This important volume advocates a pro-poor growth strategy where the poor also participate directly as subjects in development. The contributors maintain that a critical element in this process is social mobilization where organizations of the poor work in partnership with a restructured state and a socially responsible private sector. They see a new political space for this in the current attempts at decentralization which are also aimed at developing power to the people. To illustrate these possibilities, the volume presents six case studies from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. Together they show how new social movements and organizations of the poor are converging with efforts to decentralize and to share power at the local level. This volume breaks new ground by investigating in depth the three important agendas of governance, decentralization/devolution, and poverty eradication, and by highlighting how they can be coordinated to fashion a genuinely pro-poor macro--micro development strategy.

Wto Is Seen Largely As A Symbol Of North-South Conflict, Due To Divergent Perceptions Of The Developed And Developing Countries On The Multilateral Trading System. This North-South Divide Is Reflected In Their Ministerial Negotiations Where The Rich Countries Try To Impinge Their Ultimate Authority Over The Global Economy Leaving Thus Limited Options To The Poor Countries To Defend Their Economic Space, Notwithstanding The Fact That The Developing Countries Account For Nearly 80 Percent Of Wto Membership. There Is Now A Growing Concern Among The South Asian Countries, Including The Four Least-Developed Countries On The Restrictions Imposed By The Developed Countries In The Form Of New Clauses In The Wto Framework. The Initiation Of Liberalization In These Countries In The Early 1990S Did Not Improve The Trade Prospects Significantly. South Asian Countries In General And India In Particular Is Now Taking Keen Interest In Cooperating With The Fellow Developing Countries And Championing Their Cause At The International Fora. This Volume Attempts To Examine The Different Facets Of Implications Of Wto On South Asia, Viz., Trade Cooperation For Development And Poverty Alleviation; Agriculture; Singapore Issues; Health And Intellectual Property Rights; And China S Accession Into Wto And Other Related Issues. It Emphasizes The Stand Of South Asian Countries To Safeguard Their Trade Prospects By Protecting From The Restrictions, Imposed By The Developed Countries In Several Clauses Under Different Agreements Of Wto. It Is Hoped That This Volume Will Become An Important Addition To The Existing Literature On Wto, As It Covers The Adverse Affect Of Wto On South Asia Which Has So Far Not Been Analyzed Exhaustively.