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BRIDGING POLICY RESEARCH IN SOUTH ASIA
CONSORTIUM OF SOUTH ASIAN THINK TANKS
 CONNECTIVITY| COUNTERING TERRORISM | ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY| BUILDING BRIDGES
COSATT PAINT

South Asia continues to be the most volatile region in the world, involved in issues relating to Insurgency, Terrorism, Border Disputes and the Environment. These issues are transnational in nature and no country can address it alone.  A regional approach therefore is best suited to address such issues.

In recognition of the above, the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS) set up the Consortium of South Asian Think Tanks (COSATT) in January 2008 with the objective of bringing together some of the leading think tanks in South Asia to foster cooperation in the region.

As part of the effort, annual meetings are planned based on a theme to address topical issues of the region. These meetings comprise of a planning conference of participating think-tank heads, an expanded meeting with authors and experts, followed by the final study release before the SAARC Summit, scheduled for early 2013.

The theme for COSATT 2012 is “Building Bridges: Strengthening Physical, Emotional and Economic Linkages.” The first conference of 2012 took place between 6 and 7 April 2012 in Kathmandu, Nepal.

This initiative has been generously supported by the New Delhi Office of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.
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Participants of the COSATT 2012 at Kathmandu, Nepal

Participants of the COSATT 2011 at Male, Maldives
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Participants of the COSATT 2011, Colombo,
Sri Lanka
COSATT 2012 Publications

“Building Bridges: Strengthening Physical, Emotional and Economic Linkages in South Asia”

Kathmandu, Nepal

In 2012, the Consortium embarked on a study titled “Building Bridges in South Asia.” The planning  conference took place in April 2012 at Kathmandu, Nepal.

Prof PR Chari and Prof Imtiaz Ahmed gave key note addresses on “Making Borders Irrelevant” and “Education as a Regional Weld” respectively. 

The focus of this dialogue would include:

  • Reconnecting and Revisioning the Old Routes
  • ‘South Asia as a Tourism Orbit
  • Educational and Economic Connectivities
  • Networking through Institutions: Role of Think-tanks, Research Institutes and the Media

The next dialogue is scheduled to take place in Bhutan in September.

COSATT 2011

“Energy & Environmental Security: A Cooperative Approach in South Asia”

Male, Maldives; Colombo, Sri Lanka & Kathmandu, Nepal

In 2011, the Consortium embarked on a study on Energy and Environmental Security in South Asia. This culminated in a series of conferences on Energy & Environmental Security: A Cooperative Approach in South Asia, aimed to build a cooperative approach to energy and environmental issues.

The first conference was held in Kathmandu, Nepal during January and it identified the framework and key topics of the study. Participants have agreed to pursue a cooperation approach toward energy and environmental security by focusing on the country perspectives on key topics concerning regional cooperation on energy and environmental security issues.

In the second conference held in Colombo during June, participants have presented papers on their country perspectives. The findings and recommendations were published in a report.

In the third conference held in Male, Republic of Maldives in October 2011, the book ‘Energy & Environmental Security: A Cooperative Approach in South Asia’ was released by the then honourable Vice –President of Maldives, Mohamed Waheed Hassan.

In a follow up to the final conference of COSATT 2011, A Policy Recommendation Report was released in New Delhi, India and other South Asian countries before the SAARC Summit of 2011.

COSATT 2009-10

“Countering Terrorism-Building a Common Approach in SAARC”

Kathmandu, Nepal; Colombo, Sri Lanka & Dhaka, Bangladesh

In 2009, the Consortium undertook a study on countering terrorism with the purpose of addressing the issue institutionally and work together towards peace and stability in the region. The aim was to evaluate a regional approach to counter terrorism, identify processes and structures that can help realise the objective, and draw up a common plan of action based on broad set of unifying principles and interests. The Consortium held its second regional conference on   Countering Terrorism-Building a Common Approach in SAARC.

The findings of the 2009 regional conference on Countering Terrorism - Building a Common Approach in SAARC, were published in a bookin 2010. Copies of the book, edited by Maj. Gen. Dipankar Banerjee (Retd.), D. Suba Chandran and Devyani Srivastava, were circulated to all the SAARC countries.

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L-R: Nitya Nanda, Nanju Reddy,
Arshad Abassi  & Amal Jayavardene

COSATT 2008

“SAARC: Towards Greater Connectivity”

New Delhi, India

In 2008, the Consortium worked together on increasing connectivity within South Asia and held a regional conference on SAARC: Towards Greater Connectivity in New Delhi, India.

The four sessions of the conference touched upon the following facets: ‘Connectivity through Developing Complementary Infrastructure’, ‘Connectivity through Trade in Goods and Services’, ‘Connectivity on Energy and Harmonisation of Resources’, and ‘Connectivity through People and Ideas.’

The findings of the conference were published in a Book released by the Deputy Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka in July 2008, just in time for the SAARC summit.

 

Building Bridges: A Regional Dialogue (Kathmandu)
IPCS Conference Report of discussions held in Kathmandu, Nepal
     
 

Connecting South Asia: Experimenting with the Greater Mekong Sub-Regional Model
Panchali Saikia
IPCS Issue Brief # 189
     
 

Connecting South Asia: The Stilwell Road & Sub-Regional Networks
Ruhee Neog
IPCS Issue Brief # 188
     
  Untitled

Linking with Southeast Asia: Developing Northeast India’s Tourism Potential
Ruhee Neog
IPCS Issue Brief # 176
     
  Untitled

Linking India’s Northeast with Southeast Asia: Significance of Internal Connectivity & Backward Integration
Panchali Saikia
IPCS Issue Brief # 175
     
 

Energy & Environmental Security in South Asia: A Cooperative Approach

Recommendations of the Consortium of South Asian Think Tanks (COSATT)
November 2011

     
 

Energy & Environmental Security: A Cooperative Approach in South Asia,
Ed., D Suba Chandran and J Jeganaathan
New Delhi: IPCS, 2011
     
 

Energy & Environmental Security: A Regional Dialogue (Male),
IPCS Conference Report of discussions held in Male, Maldives.
     
 

Energy & Environmental Security: A Regional Dialogue (Colombo),
IPCS Conference Report of discussions held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
     
  countering_terrorism

Countering Terrorism: Building a Common Approach in SAARC,
Ed. Maj. Gen. Dipankar Banerjee, D. Suba Chandran & Devyani Srivastava
     
 

Countering Terrorism: Building a Common Approach in SAARC, Policy Brief containing recommendations on measures to strengthen the SAARC counter terrorism regime.
April 2010
     
 

SAARC: Towards Greater Connectivity,
Ed. Maj. Gen. Dipankar Banerjee and N. Manoharan
towards greater connectivity

Panellists at the COSATT Conference, January 2008, 
New Delhi, India

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COSATT Delegation in Kathmandu, January 2011
Research Team    
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J. Jeganaathan 
Research Officer 		Pradeepa Viswanathan
Research Officer		  

L-R: Dr D Suba Chandran, Prof Imtiaz Ahmed, Prof. PR Chari and Mr Tomislav Delinic during the keynote addresses

L-R: Col AKM Nazrul Islam and Ms Panchali Saikia during the session on ‘Reconnecting and Revisioning the Old Routes’

L-R: Mr Sangay Thinley, Prof Imtiaz Ahmed, Ms Zihnath Hassan, Maj Gen ANM Muniruzzaman and Ms Pradeepa Viswanathan

L-R: Maj Gen ANM Muniruzzaman and Ms Salma Malik during the session on ‘Educational Connectivity’

L-R: Ms Salma Malik,
Mr Chaminda Hettiarachchi and
Ms Mariam Safi

L-R: Ms Ruhee Neog and
Ms Panchali Saikia

L-R: Maj Gen Dipankar Banerjee, Ms Ashani Abayasekara, Dr Nishchal Nath Pandey and Dr Kaosar Afsana

L-R: Dr Kaosar Afsana, Col AKM Nazrul Islam, Ms Mariam Safi and Ms Zihnath Hassan

Participants of COSATT 2012 with the SAARC Secretary General H.E. Ahmed Saleem at Kathmandu, Nepal

(L-R) J Jeganaathan, Tomislav Delinic, Nitya Nanda, Maj. Gen. Dipankar Banerjee and D Suba Chandran at the release of the COSATT Policy Recommendations

Honourable Vice President of the Republic of Maldives releasing Energy & Environmental Security: A Cooperative Approach in South Asia

 

The Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS) is the premier South Asian think tank which conducts independent research on and provides an in depth analysis of conventional and non-conventional issues related to national and South Asian security including nuclear issues, disarmament, non-proliferation, weapons of mass destruction, the war on terrorism, counter terrorism , strategies security sector reforms, and armed conflict and peace processes in the region.

For those in South Asia and elsewhere, the IPCS website provides a comprehensive analysis of the happenings within India with a special focus on Jammu and Kashmir and Naxalite Violence. Our research promotes greater understanding of India's foreign policy especially India-China relations, India's relations with SAARC countries and South East Asia.

Through close interaction with leading strategic thinkers, former members of the Indian Administrative Service, the Foreign Service and the three wings of the Armed Forces - the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force, - the academic community as well as the media, the IPCS has contributed considerably to the strategic discourse in India.
 
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