Ideas for Developing Asia and the Pacific

Call for Papers on Transport Corridors in CAREC Region: Trade Facilitation and Supply Chain Resilience

Asian Development Bank Institute

The Russian invasion of Ukraine and other conflicts have impacted economies in the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) region in complex ways. While some of the short-term effects appeared to be beneficial for CAREC economies, the outlook for the medium- to long-term is more challenging due to the expected adverse effects of increased political instability, human insecurity, and disruptions of economic ties and supply chains.

The changing role of Russia in the region and the impossibility of continuing business as usual in finance, transit, and technological cooperation is prompting CAREC economies to consider alternative approaches for achieving their socioeconomic development goals. This includes the possible reorientation of trade and transit routes toward neighboring CAREC economies, such as the Trans-Caspian Corridor that crosses Central Asia and the Caspian Sea to link Asia and Europe. However, the region’s trade capacity, speed, and customs procedures require greater development.

The Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), the Asian Development Bank, and the CAREC Institute invite original, unpublished paper submissions addressing transport corridors and trade facilitation in Central and West Asia and detailing policy recommendations to be presented at a virtual or in-person workshop expected to be held in September 2023.

Priority topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Transport corridors and supply chain shock resilience
  • Transport corridor infrastructure financing
  • Competitive trade advantages and policy strategies for countries along transport corridors
  • Public and private participation in transport infrastructure development and management in transport corridors
  • The potential for transport corridor infrastructure development to promote regional and global trade and positive socioeconomic spillover effects
  • Strategies for overcoming transport corridor bottlenecks
  • Digitalization and standardization measures for accelerating cross-border transportation
  • The impacts of transport corridor infrastructure improvements and trade implications

Submission Procedure

Full papers in English of around 5,000-8,000 words, including 150-300 word abstracts, should be submitted via this link no later than 31 May 2023. Submissions should not be published, accepted for publication, or under consideration for publication elsewhere. Papers should adhere to ADBI’s submission guidelines for authors.

Early submissions are preferred. Only authors of selected papers will be notified by 29 June 2023.

Arrangements for Selected Papers

An honorarium of $1,000 will be provided to the lead (main) author of selected papers, as decided by the organizing committee. Recipients must be from an Asian Development Bank member economy.

Authors of selected papers may be invited to the virtual or in-person workshop tentatively schedule for 15-16 September 2023. More information about the workshop will be announced later. Selected papers may also be considered for inclusion in a book.

Organizing Committee

  • Iskandar Abdullaev, CAREC Institute
  • Riznaldi Akbar, Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI)
  • Ayoob Ayoobi, CAREC Institute
  • Dina Azhgaliyeva, ADBI
  • Richard Pomfret, University of Adelaide
  • Roman Mogilevskii, Asian Development Bank
  • Shujiro Urata, ADBI
  • Yelena Kalyuzhnova, University of Reading

Contacts

Inquiries may be directed to Riznaldi Akbar, Dina Azhgaliyeva, and Ayoob Ayoobi. 

For technical issues with submissions, please contact the ADBI web team.
 

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