The Plaza at 30

April 7, 2016, 9:45 AM to 2:30 PM EDT

Lawrence H. Summers (Harvard University), C. Fred Bergsten (PIIE), James Boughton (CIGI), Russell Green (Rice University), Karen Johnson ( Federal Reserve Board), David Smick (The International Economy), Domenico Lombardi (Centre for International Governance Innovation), Joseph E. Gagnon (PIIE), Harold James (Princeton University and the Centre for International Governance Innovation) and Fabrizio Saccomanni (PIIE)

The Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) and the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) hosted the conference "The Plaza at 30" on April 7, 2016. Experts on monetary policy and exchange rates from a wide range of official and private institutions shared their perspectives on the Plaza Accord of 1985 and lessons for the future. The conference also marked the publication of the book International Monetary Cooperation: Lessons from the Plaza Accord after Thirty Years, edited by C. Fred Bergsten and Russell A. Green.

Lawrence H. Summers of Harvard University and former secretary of the US Treasury will begin the event by addressing the global agenda on exchange rates and monetary cooperation and taking audience questions. Participants for the first panel, "How Successful Was Plaza?," will be James Boughton, CIGI senior fellow and former historian of the International Monetary Fund; Russell Green of the Baker Institute at Rice University; Karen Johnson, former director of the division of international finance at the Federal Reserve Board; and David Smick, originator of the Bradley-Kemp initiative that contributed to the Plaza deal.

Panelists for the second panel "Time for a New Plaza?" will include C. Fred Bergsten, senior fellow and director emeritus of PIIE; Joseph E. Gagnon, PIIE senior fellow; Harold James, CIGI senior fellow and Princeton University; and Fabrizio Saccomanni of the International Affairs Institute and former finance minister of Italy.