power will increasingly be in the hands of the consumer.

The details of these discussions and findings, as well as relevant regional telecommunications history, can be found in this document.