InfusingSouthAsiaGovernanceChallengesinSouthAsia.pptVIP

Infusing South AsiaGovernance Challenges in South Asia G. Shabbir Cheema Director Asia-Pacific Governance and Democracy Initiative Senior Fellow, East-West Center Part One: Introduction Over the past few decades, many transformations have taken place in South Asia. Three of those are relevant to our discussion today. Part One: Introduction First, effective governance is recognized as a necessary condition to combat poverty and lagging development including inadequate access to services, protection of the environment, and economic opportunities. Part One: Introduction Second, because of high incidence of poverty and exclusion of various groups, government are increasingly focusing on human development defined as enlarging peoples choices, expanding their freedoms, and enhancing human capabilities. Part One: Introduction Human development as one of the big ideas presented and advocated by Noble Lauriette Amartya Sen from India and late Mahbub-ul-Haq of Pakistan, both economists and class fellows at Cambridge In almost every country in South Asia, annual human development report where the question is asked Governance for what. Part One: Introduction Third, all South Asian countries (other than Bhutan) today are electoral democracies, with varying degrees of sustainability of democratic institutions. Part One: Introduction These transformations are taking place in the context of globalization, with both positive and negative consequences increasing poverty and income equalities impact of trade liberalization on domestic industries inability of the private sector to absorb restructured public enterprises low capacity of governments to put in place social safety nets Part One: Introduction Two types of pressures for effective democratic governance To cope with demands of the global economy pressures from citizens for increased transparency and participation. Part Two : The Dual Reality South Asia is replete with examples of poor governance, which erode the ca