Regional Cooperation and Integration in Asia and the Pacific


Book Description

Unprecedented challenges from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic have emphasized the need for Asia and the Pacific countries to work together to build back resiliently and sustainably. This report reflects on lessons learned from efforts to tackle the pandemic through regional cooperation and integration. It provides insights on how region-wide solidarity can be enhanced with the support of multilateral development banks in areas such as trade and investment, connectivity infrastructure, people’s mobility, regional public goods, and policy cooperation. The report was jointly prepared by the Asian Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Islamic Development Bank, and the World Bank Group.




The Pacific Alliance in a World of Preferential Trade Agreements


Book Description

This volume focuses on one of the most innovative deep integration constructs, The Pacific Alliance, which aims at expanding the frontiers of trade and investment governance in Latin America. It draws on a conference held at Externado University in Bogota, Colombia, in November 2015, bringing together leading scholars, practitioners and officers of public, regional and international organisations interested in a critical analysis of the Alliance, its distinctiveness and likely future directions. The volume features contributions from the multi-disciplinary lens of law, political science and economics. The Pacific Alliance, comprising Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, aims through a participatory and consensual manner to promote the free circulation of goods, services, capital and persons among its members, and to secure deep economic integration through collaboration across a broader set of policy areas than typically obtains in more traditional preferential trade agreements. This volume is of interest to policy makers and staff of international organizations involved in trade and investment negotiations, international economic governance in general as well as faculty, researchers and graduate students of these topics and of international political economy and comparative regionalism.




Development and Democracy


Book Description

A report to Commonwealth Heads of Government on the activities and achievements of the Commonwealth Secretariat from July 2001 to June 2003. The Foreword by Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon presents a personal view of the progress of the Commonwealth over that period. The report is presented to Commonwealth Heads of Government before their biennial summit.




Special Report


Book Description







Introduction to Marshall Islands


Book Description

The Marshall Islands is a small island nation located in the Pacific Ocean. It is composed of 29 coral atolls and 5 islands, and covers a total land area of just over 70 square miles. Despite its small size, the Marshall Islands has a rich history and played a significant role in global events during the 20th century. The islands were first inhabited by indigenous people over 2,000 years ago, and were later colonized by Spain, Germany, and Japan. During World War II, the Marshall Islands were the site of several major battles between the United States and Japan, including the notorious Battle of Kwajalein. After the war, the islands became a trust territory of the United States, and in 1986 they gained full independence as the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Today, the Marshall Islands is a democracy with a unique culture and a strong connection to the ocean that surrounds it.