Annual Report 2005 - Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka

IPS Research ThemesInternational Economic PolicyThe increasingly closer integration of the global economy has made it imperative that developing countriesface the task of adapting the liberalization and globalization process to their own situations anddevelopment needs. It requires that they improve their domestictrade and financial regimes and equally importantly, they mustalso review the role they are playing in multilateral decisionmaking and work out approaches and actions that will enhancetheir cohesion and effectiveness on the international scene.The plethora of multilateral, regional and bilateral tradeliberalization measures in the pipeline will require policymakersto develop proposals relating to the implementation ofagreements already reached, to new issues that have subsequentlyemerged, or to any new negotiating rounds proposed for the future.The IPS has emerged as a key player in assessing and formulatingpolicies with regard to Sri Lanka’s external trade strategies basedon its on-going research programme in the arena of internationaleconomics. To this end, the work programme identifies principalissues for further research in areas considered critical to maximizethe potential benefits of closer integration in the world economy.The key areas of on-going research include issues related to SriLanka’s participation in multilateral negotiations of the WorldTrade Organization (WTO), bilateral and regional tradeagreements, impact of the phase-out of the Multi FibreArrangement (MFA) on the apparel sector and external sectorcompetitiveness.HighlightsWTO Doha Round NegotiationsThe IPS was the partner organization responsibe for preparingthe background paper on the area of trade facilitation for a studyon “WTO Doha Round and South Asia” which was initiated bythe Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS), India. This studywas to be implemented in five South Asian countries, viz., India,Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh and focuses on fivekey elements of the July Framework Agreement of the WTO:agriculture, non-agricultural market access, developmentdimensions, services and trade facilitation.As a part of the effort to engage a wider debate and stimulate adialogue in the run up to the WTO Sixth Ministerial meeting ofDecember 2005, the IPS organized a workshop on “WTO DohaRound and South Asia: Linking Civil Society with TradePublications in 2005Kelegama, S., “Regionalism Debate:Re-positioning SAFTA” (withRatnakar Adhikari), South AsianJournal, Vol. 7Kelegama, S., “WTO and RegionalTrade Arrangements’ in BibekDebroy and Mohammed Saquib(eds.), WTO at Ten: Looking Back toLook Beyond, Konark, IndiaKelegama, S., “Emerging Scenarioin North-South BTAs of SouthAsia”, Trade Insight, Vol. No. 3Kelegama, S., “South Asia after theQuota System: Impact of The MFAPhase-Out” edited Volume, OctoberKelegama, S., “Trade in Textile andApparel in South Asia” (withBilesha Weeraratne) in CENTAD(ed.), South Asian Year Book of Tradeand Development 2005–MainstreamingDevelopment in Trade Negotiations:Run-Up Hong Kong, CENTAD, NewDelhi, IndiaKelegama, S. “Ready-MadeGarment Industry in Sri Lanka:Preparing to Face the GlobalChallenges”, Asia-Pacific Trade andInvestment Review, Vol. 1, No. 1,ESCAP, UN, AprilWeerakoon, D., and J. Thennakoon,“Trade Facilitation: A South AsianPerspective”, Trade Insight, Vol. 1.No. 4Weerakoon, D., J. Thennakoon andB. Weeraratne, “MultilateralAgreement on Trade Facilitation:An Important but Complex Agendafor South Asia”, in South AsianPositions in the WTO Doha Round: InSearch of a True Development Agenda,Jaipur: CUTS International13__________ Annual Report 2005