FAO assigned to RIS a study to look into role of regional and sub-regional cooperation in Asia to address poverty, food security, sustainable agriculture and rural development. The RIS study outlined a strategy to facilitate achievement of a common understanding and modalities for addressing the regional challenges by fostering discussion of the linkages between action by the sub-regional and regional organizations, multilateral and civil society organizations. The RIS study was presented as a background note at the FAO Regional High Level Roundtable on Regional Programmes and Cooperation for Eradication of Poverty and Food Insecurity in Asia and the Pacific held on February 23-24, 2004 at Bangkok, Thailand.

The study presented to FAO is being elaborated further in the context of South Asia in the context of the adoption of SAARC Social Charter and the Independent South Asian Commission on Poverty Alleviation (ISACPA) Report adopted at the Islamabad Summit in January 2004.

Research Team: Dr. Sachin Chaturvedi