CGAPP round table on “G20, Indo-Pacific & the Regional Economic Order”

CGAPP round table on “G20, Indo-Pacific & the Regional Economic Order”

Centre for Global Affairs and Public Policy hosts round table conference on G-20 and the Indo-Pacific

Conference explores the Indo Pacific Regional Economic Order and Collaborative Synergies between India and Indonesia

“Indonesia stands for comprehensive partnership with India”- Dr Tauhid Ahmad, Executive Director, INDEF, Jakarta

“Agreements in Geneva Package have given WTO a renewed agenda moving forward” – Pranav Kumar, Chief – International Trade Policy Division, CII Potential of IPEF discussed at CGAPP conference in New Delhi

New Delhi, June 20, 2022: Centre for Global Affairs and Public Policy hosted a round table conference on “G-20, the Indo-Pacific and the Regional Economic Order: Collaborative Synergies between India and Indonesia” at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi on June 20. The event featured 2 sessions addressed by a panel of policy experts from India and Indonesia

Speaking at a session titled Exploring Synergies in the G-20, Dr. Tauhid Ahmad, Executive Director – INDEF, Jakarta, pointed out that data protection in Indonesia is a major issue and the government needs to come up with a cohesive policy to tackle the same. He also said that Indonesia stands for a comprehensive partnership with India.

Speaking at the roundtable Pranav Kumar, Chief – International Trade Policy Division, CII, said, “G20 is important for India as it is the oldest engagement group. G-20 is also important because it is a multilateral forum core agenda of trade management. With India’s merchandise export upto billions, India has good agenda to move forward with WTO. The Geneva Package of agreements has also given WTO a good agenda going forward.” He also highlighted India’s role in tackling the climate crisis and called for more cohesive steps towards Climate and Debt Financing. He also spoke on global technological divide which needs to be taken care of with focus on building digital literacy and its access to the people worldwide.

The Roundtable reflected on the far-reaching changes that have taken place in the regional architecture in terms of emergence of new constructs like the IPEF; its engagement with the priorities of the G20; and the crucial role that India and Indonesia can play in contributing to the IPEF and G20 agendas.

Dr. Amitendu Palit pointed out that the G20 presidency is going to be held by a line of emerging economies, including India, in the coming years. This gives emerging economies a unique opportunity to shape the global agenda, he noted.

In the Second Session tilted: Indo-Pacific Economic Framework: A New Promise? Dr. Amitendu Palit, from ISAS, NUS Singapore, Dr. Tauhid Ahmad, Executive Director, INDEF, Jakarta & Yashodhara Dasgupta from the US-India Business Council, New Delhi, participated in a panel discussion on different aspects of Indo-pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Tauhid Ahmad stressed that members of the IPEF have a more clear vision regarding the agenda of the framework concerned with economic and geo-strategic regional security.

Panelists spoke about the key role the United States of America must play to stabilise IPEF.

According to Yashodhara Dasgupta, US-India Business Council, India, “IPEF Puts India at Centre table. US and India are at Prime stage and there is immense room for digitalized growth.”

According to Dr.Amitendu Palit “While US will play a pivotal role in IPEF, one needs to keep in mind China’s influence on the region. We have to have a robust policy that will take into consideration the economy and security of the region.” He emphasised the challenges faced in global supply chain and how IPEF needs to work in strengthening the methods of sustainable farming. “IPEF to strengthen the Indo Pacific region & Cross border stability” he added.

Highlighting the importance of stakeholder collaboration, panelists agreed that IPEF is a vision of the future and will enhance regional as well as global trade, open partnership and scaling on larger platforms. They further pointed out that IPEF is an indication of more the growing number of flexible arrangements for global engagement that countries are pursuing, such as FTAs focussing on specific goods and services and loose regional groupings with open membership rules.

Present in the event were: Dr Tauhid Ahmad, Executive Director, INDEF, Jakarta, Anindya Sengupta, Director, CGAPP, Dr Amitendu Palit, ISAS, NUS, Singapore, Yashodhara Dasgupta, US-India Business Council & Professor Milindo Chakraborty New Delhi. Earlier Mr. Ritwik Sarkar delivered the opening address and Mr. Anindya Sengupta delivered the concluding address informing participants of CGAPP’s activities and research areas.

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