Pacific Council on International Policy

Pacific Council on International Policy is a nonprofit foreign policy organization founded in 1995 in Los Angeles. It brings together practitioners, policymakers, diplomats, business leaders, and academics to engage on international affairs through programs, task forces, and convenings. The Council operates as a regional node connecting perspectives from the Pacific Rim to Washington, D.C., New York, and international capitals.

History

The organization was established in 1995 by Richard Holbrooke and a group of Los Angeles–based civic leaders seeking a West Coast counterpart to East Coast institutions such as the Council on Foreign Relations, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Brookings Institution. Early initiatives convened figures from the Clinton administration, the United Nations, and diplomatic communities linked to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation process and the Trans-Pacific Partnership dialogue. Throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, the Council hosted panels featuring officials associated with the State Department, Department of Defense, US Congress, and prominent diplomats involved in events like the Kosovo War, Iraq War, and negotiations with North Korea. Over time its programs expanded to include track-two diplomacy with participants from Japan, China, Australia, and countries of Latin America. Notable speakers and members have included former ambassadors, NATO officials, corporate executives tied to Silicon Valley, and scholars from institutions such as University of California, Los Angeles and Stanford University.

Mission and Programs

The Council's mission centers on convening networks to influence foreign policy debates, offering public programming, and producing task force reports. Program areas have addressed crises like the Syrian Civil War, climate diplomacy linked to the Paris Agreement, trade and investment issues related to the World Trade Organization, and security concerns in the South China Sea. Regular program formats include public panels featuring former secretaries like Madeleine Albright, former national security advisors connected to the National Security Council, and experts on transnational issues such as cybersecurity tied to Microsoft and Google. The Council runs fellowship programs, scenario-planning workshops reminiscent of methods used at the RAND Corporation, and targeted task forces that produce recommendations cited in briefings to members of the U.S. Senate and foreign embassies in Washington, D.C..

Governance and Membership

Governance is overseen by a board of directors composed of private sector leaders, former diplomats, and academic figures. Past and present board members have included former ambassadors who served at missions to China, Mexico, and Israel, corporate executives with ties to Hollywood, aerospace leaders connected to Boeing, and civil society figures affiliated with the United Nations Foundation. Membership spans practitioners from the diplomatic corps, retired military officers who served in commands such as United States Indo-Pacific Command, foreign service officers posted to embassies in Tokyo and Beijing, legal experts who've worked on cases at the International Court of Justice, and journalists from outlets covering international affairs like the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times.

Regional and Global Impact

Regionally, the Council has helped shape West Coast engagement with Asia through dialogues involving officials from Japan Prime Minister's Office, delegations to ASEAN capitals, and collaborations with think tanks in Australia and New Zealand. Globally, its task forces have produced policy recommendations that informed delegations to multilateral fora such as United Nations General Assembly sessions and G20 meetings. The Council's convenings have facilitated back-channel exchanges relevant to negotiations concerning Iran nuclear program matters and confidence-building measures around Korean Peninsula tensions. Through partnerships with universities and policy institutes, the organization has amplified perspectives from diasporic communities across Mexico, Philippines, and South Korea into transnational policy debates.

Partnerships and Funding

The Council partners with academic institutions, private foundations, corporate sponsors, and government entities. Collaborative partners have included campus centers at UCLA, research programs at Stanford University, think tanks such as the Asia Society, and philanthropic organizations like the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Corporate sponsors have ranged from technology firms linked to Silicon Valley to multinational conglomerates with interests in Asia-Pacific markets. Funding comes from membership dues, event sponsorships, grants from foundations, and fees for bespoke convenings for clients including consulates, foreign ministries, and multinational corporations. Accountability mechanisms mirror practices used by nonprofits registered under Internal Revenue Service rules for 501(c)(3) organizations and often involve audited financial statements and board oversight.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States Category:Foreign policy think tanks