Asia Regional Integration Center

The World Trade Organization (WTO), its members and key development organizations, including the ADB, will conduct the Second Global Review of Aid for Trade—aimed at expanding the trade capacity of developing countries—on 6-7 July 2009 in Geneva. ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda is due to speak at the conference. Read the news release. Read more.

Increased assistance for trade-led development is vital for Asia and the world to recover from the latest economic crisis and ensure long-term growth, ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda said on 6 July 2009 at the Second Global Review of Aid for Trade in Geneva, Switzerland. At the same time, it is "critically important" that countries refrain from taking protectionist measures to try to insulate themselves from the effects of falling global demand, he said. Read President Kuroda's speech. Read the news release. Read more.

Amitav Acharya, professor at the American University, challenges the notion that Asian institutions for regionalism are influenced by the West and argues that Asian ideas such as nonintervention in politics and security, and open regionalism in trade and economics are more important. See program. Please confirm with Liza Cruz at mlscruz@adb.org.

London (UK): Anthem Press for the Asian Development Bank Book Launch Tuesday, 22 September 2009, 12:00-1:00 pm, Knowledge Hub (ADB Library), ADB Headquarters Amidst Asia’s economic rebound, regional integration is gathering momentum. This book examines the diverse experience in regional integration of South and East Asian economies during the last two decades and offers lessons for latecomers. East and South Asia include the world’s largest and most dynamic open economies alongside several least developed countries. The eight cases --five from South Asia (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) and three from East Asia (People’s Republic of China, Singapore, and Thailand)-- suggest that deep regional integration is associated with effective national strategies. Listen to podcast. Register with Susan Monteagudo at smonteagudo@adb.org or call 632-4444. Read also Pan-Asian Integration: Linking East and South Asia.

The conference provides a unique opportunity for Asian and European policymakers and academia to examine how the structure of growth in Asia and Europe will change in the aftermath of global recession and financial reforms, and the policy challenges that lie ahead. Participation is by invitation only. Representatives from Asia–Europe Meeting (ASEM) finance ministries, central banks, multilateral and academic institutions, think-tanks, businesses, and the media have been invited. See program.

Thirty mid-level DMC officials and staff from the ASEAN Secretariat are attending a five-day training course on trade and investment integration policies with a special focus on designing and negotiating free trade agreements. WTO is holding special sessions on the Doha Development Agenda and trade policy. See program.

Iwan Azis, professor and director of Graduate Study in Regional Science, Cornell University, discusses how understanding the intangible sources of policy conflicts can be a key to improving regional cooperation. Confirm participation with Liza Cruz at mlscruz@adb.org.

ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda will give the keynote speech at this joint ADB/ADBI conference, the latest in a number of conferences related to the current global financial crisis and economic downturn. Speakers will analyze the implications of the crisis on structural and institutional policy responses in Asia at the national and regional levels. See agenda. Confirm with Jessaine Sugui at jsugui@adb.org.