DOCSLIB.ORG

South Asia Economic Union

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
South Asia Economic Union Towards South Asia Economic Union Proceedings of the 7th South Asia Economic Summit (SAES) 5-7 November 2014 New Delhi, India Copyright © RIS ISBN: 81-7122-144-9 Published in 2015 by: Core IV-B, Fourth Floor, India Habitat Centre Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110 003, India Ph.: +91-11-24682177-80, Fax: +91-11-24682173-74 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.ris.org.in Table of Contents Foreword by Ambassador Shyam Saran, Chairman, RIS ...........................................v Preface by Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General, RIS .....................................vii Acknowledgements .....................................................................................................ix List of Abbreviations ...................................................................................................xi Part I Summary and Recommendations ..........................................................................1 Part II Agenda......................................................................................................................17 Welcome Address by Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General, RIS ..........27 Opening Address by Amb. Shyam Saran, Chairman, RIS ...............................31 Inaugural Address by Hon’ble M. Hamid Ansari, ..........................................35 Vice-President of India Vote of Thanks by Prof. Prabir De, RIS ................................................................39 Part III South Asia Economic Union: Challenges and Tasks Ahead.............................43 Selim Raihan Challenges to Regional Services Integration in South Asia ..............................61 Rupa Chanda Services Trade in South Asia: An Assessment ....................................................83 Shahid Ahmed and Sushil Kumar Strengthening South Asia Value Chain: Prospects and Challenges ..............103 Vaqar Ahmed, Abid Q. Suleri and Asif Javed Potential and Prospects of Strengthening Transport Connectivity ..............123 for Regional Economic Integration in Southern Asia Nagesh Kumar Connectivity for the South Asia Economic Union ...........................................141 Prabir De Stimulating Intra-Regional Investment in SAARC: ........................................153 Is a Regional Investment Agreement the Way Forward? Raveen Ekanayake and Nipuni Perera Payment Systems to Facilitate South Asian Integration..................................181 Ashima Goyal Post-2015 Agenda and Regional Cooperation in South Asia .........................199 Sachin Chaturvedi and Sabyasachi Saha Regional Integration and the Post-2015 Framework: .....................................215 A South Asian Perspective Debapriya Bhattacharya Part IV Glimpses of the Summit .......................................................................................241 Foreword Ambassador Shyam Saran Chairman Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) in association with the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), Colombo; the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Islamabad; the South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), Kathmandu; the South Asia Centre for Policy Studies (SACEPS), Kathmandu; and the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dhaka, with support of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India; the World Bank; the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP); and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), organised the 7th South Asia Economic Summit (SAES), in New Delhi on 5-7 November 2014. The Summit was inaugurated by Hon’ble Vice President, Shri Hamid Ansari. The theme of the 7th SAES was “Towards South Asia Economic Union”. Several eminent scholars from India and abroad presented research papers at this Summit, and discussed a number of key issues that are relevant from the point of view of deepening South Asian integration. What emerges out of the deliberations is that the creation of South Asian Economic Union (SAEU) would prove to be a milestone in the regional cooperation efforts. The selected papers of the Summit are now presented in a single volume which will become a valuable reference for scholars and researchers as well. The papers of this volume also provide important policy lessons. I gratefully acknowledge the efforts and contributions of RIS faculty and administration in organising the 7th SAES. I would like to record my appreciation of the efforts that have been put by my senior colleague, Prof. Prabir De and his team, in putting together this volume. I wish to thank my colleagues at RIS including Dr. V.S. Seshadri, Vice-Chairman and the Director General, Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi, for their constant support and cooperation. The SAES has provided us new ideas and suggestions in deepening the South Asian integration. I am certain that the Proceedings of the Summit will be welcomed by all those who have an interest in the regional cooperation and integration. New Delhi December 2015 Shyam Saran v Preface Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi Director General Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) RIS has made pioneering contribution to the South Asia integration process. There are several important Studies that have been conducted by RIS independently and at the regional level and also in collaboration with other institutions which have fed into policies undertaken by the respective countries in South Asia. RIS recently brought out its flagship publication “South Asia Development and Cooperation Report (SADCR) 2015” focusing on the theme “Economic Integration for Peace-Creating Prosperity”. The SADCR argues that prosperity achieved through economic integration could prove to be “peace- creating”. Presently, the challenges before the South Asian countries are to identify the ways and means of achieving regional integration on a fast track basis. Our move from SAPTA to SAFTA and now the proposal for South Asia Economic Union is a pragmatic move towards the next stage of cooperation. South Asian countries need to move further from trade liberalization measures alone to regional investment cooperation strategy, production integration, and technology cooperation. In the economic union and common market, macro- economic coordination also assumes greater significance. South Asia Economic Union is going to happen, and shall take its own course. There are definite advantages of moving towards an economic union, but the roadmap has to be well thought out and a strategy has to be in place, which is ambitious but realistic. However, as the deliberations of the 7th SAES indicated, the level of cooperation between the countries would determine the possibility of South Asia community and economic union. Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) organised the 7th South Asia Economic Summit (SAES) at New Delhi on 5-7 November 2014. The Summit was organised in association with the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), Colombo; the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Islamabad; the South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), Kathmandu; the South Asia Centre for Policy Studies (SACEPS), Kathmandu; and the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dhaka, with support of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India; the World Bank; the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP); and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The theme Towards South Asia Economic Union of the 7th SAES was “Towards South Asia Economic Union”. The Summit was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Vice President of India and his speech had set the tone for the 7th SAES. Several scholars from South Asian countries presented their papers at this Summit. The selected papers of the Summit are now presented in the form of Proceedings. I gratefully acknowledge the efforts and contributions of RIS faculty and administration in organizing the 7th SAES. I wish to thank RIS Chairman, Ambassador Shyam Saran for his guidance and support. I would also like to thank Dr. Ajay M. Gondane, Additional Secretary, MEA for the support and encouragement that he very kindly extended. My colleague Prof. Prabir De played an important role in organizing the SAES and this publication. We also thank Mr. M.C. Arora, Director (F&A) and Mr. Tish Malhotra of the RIS Publication Unit for arranging the printing of the volume well in time. I am sure that the Proceedings of the 7th SAES will be a valuable resource to the scholars, practitioners and business community. December 2015 Sachin Chaturvedi viii Acknowledgements The Proceedings of the 7th South Asia Economic Summit (SAES) 2014 on “Towards South Asia Economic Union” has been edited by Prof. Prabir De, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), who had also coordinated the 7th SAES under the overall guidance of Ambassador Shyam Saran, Chairman, RIS. Editorial assistance has been received from Ms. Sreya Pan, Research Associate, RIS. RIS faculty and administration extended great support in organizing the 7th SAES. We are grateful to Ambassador Shyam Saran, Chairman, RIS; Ambassador V.S. Seshadri, Vice Chairman, RIS; and Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General, RIS for their guidance and encouragement. We are equally thankful to Prof. S K Mohanty and Prof. Ram Updendra Das for their valuable contributions. We are grateful to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India; the World Bank; the United Nations Economic
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Regional Initiative for a South Asian Human Rights Mechanism (RISAHRM) 29
    Copyright : Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), 2017 Editorial Team: Anjuman Ara Begum Lorenzo Urbinati Marte Hellema Mukunda Kattel Shivani Vaishnava Cover Design/Layout and Printing: Dream Graphic Press Regional Office: 79/2 SPD Building 3rd Floor, Krungthonburi Road, Kholngtonsai, Khlongsan Bangkok 10600- Thailand Tel: +66 (0) 21082643-46/Fax: 66(0)21082646 Geneva Office: Rue de Varembe 1, 2nd Floor 1202 Geneva, Switzerland Tel: +41 (0)22 7402947 Jakarta Office: C/O KontraS Jalan Kramat 2 No. 7, Senen, Jakarta Pusat 10420 Indonesia Tel: +62 (0)21 3919 006 www.forum-asia.org Follow us on FORUM-ASIA forum_asia ForumAsiaVideo Disclaimer: This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of FORUM-ASIA, and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. Understanding Regional Human Rights Mechanisms & The Need for A South Asian Human Rights Mechanism CONTENTS 1. Introduction 7 2. Why a Regional Human Rights Mechanism ? 8 3. Establishment of RISAHRM 12 National Workshops 15 Other activities and strategies 17 4. Prospective South Asia Human Rights Mechanism 19 5. SAARC and Human Rights 21 Annex 1: Terms of Reference for the Task Force on RISAHRM Regional Initiative for a South Asian Human Rights Mechanism (RISAHRM) 29 Annex 2: SAARC Instruments and Conventions Contributing to Human Rights 35 Annex 3: Kathmandu Declaration, 2010 40 Annex 4: Kathmandu Statement 2011 44 1 Introduction he Regional Initiative for a South Asian Human Rights TMechanism (RISAHRM) is a collaborative platform of South Asian civil society and individuals committed to the cause of human rights and peace in the region.
    [Show full text]
  • Institution List „A“
    Institution List „A“ • Abu Dhabi Fund for Development • African Development Bank Group (AfDB) • African Development Fund (AfDF) • Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF) • African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIMBANK) • Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) • Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) • Arab Trade Financing Program (ATFP) • Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) • Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) • Andean Community General Secretariat • Andean Development Corporation (CAF) • Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development (AAAID) • Arab Gulf Programme for United Nations Development Organizations (AGFUND) • Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD) • Arab Planning Institute - Kuwait • Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) • Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) • Asian Clearing Union (ACU) • Asian Development Bank (AsDB) • Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) • Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 1 Institution List „B-C“ • Bank of Central African States (BEAC) • Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) • Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) • Baltic Council of Ministers • Bank for International Settlements (BIS) • Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) • Caribbean Centre for Monetary Studies (CCMS) • Caribbean Community (CARICOM) • Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) • Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC) • Center for Latin American Monetary Studies (CEMLA) • Center for Marketing Information and Advisory Services for Fishery Products
    [Show full text]
  • Development of Payment and Settlement System
    CHAPTER 7 Development of Payment and Settlement System Khin Thida Maw This chapter should be cited as: Khin Thida Maw, 2012. “Development of Payment and Settlement System.” In Economic Reforms in Myanmar: Pathways and Prospects, edited by Hank Lim and Yasuhiro Yamada, BRC Research Report No.10, Bangkok Research Center, IDE- JETRO, Bangkok, Thailand. Chapter 7 Development of Payment and Settlement System Khin Thida Maw ______________________________________________________________________ Abstract The new government of Myanmar has proved its intention to have good relations with the international community. Being a member of ASEAN, Myanmar has to prepare the requisite measures to assist in the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015. However, the legacy of the socialist era and the tight control on the banking system spurred people on to cash rather than the banking system for daily payment. The level of Myanmar’s banking sector development is further behind the standards of other regional banks. This paper utilizes a descriptive approach as it aims to provide the reader with an understanding of the current payment and settlement system of Myanmar’s financial sector and to recommend some policy issues for consideration. Section 1 introduces general background to the subject matter. Section 2 explains the existing domestic and international payment and settlement systems in use by Myanmar. Section 3 provides description of how the information has been collected and analyzed. Section 4 describes recent banking sector developments and points for further consideration relating to payment and settlement system. And Section 5 concludes with the suggestions and recommendation. ______________________________________________________________________ 1. Introduction Practically speaking, Myanmar’s economy was cash-based due to the prolonged decline of the banking system after nationalization beginning in the early 1960s.
    [Show full text]
  • SAARC Countries I Ii Seminar Book
    Munich Personal RePEc Archive Future-of-Eco-Coop-in-SARRC- Countries Shah, Syed Akhter Hussain Pakistan Institute of Development Economics Islamabad 2014 Online at https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/59275/ MPRA Paper No. 59275, posted 30 Dec 2014 23:42 UTC Future of Economic Cooperation in SAARC Countries i ii Seminar Book Future of Economic Cooperation in SAARC Countries iii CONTENTS Acknowledgements Acronyms Introduction 1 Welcome Address 12 Ambassador (R) Sohail Amin Opening Remarks 15 Kristof W. Duwaerts Inaugural Address 18 Riaz Mohammad Khan Concluding Address 24 Dr. Ishrat Hussain Concluding Remarks 26 Kristof W. Duwaerts Vote of Thanks 27 Ambassador (R) Sohail Amin Recommendations 29 CHAPTER 1 Regional Trade — Driver for Economic Growth 37 Dr. Kamal Monnoo CHAPTER 2 Meeting Energy Requirement: Potential for Intra-regional Energy Trade 61 Dr. Janak Lal Karmacharya CHAPTER 3 Building Regional Transport and Communication Infrastructure 81 Ms. Arshi Saleem Hashmi iv Seminar Book CHAPTER 4 Developing Energy Corridor from Central and West Asia to South Asia 101 Prof. Savita Pande CHAPTER 5 The New Silk Road Initiative: Economic Dividends 119 Mr. Nabi Sroosh and Mr.Yosuf Sabir CHAPTER 6 China‟s Growing Economic Relations with South Asia 127 Dr. Liu Zongyi CHAPTER 7 Fast Tracking Economic Collaboration in SAARC Countries 146 Dr. Pervez Tahir CHAPTER 8 Towards an Asian Century: Future of Economic Cooperation in SAARC Countries: A View from FPCCI 159 Mr. Muhammad Ali CHAPTER 9 Economic Cooperation among SAARC Countries: Political Constraints 163 Dr. Rashid Ahmad Khan CHAPTER 10 Implications of Bilateral and Sub-regional Trade Agreements on Economic Cooperation: A Case Study of SAARC in South Asia 177 Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Policy Brief
    ASIA-PACIFIC RESEARCH AND TRAINING NETWORK ON TRADE POLICY BRIEF BRIEF NO. 50 | July 2017 India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement: Sri Lanka reaping the benefits from preferential trade SAMAN KELEGAMA* Usage of the preferential tariffs in the free trade agreement The objective of a free trade agreement (FTA) is not to bring about a balance in trade, but to work out a ‘win-win’ situation for both producers and consumers in FTA member countries. In doing so, there can be instances where the trade deficit increases for one partner. For instance, the inflow of necessary consumer goods, machinery and spare parts for industrial activity, and intermediate goods like textiles and oil, to one trading partner can be huge while the supply capacity of the same trading nation may be limited and cannot immediately increase to expand its exports to match the import flow. If one looks at the composition of imports from India to Sri Lanka, the bulk of it comes mainly to fulfill consumer needs like vehicles, pharmaceuticals, sugar, etc. Some other imports are intermediate imports for the industry like textiles, vehicle parts, and oil. For example, Sri Lanka annually imports close to US$60 million worth of yarn and US$300 million of fabric from India for use as inputs in the apparel industry. All these items constitute, on average, nearly 80% of Sri Lankan imports from India and they are imported outside the provisions of the FTA. In other words, these items are subject to normal customs duties and do not benefit from any tariff concessions.
    [Show full text]
  • India FTA and the Sri Lanka – Pakistan FTA
    UNCTAD REGIONAL VALUE CHAINS BACKGROUND PAPER Experiences of Sri Lanka in the Sri Lanka – India FTA and the Sri Lanka – Pakistan FTA Saman Kelegama and Chandana Karunaratne Institute of Policy Studies BACKGROUND PAPER NO. RVC-10 1 This study was prepared for UNCTAD as a background paper for to the ECIDC Report 2012. The financial Experiences of Sri Lanka in the Sri Lanka – India FTA and the Sri Lanka – Pakistan FTA Saman Kelegama and Chandana Karunaratne UNCTAD JANUARY 2013 Executive Director, Institute of Policy Studies, Sri Lanka Research Officer, IPS 2 Experiences of Sri Lanka in the Sri Lanka – India FTA and the Sri Lanka – Pakistan FTA Saman Kelegama and Chandana Karunaratne Introduction Since the implementation of Sri Lanka’s Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with India and Pakistan, there have been markedly different impacts on its bilateral trade with the two countries. The India – Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA) was signed in December 1998 and was among the first attempts to promote trade liberalization in South Asia. It was India’s first bilateral free trade agreement and resulted in substantial growth in trade between the two countries after becoming operational in March 2000. An analysis of sectoral growth that follows below shows that within the first two years following implementation of the Agreement, several sectors experienced over 100% growth, including industries such as chemical product manufacturing, cement manufacturing, and pearl harvesting. Among Sri Lanka’s key exports, textile articles grew noticeably by 370%. Nonetheless, some industries did suffer negative growth. Nonetheless, the development-oriented impacts of the ISFTA have been fairly limited.
    [Show full text]
  • Building Bridges and Promoting People to People Interaction in South Asia
    Building Bridges and Promoting People to People Interaction in South Asia EDITORS Nishchal N. Pandey Kumar Shrestha 2012 I Published by Centre for South Asian Studies, Kathmandu www.csas.org.np ©Publisher Year of Publication 2012 ISBN 978-9973-2-5165-6 Printed at Jagadamba Press Hattiban Lalitpur, 5250017-19 Email: [email protected] II PREFACE This publication is an outcome of a regional conference on “Building Bridges and Promoting People to People Interaction in South Asia” jointly organized in Kathmandu by the Centre for South Asian Studies (CSAS), the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Confl ict (GPPAC) and the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS) in October 2011. South Asia is one of the least connected regions. Political and security cruxes have for long impacted on regional cooperation endeavors even as trade, connectivity and travel have become helpless victims in the face of bilateral problems. Despite these hurdles, the civil society of South Asia has continued not only to advocate for peace and amity in the region, but also to recommend measures to strengthen SAARC, taking cue from the success story of ASEAN and the European Union. The South Asian civil society is a robust and enthusiastic group of people from every profession that has time and again demanded that SAARC must become a fl exible alliance that is effective and effi cient. While SAARC is an inter- governmental association, successive Summits have emphasized on the importance of promoting people-to-people contacts at all levels outside the State sector. The community of academics, CSOs, women leaders, NGO representatives and media persons that participated in this roundtable turned out to be an illustrious community with shared values championing peace, freedom and greater economic integration.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction Establishment
    ACU 1974 INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES Secretary General settlement periods by a decision taken by unanimous vote of all of the Directors. Asian Clearing Union (ACU) is the simplest form of • To provide a facility to settle payments, on a multilateral The Board is authorized to appoint a Secretary General payment arrangements whereby the participants settle basis, for current international transactions among for a term of three years. The Secretary General may Interest payments for intra-regional transactions among the the territories of participants; be reappointed and shall cease to hold office when the Interest shall be paid by net debtors and transferred to participating central banks on a multilateral basis. The Board so decides. • To promote the use of participants’ currencies net creditors on daily outstandings between settlement main objectives of a clearing union are to facilitate in current transactions between their respective Agent dates. The rate of interest applicable for a settlement payments among member countries for eligible territories and thereby effect economies in the use period will be the closing rate on the first working day transactions, thereby economizing on the use of foreign The Board of Directors may make arrangements with of the participants’ exchange reserves; of the last week of the previous calendar month offered exchange reserves and transfer costs, as well as a central bank or monetary authority of a participant by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) for one promoting trade among the participating countries. The • To promote monetary cooperation among the to provide the necessary services and facilities for the month US dollar and Euro deposits.
    [Show full text]
  • Politics of Ports China's Investments in Pakistan, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh
    Politics of ports China’s investments in Pakistan, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh Thilini Kahandawaarachchi A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in International Studies: South Asia University of Washington 2015 Committee: Sunila Kale Anand Yang Program Authorized to Offer Degree: The Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies © Copyright 2015 Thilini Kahandawaarachchi ii University of Washington Abstract Politics of ports China’s investments in Pakistan, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh Thilini Kahandawaarachchi Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Dr. Sunila Kale South Asia Studies Department Over the last decade China has heavily invested in deep-water ports in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Many scholars explain these investments in light of China’s economic expansion and long-term strategic goals. However, scholars have not paid enough attention to the rationale for recipient countries to encourage and even actively seek Chinese investments. This thesis will examine the rationale behind the governments of Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh for involving China to build their maritime infrastructure. Firstly, I argue that these countries consider China to be a favourable alternative to funding from international financial institutions and Western donors that usually have numerous conditionalities when extending development loans. Secondly, I argue that South Asian countries around India perceive China as a counter balance against the regional hegemony of India. Further, China is also a useful friend to these South Asian countries to resist the influence of external powers and international organizations such as the UN. Thirdly, I argue that Chinese funding for these projects is used to achieve local development agendas and to increase regional connectivity in South Asia.
    [Show full text]
  • Future of Economic Cooperation in SAARC Countries I Ii Seminar Book
    Future of Economic Cooperation in SAARC Countries i ii Seminar Book Future of Economic Cooperation in SAARC Countries iii CONTENTS Acknowledgements Acronyms Introduction 1 Welcome Address 12 Ambassador (R) Sohail Amin Opening Remarks 15 Kristof W. Duwaerts Inaugural Address 18 Riaz Mohammad Khan Concluding Address 24 Dr. Ishrat Hussain Concluding Remarks 26 Kristof W. Duwaerts Vote of Thanks 27 Ambassador (R) Sohail Amin Recommendations 29 CHAPTER 1 Regional Trade — Driver for Economic Growth 37 Dr. Kamal Monnoo CHAPTER 2 Meeting Energy Requirement: Potential for Intra-regional Energy Trade 61 Dr. Janak Lal Karmacharya CHAPTER 3 Building Regional Transport and Communication Infrastructure 81 Ms. Arshi Saleem Hashmi iv Seminar Book CHAPTER 4 Developing Energy Corridor from Central and West Asia to South Asia 101 Prof. Savita Pande CHAPTER 5 The New Silk Road Initiative: Economic Dividends 119 Mr. Nabi Sroosh and Mr.Yosuf Sabir CHAPTER 6 China‟s Growing Economic Relations with South Asia 127 Dr. Liu Zongyi CHAPTER 7 Fast Tracking Economic Collaboration in SAARC Countries 146 Dr. Pervez Tahir CHAPTER 8 Towards an Asian Century: Future of Economic Cooperation in SAARC Countries: A View from FPCCI 159 Mr. Muhammad Ali CHAPTER 9 Economic Cooperation among SAARC Countries: Political Constraints 163 Dr. Rashid Ahmad Khan CHAPTER 10 Implications of Bilateral and Sub-regional Trade Agreements on Economic Cooperation: A Case Study of SAARC in South Asia 177 Dr. Syed Akhter Hussain Shah CHAPTER 11 Implementation of SAFTA: Bottlenecks 192 Dr. Barkat-e-Khuda & Dr. Selim Raihan CHAPTER 12 Economic Cooperation among SAARC Countries: An EU Perspective 209 Dr. Wolfgang-Peter Zingel Future of Economic Cooperation in SAARC Countries v CHAPTER 13 Implementing SAFTA and Role of Competitiveness 233 Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • List of Recommendations
    List of Recommendations 1 Background 1. Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) organized the 7th South Asia Economic Summit (SAES) at New Delhi on 5 - 7 November 2014. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India provided the major financial support. Additional resources were received from the World Bank, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The co-organizers of the event were the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), Colombo; the Sustainable Policy Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Islamabad; South Asia the South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), Kathmandu; South Asia Centre for Policy Studies (SACEPS), Kathmandu; and the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dhaka. Representatives from several Indian, regional and international organizations also participated in the 7th SAES. 2. The 7th SAES has seen a very high level participation including serving Ministers, Parliamentarians and Academics from the region. The event was inaugurated by Hon’ble M. Hamid Ansari, Vice-President of India. Besides, Hon’ble Mohammad Mustafa Mastoor, Deputy Minister for Finance, Afghanistan; Hon’ble Gowher Rizvi, Adviser for International Affairs to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Bangladesh; Hon’ble Lyonpo Namgay Dorji, Finance Minister, Bhutan; Hon’ble Ram Sharan Mahat, Finance Minister, Nepal; and Hon’ble Sarath Amunugama, International Monetary Cooperation Minister, Sri Lanka addressed the 7th SAES. 3. The 7th SAES was organized under the leadership of Ambassador Shyam Saran, Chairman, RIS. Prof. Rehman Sobhan, Chairman, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dhaka; Prof. Muchkund Dubey, Chairman, Council of Social Development (CSD), New Delhi; Prof.
    [Show full text]
  • Poverty Alleviation and Sdgs in South Asia: a Compendium 1 Chapter 1 Extended to 2015 to Coincide with the Periodicity of 1
    Kabul Islamabad Best Practices New Delhi Kathmandu Thimphu in Poverty Alleviation and SDGs in South Asia: Asia: South in SDGs in Poverty Alleviation and Dhaka Best Practices in PovertyPoverty AlleviationAlleviation andand SAARC SDGsSDGs inin SouthSouth Asia:Asia: A Compendium Colombo Male A Compendium SOUTH ASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION SAARC SECRETARIAT Tridevi Marg, Thamel P.O. Box: 4222, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: 977-1-4221785, 4226350 Fax: 977-1-4227033, 4223991 Email: [email protected] SAARC Web: www.saarc-sec.org SAARC Released by the SAARC Council of Ministers at the Eighteenth SAARC Summit, Kathmandu, Nepal 25 November 2014 Best Practices in PovertyPoverty AlleviationAlleviation andand SAARC SDGsSDGs inin SouthSouth Asia:Asia: A Compendium SAARC Secretariat, 2014 No part of this publication may be reported in any form without prior permission or due acknowledgement. Published by SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu P.O. Box: 4222, Tel: (977-1) 4221785, 4226350, 4231334 Fax: (977-1) 4227033, 4223991 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.saarc-sec.org Editorial Board at the SAARC Secretariat Dhan Bahadur Oli, Director Y.B. Thapa, Ph. D., Poverty Alleviation Specialist Pawan K. Dubey, SPA (GSS-I) Kumar Shrestha, GSS-I Text Editing Anand Aditya Layout/Print Font Traders Pvt. Ltd. Manbhawan, Jawalakhel, Lalitpur Tel: (977-1) 1-5539358 Email: [email protected] ISBN: 978-9937 8886-0-8 US$ 5.00 Contents Abbreviations VIII Preface IX Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Dimensions of Poverty in South Asia 2 Earlier Studies on Best Practices
    [Show full text]