
Agenda
Friday, 11 December, 2009
09.00	Registration and Coffee
Inaugural Session: Venue-Long Champ
10.00-11.00	Welcome Remarks: Dr Biswajit Dhar, Director General, RIS Chairperson’s Remarks: Professor Muchkund Dubey, President, Council for Social Development Special Address: Mr. Xiaoyu Zhao, Vice President (Operations 1) Asian Development Bank Presentation: Mr Tariq Sayeed, President, SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry Keynote Address: Dr. Ajay Chhibber, UN Assistant Secretary-General, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director for Regional Bureau for Asia and Pacific, UNDP Launch: RIS Research Papers Book Launch: UNDP RCC Study The Global Financial Crisis and the Asia-Pacific Region Book Launch: ADB Study Intraregional Trade and Investment in South Asia Vote of Thanks
11.00-11.15	Tea Break
Technical Session I Venue – Long Champ
11.15 - 13.00	Global Economic Crisis and Implications for South Asian Economic Integration and Development Chair: Dr. Pronab Sen, Secretary and Chief Statistician of India, GOI Presentation of theme paper: Dr. Nagesh Kumar, Chief Economist, UNESCAP, Bangkok Speakers: Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, Special Adviser on LDCs, Office of the Secretary General, UNCTAD, Geneva Dr. Saman Kelegama, Executive Director, Institute of Policy Studies, Colombo Dr. Biswambher Pyakuryal, Professor, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu Open Discussion
13.00-14.00	Lunch
Technical Session II Venue – Long Champ
14.00-15.45	Regional Economic Integration: Deepening of SAFTA Chair: Mr. Yogendra Kumar, Additional Secretary (MER), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India Special Address: Prof. Rehman Sobhan, Chairman, Centre for Policy Dialogue, Bangladesh Theme paper: Dr Dushni Weerakoon, Senior Economist, Institute of Policy Studies, Colombo Speakers: Dr. Ram Upendra Das, Senior Fellow, RIS, New Delhi Dr. Posh Raj Pandey, President, SAWTEE, Kathmandu Dr. Sridhar Khatri, Executive Director, SACEPS, Kathmandu Dr. Ejaz Ghani, Economic Advisor, The World Bank, Washington Open Discussion
15.45-16.00	Tea Break
16.00	Address by Guest of Honour: Mr. Salman Khurshid, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Corporate Affairs, Govt. of India
Technical Session III
16.30-17.30	Strengthening Physical Connectivity in South Asia Venue – Long Champ Chair: Dr. K.L. Thapar, Chairman, Asian Institute of Transport Development Theme paper: Dr. M Rahamatullah, Transport Policy Advisor, Planning Commission, Bangladesh Speakers: Dr. Prabir De, Fellow, RIS, New Delhi Dr. Sadiq Ahmed, Bangladesh Open Discussion	Towards an Inclusive Society in South Asia Venue – Aftab Mehtab Chair: Prof. Muchkund Dubey, President, Council for Social Development, New Delhi Special Address: Prof. T.K. Oommen, Chairperson, Schumacher Centre, New Delhi Speakers: Prof. Manoranjan Mohanty, Durgabai Deshmukh Professor of Social Development, Council for Social Development, New Delhi Professor Rehman Sobhan, Chairman, Centre for Policy Dialogue, Dhaka Open Discussion
Saturday, 12 December, 2009 Technical Session IV
10.00-11.30	Scope for Project-based Plurilateral Cooperation in South Asia Venue – Long Champ Chair: Ambassador Farooq Sobhan, President, Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, Dhaka Theme Paper: Dr. Rupa Chanda, Professor IIM, Bangalore and Consultant, UNDP RCC Speakers: Prof. L.R. Baral, Executive Chairman, Nepal Centre for Contemporary Studies, Kathmandu Dr Biplove Choudhary, Officer in Charge and Programme Specialist, UNDP RCC, Colombo Open Discussion	Trade, Climate Change and Food Security Issues for South Asia Venue: Aftab Mehtab Chair: Dr. Posh Raj Pandey, President, SAWTEE, Kathmandu Speakers: Dr. Abid Suleri, Executive Director, Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Islamabad, Pakistan Dr. Biswajit Dhar, Director General, RIS, New Delhi Dr. Nazrul Islam, Senior Research Associate, Centre for Policy Dialogue, Dhaka Mr. Michel Anglade, Regional Campaigns and Policy Manager, Oxfam, New Delhi Mr. Bishal Thapa, Managing Director, ICF International India Open Discussion
11.30-11.45	Tea Break
Technical Session V
11.45-13.15	Special and Differential Treatment to LDCs in South Asia Venue – Long Champ Chair: Dr. Saman Kelegama, Executive Director, Institute of Policy Studies, Colombo Theme paper: Mr Ratnakar Adhikari, General Secretary , SAWTEE, Kathmandu and Consultant, UNDP RCC Speakers: Dr. Mustafizur Rahman, Executive Director, Centre for Policy Dialogue, Dhaka Dr. Biswajit Dhar, Director General, RIS, New Delhi Mr. Iftikhar Ali Malik, Vice President, SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Lahore Open Discussion	Migration and Development Venue – Aftab Mehtab Chair: Mr.Patrice Coeur-Bizot, Resident Representative, UNDP, New Delhi Speakers: Amb Farooq Sobhan, President, Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, Dhaka Prof. Sridhar Khatri, Executive Director, SACEPS, Kathmandu Open Discussion
13.15 - 14.00	Lunch
Technical Session VI
14.00 – 15.30	South Asian Regionalism: Venue - Long Champ Chair: Ambassador L.K. Ponappa, Vice-Chairperson, RIS Speakers: Prof I.N. Mukherji, Sr Consultant, RIS, New Delhi Dr. S.K. Mohanty, Senior Fellow, RIS, New Delhi Dr. Rashmi Banga, Senior Economist, UNCTAD India, New Delhi Dr. Shahid Ahmed, Professor, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi	South Asian Integration: ADB Case Studies Venue - Aftab Mehtab Chair: Dr. Mustafizur Rahman, Executive Director, Centre for Policy Dialogue, Dhaka Speakers: Ms. Suwendrani Jayaratne, Research Economist, Institute of Policy Studies, Colombo Mr. Bruno Carrasco, Director, Country Coordination and Regional Cooperation Division, South Asia Department Asian Development Bank, Manila Mr. Shunsuke Bando, Economist, Asian Development Bank, Manila
15.30-15.45	Tea Break
Technical Session VII
15.45-17.15	Vision of Integration and Development in South Asia Venue – Long Champ Chair: Governor Atiur Rahman, Bangladesh Bank, Dhaka Special Address: Prof. Muchkund Dubey, President, Council for Social Development, New Delhi Open Discussion
Valedictory Session
17.15-18.00	Venue – Long Champ Chair: Prof Rehman Sobhan, Chairman, Centre for Policy Dialogue, Dhaka Valedictory Address: Dr. Sheel Kant Sharma, Secretary General, SAARC, Kathmandu Vote of Thanks: Dr. Biswajit Dhar, Director General, RIS