The Missing Link in Regional Integration in South Asia: The Case for Regional and Sub-regional Political Institutions

Abstract

Regional governance efforts in South Asia have been missing regional political institutions. There is no shortage of ideas and suggestions by scholars, practitioners, diplomats and others in terms of areas for integration in South Asia. And yet, regional integration continues in a piecemeal like stuttering fashion. Integration lags not because there are questions about the efficacy of regional integration or questions about where or what to integrate, it lags because of the path forward—in terms of how—is unclear. Regional or sub-regional political institutions vested with the decision-making authority can aid in integration better than the status quo. Political institutions in contrast to forums or summit-convening authorities can make decisions of their own benefiting the interests of those whom they represent. This article examines the current state of regional governance efforts in South Asia and evaluates the argument for regional and sub-regional political institutions.

Pandemic-Led Disruptions in Asia: Tracing the Early Economic Impacts on Sri Lanka and Thailand

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Power Trade in South Asia: Developing A Framework Based on Case Studies of Power Trading Arrangements in Europe and Asia

“…The cancellation of the MBI project displays the regional dynamics at play, where security concerns, political mistrust and the quest for higher relative gains have disrupted cooperation, and economic development through cooperation has become a secondary objective. Given that, in South Asia, political mistrust impedes cooperation, it is pertinent to develop legal institutional arrangements that lend credibility and build mutual trust for initiatives for regional cooperation (Schiff & Winters, 2002;Thangasamy, 2019). Interestingly, the establishment of SAARC and its secretariat has not been able to resist the realist perception in the region, and regional cooperation continues to be limited in South Asia.…”