Towards an Asian economic area

The growing interdependence in the world economic system has led increasingly to the recognition that three strategic elements of national and international action are essential for the countries of the South to succeed in their development endeavours. These are: (i) a people-centric approach to development, (ii) effective South-South cooperation, and (iii) restructuring of the global system which also necessitates concerted action by the North. Effective articulation of these challenges facing developing countries came through the Report of the South Commission in 1990 and its companion volume in 1993. These initiatives by the South Commission complemented the efforts that have been carried out by the Non-Aligned Movement over the past four decades to further the development prospects of the South countries. Focusing on the issues raised by the Non Aligned Movement and the South Commission, this book highlights the development challenges faced by the countries in the Asian region. The challenges have been classified into three three categories: () the problem of choosing the development paradigm and strategy, (ii) the critical issues of the development process, and (iii) evolving an agenda for the South for the 1990s, and in particular searching for a framework for effective economic cooperation in the Asian region. The emphasis on regional cooperation provides a strong rationale for the formation of an Asian Economic Area by the turn of the century. The contents of the book will be of great interest to policy makers, academicians and students of international economic relations.