One of every five people in the world lives in the countries of South Asia – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri-Lanka. The problems faced by this population are so huge that they present a defining challenge to the core mandates of the United Nations as the global arena for problem to solving. These challenges range from economic development, environmental protection, food and water security, democratic governance and human rights, nuclear war and peace, inter-state and internal conflicts, and new security issues like AIDS and international terrorism. South Asia in the World develops a dialogue between academics and practitioners in a deeply divided region. It explores the potential for improvement in domestic and international efforts to alleviate the problems of South Asia and the role that the United Nations can play.