Quarterly newsletter with information on economic cooperation and integration in Asia from the GIZ programme Regional Economic Cooperation and Integration in Asia (RCI). In our newsletter we share information about our programme activities, and further input on the programme’s focus areas such as regionalism, trade facilitation and port cooperation in Asia.

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Information on economic cooperation and integration in Asia
From the GIZ programme Regional Economic Cooperation and Integration in Asia
Issue No. 1
March 2013
Editorial
Dear readers,
we are delighted to
welcome you to the
first issue of Connect
Asia! This newsletter
aims to provide you
with quick and regular
information on
programme activities
and events of the
Regional Economic
Cooperation and
Integration in Asia
(RCI) Programme.
I would like to invite you to find out more about our work and ongoing projects
through regular updates. Additionally we will present insights on recent
publications, activities and news related to regionalisation in Asia. We put
particular emphasis on trade, FDI, maritime cooperation and cross-border
economic cooperation.
The first issue of Connect Asia highlights two activities within the framework of
South-South Cooperation: RCI's recent activities in the focus area of trade
facilitation with reports on two study tours to Senegal and Central Asia. A
summary of our expert hearing in Bangkok provides insight into the
programme's acitivities in the area of exchange of knowledge and best practices
among regional initiatives in Asia.
We hope you enjoy reading this newsletter and we appreciate any
feedback and comments.
With the best wishes
for the GIZ RCI Programme,
Magnus C. M. Brod
Editor
Contents
Study Tour to Senegalese Single Electronic Window (SEW) Unit
Expert Hearing: Cross-Border Cooperation and Trade Facilitation in Asia
Mongolian Study tour to Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan
Recent Trends in Asian Regionalism
Dates and Events
11–12 March
Future of the World Trading
System: Asian Perspectives
Conference
Geneva, Switzerland
Asian Development Bank Institute
(ADBI)
World Trade Organisation (WTO)
www.adbi.org/...
24–26 April
Trade Facilitation Implementation
Guide (TFIG) Workshop
Kigali, Rwanda
United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe (UNECE)
www.unece.org/...
More on GIZ RCI Programme
Regional economic cooperation
and integration play an increasingly
important role in Asia’s economic
landscape. They help countries to
overcome the limitations of
domestic markets and foster
inclusive development, both by
boosting economic growth and by
providing the resources for pro-
poor policies. The GIZ RCI
Programme supports regional
stakeholders with the aim to
strengthen selected core
processes of regional economic
cooperation and integration and to
contribute to sustainable and
inclusive economic development in
the region.
Stay up to date with GIZ RCI
If you would like to continue
receiving regular updates on our
programme activities and further
insights on regionalisation
processes in Asia, please refer to
the GIZ Newsletter mainpage and

2. Programme News
Trade Facilitation
Study tour to Senegalese Single Electronic Window Unit
During 1 to 9
December 2012, the
RCI Programme
organised a tour to
study the Senegalese
approach to Single
Electronic Window
(SEW) to enhance
practical knowledge
in terms of
implementation,
realisation, payment
system, and
challenges for Mongolian trade facilitation stakeholders.
The Senegalese SEW system was piloted in 1986 and has evolved into a
paperless system in 2012. Due to the steady success, the system has served
as example for implementation processes in Central Asia since 2006. The recent
study tour included visits to GAINDE 2000 – the company dealing with SEW
consultancy, management, and employment – , the Senegalese Customs Office
and its Port Facilitation Centre.
Most participants where delegated from operational level members of Mongolia’s
SEW Working Group. Furthermore, in line with the RCI approach towards
transfer of best practices within Asia and beyond, the organisers reached out to
partners from Central Asia. Accompanied by staff from the GIZ RCI partner
programme Regional Economic Cooperation in Central Asia office in Uzbekistan,
delegates from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan joined the tour.
An article about the study tour has been published in the Senegalese daily
newspaper Le Soleil. You can access the article here: www.lesoleil.sn/... (in
French) Contact: Marina.Rudyak@giz.de
top
Regional Integration
Expert Hearing on Cross-Border Cooperation and Trade
Facilitation in Asia
From 15 to 16 November GIZ RCI
Programme convened an
international expert hearing on
“Cross-border Cooperation and
Trade Facilitation in Asia” in
Bangkok, Thailand. It brought
together over 30 experts from
member countries of the sub-
regional initiatives Pan-Beibu Gulf
Economic Cooperation (PBG),
Central Asia Regional Economic
Cooperation (CAREC), Greater
Tumen Initiative (GTI), and
Greater Mekong Sub-region
Economic Cooperation (GMS).
The event provided an initial
platform for mutual learning and transfer of professional experience.
Participants exchanged practical solutions to trade barriers such as “Single
Window” or “One-Stop-Shop”, as well as the flexible issuance of visa for citizens
in border regions. Experts from Europe reported on experiences of the
European integration process and the establishment of a common market, while
GIZ illustrated case studies of regional cooperation initiatives world-wide. For the
first time representatives from four different sub-regional initiatives in Asia sat
down together to discuss their approaches to cross-border cooperation and
trade facilitation. Not only did the expert hearing lead to a vivid exchange of
existing knowledge, it also laid the foundation for a future network for peer
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3. learning expanding from Mongolia over Kazakhstan to Viet Nam and Cambodia.
A comprehensive documentation of the expert hearing is available which
contains the event's main findings and inputs; please contact
Lisa.Brueckner@giz.de
top
Trade Facilitation
Exchanging practical solutions to trade barriers
From 25 September
to 10 October, the
RCI Mongolia office
conducted a study
tour / internship
programme for
Mongolian trade
facilitation
stakeholders.
Assisted by the GIZ
Programme on
Support of Regional
Economic
Cooperation, based
in Central Asia, the delegation visited Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to gain practical
knowledge and experience regarding the topics single electronic window (SEW)
implementation, SEW realization in Central Asia, best practices and
implementation challenges.
The participating Mongolian stakeholders were delegated from operational level
members of Mongolia’s SEW Working Group such as Mongolian Customs
General Administration (MCGA), General Authority for Special Inspection of
Mongolia (GASI), Information, Communications Technology and Post Authority
(ICTPA), and Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI).
The study tour created the opportunity for regional peer-to-peer exchange on
important SEW issues with Kyrgyz and Tajik stakeholders. Finally, participants
met relevant international experts by attending the regional conference
“Simplification of foreign trade procedures in Central Asia” in Dushanbe,
Tajikistan.
Contact: Khulan.Lhkagvasuren@giz.de
top
Recent Trends in Asian Regionalism
World Bank
Competitiveness and Connectivity: Integrating Lagging
Regions in Global Markets
Trade and productive integration into global markets is seen as fundamental for
emerging economies and development in general. Nonetheless this process has
not been spatially uniform, as integration and growth have particularly
concentrated in well-located, metropolitan regions, while more peripheral regions
lagged behind as argued by a recent World Bank paper.
Download the paper here: www.worldbank.org/... (PDF; 1.3 MB)
top
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
New forum on trade and the green economy
UNCTAD Trade and Development Board announce the setting up of a new
forum on trade and green economy. The goal is to harmonise trade and
environmental regulations. The first of the bi-annually held forum is scheduled for
June 2013.
Read the news here: www.unctad.org/...
Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI)
The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank: Should
Asia Have Both?

4. Asia Have Both?
In a recent ADBI working paper, Virkam Nehru highlights the role of ADB for
regional development. He also warns of a strict division of labour between both
the World Bank and the ADB, as regional and global agreements need their
expertise alike.
Download the working paper here: www.adbi.org/...
World Customs Journal
Regional FTAs and policy modernisation in Southeast Asian
countries
A new paper, published in World Customs Journal, investigates the impact of
trade agreements on domestic revenue policy. With regard to further
enhancement of regional integration in the run up of the ASEAN Economic
Community (AEC) in 2015, Leigh Obradovic discusses the integration of
international best practices into regional trade agreements to ensure a
sustainable outcome for developing countries. Utilizing the cases of Thailand and
Viet Nam he assesses that “regional trade agreements … offer an avenue to
assist emerging economies modernize their tax and revenue system”.
Download the full article: www.worldcustomsjournal.org/... (PDF; 552 KB)
China Briefing
China vows support to Cross-Border Economic Cooperation
Zones
China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and five other departments jointly
release set of measures for the further development of border economic
cooperation zones. According to a document released in December 2012, the
annual GDP growth of the cross-border economic zones should reach 20 %
until 2015.
Access the full article at: www.china-briefing.com/...
China Daily
Connectivity as new buzzword for regional integration within
the SCO framework
During the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) prime ministers' meeting
on December 5th 2012 in Beijing, the 12 heads of member states and observer
countries highlighted the idea of connectivity in the region. Connectivity on an
infrastructural level shall provide effective channels for more economic
exchange and trade between the neighbouring countries.
Access the full article here: www.chinadaily.com.cn/...
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In charge of this newsletter:
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Editor(s):
Magnus C. M. Brod, magnus.brod@giz.de
Contributors:
Magnus C. M. Brod, magnus.brod@giz.de
Julia Langendorf, julia.langendorf@giz.de
Khulan Lkhagvasuren, khulan.lkhagvasuren@giz.de
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