INTERNATIONAL

Electronic Books Made in France

-Stephane Rouget, France

For a few months now, several American enterprises have been venturing into electronic books. Just like its competitors, Cytale, a young Paris firm, is working on a product whose ambition is to revolutionize the world of books. It was due out in March 2000,on the occasion of the 20th Book Fair.

The star of the next book fair, which was held in Paris from 17th to 22nd March 2000,will not be made of paper. Indeed, it is on that date that Cytale, the first European company to start out on this new adventure, presented the object of the 21st century: The electronic book. The firm hopes to succeed where a lot of others have failed, i.e. to dematerialize books.

Until now, no worthy competitor has been found for books.  Recently television advertisement, produced on the initiative of a famous publishing house, praised the merits of books as objects: easy to handle, light, offering hours of pleasure at very low price. Moreover, anybody with a computer knows how difficult it is to read on a screen.

Yet digitizing a paper text offers incomparable possibilities in terms of seeking something in a text or storage. The boom in encyclopaedia sales on CD Roms is just one example among others. Certain editions no longer exist in paper form. The Britannica proposes the complete content of its encyclopaedias on the Internet. So why not other books?

Cytale has decided to take up this challenge, dreaming up the book of the future, in spring 1998. Today, this book of the future is just like a normal book. Beneath it leather or material cover, a screen 21 centimeters by 16 centimeters displays a page of text. The electronic book is the size of a best seller and can be easily slipped into a handbag, an attaché case or a rucksack. The batteries provide five hours of uninterrupted reading. Its screen that benefits from backlighting even makes it possible to read in the dark, without getting tired. So the electronic book can be read everywhere and in all conditions and, in addition to the pleasure of reading, it offers the power of electronics and of the Internet, while remaining easy to use.

A nomad library and a virtual bookshop: The electronic book is both a nomad library and a virtual bookshop. It is like a library because it is possible to store the equivalent of at least thirty 500-page works and it is like a bookshop because it is possible to buy new books by downloading them. You do not need to be an Internet expert to buy a book. Access to Cytale's library is pre-configured in the book. All you need is a GSM-Mobile Phone- or a telephone socket to connect into the Internet, visit the virtual shelves in the bookshop and buy the chosen book. At second stage, it will also be possible to download your favorite newspapers and magazines.

It is easy to use. There is neither a keyboard nor a mouse. You just use your fingertip to do everything, thanks to the tactile screen, whether it is choosing a book or a newspaper, enlarging the characters, changing the intensity of the lighting, ordering a magazine or look up the meaning of a word in the dictionary. To turn the page, it is enough to lightly press an ergonomic button, naturally placed under your finger.

The equipment exists. It just needs to be filled. Cytale is working in close collaboration with publishers to progress in the range of works available in digital form. Cytale is also creating an online site that will, at the same time, be a bookshop, a kiosk, and a personal library. A large choice is already available with novels, essays, poetry, plays, subjects in the news, politics, economics, human sciences, anthologies, history, science fiction, spirituality, detective stories, humor, etc. On the site, it will be possible to flick through digitalised books, to consult the back cover, reports, reviews and commentaries. Although the electronic book is , above all, a tool for reading, it also offers other services, such as surfing on the Internet or keeping your personal diary up-to-date.

Another important point, which should contribute to its development, is the establishment of a standard to harmonize the format of these books. This format will guarantee the availability of book titles and will make it possible to buy and download works from any virtual bookshop to any electronic book.

An unknown factor for the development of the electronic book, however, is its market acceptance. The disappearance of the traditional book has already been spoken about many times, but it has not taken place. However, this technology, which has now natured, might find favor with the public. The electronic book would thus bring together that in favor of paper books and advocates of digitalization. Wait and see!

Regional Economic Cooperation: initiatives within SAARC -2

AMIT DASGUPTA, Director, SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu

In this regard meetings of finance officials of the SAARC countries have been held, including among the Governors of Central Banks to not only put into position early warning mechanisms but also to coordinate policies to respond to global financial and economic developments that affect the region.

It was also agreed at the Colombo Summit in 1998 to establish a network of researchers comprising members of the private sector, central banks, planning ministries, research institutes and eminent economists nominated by Governments to identify, analyze and help SAARC face up to current global, financial and economic developments affecting the region. Such a network has since been set up and has decided on an immediate and longer-term research agenda which would help identify areas of common concern, as also new areas of cooperation among the Member Countries. The Network   is working on a South Asian Economic Journal and a Directory of Research Institutes in South Asia focussing on global financial and economic issues.

Successive Summits have acknowledged the importance of SAARC pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation with regional, UN and other international organisations on Association’s agreed areas of cooperation.

In terms of external linkages, SAARC and UNCTAD signed a Memorandum of Understanding (in February 1993) on the basis of which the UNCTAD Database on Trade Control Measures is regularly updated for the SAARC Member States by the SAARC Secretariat.

Similarly, a Framework Cooperation Agreement was signed between SAARC and ESCAP (in February 1994) to provide for cooperation on developmental issues through joint studies, workshops and seminars and exchange of information and documentation in poverty alleviation, human resource development, trade promotion, foreign direct investment, environmental protection and prevention of drug trafficking, infrastructure development etc.  ESCAP has also established an institutional mechanism of Consultative Meetings of the Executive Heads of Sub-regional Organisations in Asia and the Pacific (SAARC, ECO, ASEAN, South Pacific Forum) and ESCAP. SAARC hosted the last such Consultative Meeting in Kathmandu in 1998.

A  Memorandum of Understanding on Administrative Cooperation between SAARC and the European Commission has been signed (July 1996). The Secretary-General was authorised by the Twenty-sixth Session of the Council of Ministers (Nuwara Eliya, 18-19 March 1999) to discuss with EC specific areas of possible cooperation under the SAARC-EC MOU. It has accordingly been decided to negotiate acceptable programmes which are of particular  relevance to SAARC countries including (a) facilitating access into the Single European market; (b) implementation of the EU-GSP Scheme including cumulative rules of origin; (c) drawing on the EU experience for the SAFTA process; and (d) evolving common SAARC standards and harmonisation with international obligations including certification, testing etc. Four projects are close to finalization following consultations between SAARC and the European Commission.

Since 1998, SAARC has had an informal Ministerial-level dialogue with ASEAN and the European Union on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Informal discussions of an exploratory nature at the level of  Secretary-General have also been initiated  with the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Among the various areas of cooperation within SAARC, economic cooperation appears to have gained considerable momentum. This is derived to some measure from the changing global economic environment and its apparent unpredictability. The Tenth Summit Declaration (Colombo; 1998) expresses serious concern over the severe distortions produced by the process of unrestrained globalization as has been evidenced in the downturn of economies of several Asian states. At the same time, negotiations in the multilateral economic forums appear to disadvantage developing and Least Developed Countries and there is urgent need to not only develop joint positions and strategies but also to find ways and means of protecting natural resources, heritage and knowledge. In addition to both the above compulsions is the recognition within the region that it is indeed blessed with considerable resources, both natural and human, which not only identifies it as a market but also as a major trading partner provided it is in a position to build on its competitive and comparative advantages.

Amit Dasgupta is currently Director (Economic & Trade) at the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu. This paper is an amplified version of the one carried in Dasgupta, Amit and Debroy, Bibek (eds.), SAARC Means Business : Opportunities for Partnership (Federation of Indian Chamber of  Commerce and Industry, New Delhi, 2000; $50/-

SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS OF CEC

• Assess the potential for intra-regional cooperation in the trade and economic spheres;

• Analyse inter-regional and global developments which have implications for intra-regional cooperation in these spheres;

• Recommend policies and measures for promoting intra-regional trade, joint ventures, industrial complementation, investments, marketing cooperation and transfer of technology;

• Evolve joint strategies, plans and common approaches in international fora for mutual benefit;

• Formulate, implement and  coordinate action-oriented programmes and projects with priorities in respect of the above mentioned areas;

• Suggest ways and means, including sources of finance and institutional mechanisms, for implementing the above mentioned programmes and projects; and

• Consider any other matter on the direction/request of the Council of Ministers or other SAARC bodies.