CIAC2027 Agenda
All sessions are open to the media.
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Special Sessions
TBC
9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
CIAC2027 Opening Plenary:
New Prospects for Canada-Asia Co-operation Amid Geopolitical Rupture?
Island Ballroom
CIAC2027 takes place a little over one year after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s January 2026 speech at the World Economic Forum Meeting in Davos. There he remarked that we are in the midst of a rupture of the international system, not a transition. In order for countries to develop greater strategic autonomy in the contemporary reality, he urged us all to build “coalitions that work, issue by issue, with partners who share enough common ground to act together.” In large part, this is the impetus motivating CIAC2027: building resilience and co-operative networks in energy, food, critical minerals, investment and finance, and supply chains. Since Prime Minister Carney’s speech, how have Canada’s priorities vis-à-vis Asia changed, are the foreign and trade policies of economies in the Indo-Pacific changing, and what does the near future hold for Canada-Asia co-operation?
10:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Post-Plenary Networking and Transition
10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
CIAC Concurrent Dialogue 1:
All to play for: Canada Should Supply the Indo-Pacific with More LNG, LPG, and Oil
Azalea I
Sector: Energy Security
Theme: Trade Diversification and Supply Chains
The on-again, off-again closure of the Strait of Hormuz has demonstrated the vulnerability of much of Asia to Middle East energy shocks while making clear that Canada’s opportunity to become a trusted energy supplier to the region is real yet time-limited, and will require the construction of infrastructure at speed. Will Canada be able to move quickly enough to capitalize? This session examines the Canadian supply side of the Canada-Asia energy security equation, incorporating new energy infrastructure projects, and the participation of First Nations in developing Canada’s energy export economies, to propel Canada as the energy supplier of choice to partners in the Indo-Pacific.
CIAC Concurrent Dialogue 2:
Are Transformational Investments in Canada’s Food Systems Helping Food Security in Asia?
Azalea II
Sector: Food Security
Theme: Canada-Asia Two-Way Investment
Canada’s National Food Security Strategy envisions an agricultural powerhouse that processes a far higher proportion of output and supplies global markets with higher-value products. What investments is Canada planning to bring this vision to reality, and where are the opportunities for investors from the Indo-Pacific? How is the Strategy likely to affect investment in and trade with Asia?
CIAC Concurrent Dialogue 3:
Why and How Are Middle Powers Shaping Indo-Pacific Security Policy and Industry Co-Operation?
Azelea III
Sector: Defence Industries
Theme: Middle Power Collaboration
This session explores middle power security co-operation in the Indo-Pacific and efforts by ASEAN member economies, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, India, and others to expand defence cooperation, as well as capability co-development and co-production as strategic defence partners. Canada’s expanding defence arrangements with the Philippines and Indonesia, its purchase of ‘over-the-horizon’ radar capabilities from Australia, and heightened Indo-Pacific deployments provide a foundation; additional steps include solidifying security alignment and complementary industrial capabilities.
12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Post-Session Networking and Transition
Lunch Plenary:
Investing in Major Infrastructure, Mining, and Energy Projects in Canada
12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Island Ballroom
Post-Session Networking and Transition
2:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.
Canada-Asia Showcases
2:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Post-Session Networking and Transition
3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Special Sessions
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Pre-Gala Reception
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Island Foyer
Gala Dinner
6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Island Ballroom