Baker Institute event to explore legacy of Plaza Accord Oct. 1

MEDIA ADVISORY

David Ruth
david@rice.edu
713-348-6327

Jeff Falk
jfalk@rice.edu
713-348-6775

Baker Institute event to explore legacy of Plaza Accord Oct. 1
High-level conference to consider potential for currency cooperation

HOUSTON – (Sept. 1, 2015) – Former U.S. Treasury Secretary James A. Baker III and other key players involved in the 1985 Plaza Accord, as well as top scholars and financial market experts, will gather at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy Oct. 1 to evaluate the accord’s lasting legacy.

The Plaza Accord was a major turning point in the exchange-rate policy during the 1980s, marked by heightened international cooperation and a falling dollar, according to event organizers. Gathered by Baker, the financial leaders of France, West Germany, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom signed the accord Sept. 22, 1985, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Panelists will discuss what made the Plaza Accord uniquely successful compared with today’s instances of currency wars and currency manipulation and consider the question “Does the world need another Plaza Accord?”

The conference is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Who: James A. Baker III, the nation’s 67th secretary of the treasury, 61st secretary of state and honorary chair of the Baker Institute, will give the keynote address. Other speakers include Makoto Utsumi, former Japanese vice minister of finance for international affairs; David Mulford, vice chairman international of Credit Suisse and former U.S. Treasury undersecretary for international affairs; Agnès Bénassy-Quéré, professor at the Paris School of Economics and chair of the French Council of Economic Analysis; and Charles Dallara, former managing director of the Institute of International Finance and former senior U.S. Treasury official.

For a full list of speakers, see http://bakerinstitute.org/events/1736.

What: A conference titled “Currency Policy Then and Now: 30th Anniversary of the Plaza Accord.”

When: Thursday, Oct. 1, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Where: Rice University, Baker Hall, Kelly International Conference Facility, 6100 Main St.

Members of the news media who want to attend should RSVP to Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

The public must register to attend this event at http://bakerinstitute.org/events/1736. A live webcast will be available at the registration page.

For a map of Rice University’s campus with parking information, go to www.rice.edu/maps. Media are advised to park in the Central Campus Garage.

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Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute ranks among the top 10 university-affiliated think tanks in the world. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute conducts research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows, Rice University faculty scholars and staff, coupled with its outreach to the Rice student body through fellow-taught classes — including a public policy course — and student leadership and internship programs. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.