6th South Asia Economic Summit in Colombo
View(s):The South Asia Economic Summit (SAES), six years after its inauguration in Colombo, will be held once again in Sri Lanka from September 2-4, 2013.
It is hosted by the country’s top economic policy think tank, the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS).
According to IPS, the SAES, held annually since 2008, is hosted in a different South Asian country each time. “The summit has become the premier regional event that debates socio-economic issues facing South Asia, and brings together the leading experts from academia, government, civil society and the private sector in this region,” the institute said adding that this year’s SAES will tackle many of the critical issues facing the economies and the people of South Asian countries, including the imperatives for closer regional cooperation.
“The emerging growth opportunities and challenges for South Asia in the context of changing global economic dynamics will come into focus at this Summit, similar to the World Economic Forum held annually in Davos, Switzerland, albeit at a regional level,” it said.
With the summit theme of ‘Towards a Stronger, Dynamic, and Inclusive South Asia’, the three days of deliberations will discuss what South Asian states need to do to strengthen their economic growth prospects while managing risks and challenges, while building a stronger region as a whole.
IPS said the main issues that will be highlighted at this 6th summit will be under four broad themes – harnessing human capital; tackling environmental challenges and climate change; managing intra-country growth disparities; and supporting the competitiveness of private-sector enterprises. The summit is expected to host around 150 foreign delegates from South Asia and beyond, and will feature several special events including a televised debate on regional economic integration.
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