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 RIS’
work in the areas of policy oriented research, policy dialogue,
outreach and networking, crossed new milestones in the year 2003/04.
RIS completed major research programmes in each of the four broad
fields of its work, viz. World Trading and Financial System, Regional
Economic Integration in Asia, South-South Cooperation and New
Technologies, and Strategic Responses to Globalization. RIS played
an important role in preparations for the Fifth Ministerial Conference
of WTO held in Cancun in September 2003. A highlight was the launch
of a new series of World Trade and Development Reports,
presented and discussed in New Delhi and in Cancun on the sidelines
of the Ministerial. This Report has been received extremely well
by the developing country negotiators, policymakers, international
development organizations and researchers. RIS studies have also
provided important analytical inputs for policy-making on select
issues of negotiation in Doha Agenda, viz. non-agricultural market
access (NAMA) and investment, among others.
RIS also contributed
to the agenda of regional economic integration in Asia significantly.
We followed up on our earlier work on the concept of Asian Economic
Community that has begun to get popular with the Prime Minister
endorsing it at the Bali Summit of ASEAN and India. To further
promote the concept an institutional network New Asia Forum was
launched with its dedicated website and a new quarterly New
Asia Monitor, besides further studies on the roadmap. A study
on the ASEAN-India Vision 2020 – Working Together for a Shared
Prosperity was prepared in consultation with the ASEAN think-tanks
for eventual adoption at the Third ASEAN-India Summit held in
Laos in November 2004 after further work at the official levels.
A study on the Future Directions of BIMSTEC – Towards a Bay
of Bengal Economic Community was prepared in consultation
with think-tanks in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Thailand. A series
of India-China policy dialogues was initiated. The third issue
of the South Asia Development and Cooperation Report was
prepared on the eve of the Twelfth SAARC Summit held in January
2004 in Islamabad.
The work programme
for 2004/2005, as approved by the Governing Council involves organization
of a High-Level Conference on Asian Economic Integration in Tokyo
in November 2004, preparations for the next issues of World
Trade and Development Report and South Asia Development
and Cooperation Report, major studies on SAFTA, India-Brazil-South
Africa (IBSA) Economic Cooperation, India and the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC), Mekong Ganga Partnership, operationalisation of
the vision of ASEAN-India partnership, India-China Economic Cooperation,
Biotechnology and Asian Development, strategy for export-oriented
manufacturing, industry studies on impact of WTO tariff proposals,
rules of origin in India’s free trade arrangements, among others.
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