Research Profile April 2005 Established in 1983, Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS) is a non-governmental research and advocacy organisation with its headquarters in Jaipur, India. Since 1991, CUTS has been engaged in research and advocacy work on trade and economic policy issues, including environmental and development issues at local, national, regional and international levels, with a special focus on developing countries. In 1996, CUTS Centre for Trade, Economics & Environment () was established to conduct research, advocacy and networking. believes that research is crucial for conducting effective advocacy. Some of its research is sponsored or commissioned, whereas some is funded from internal resources. Furthermore, it is our policy to engage high quality external researchers and consultants for research activities as well as conducting research in-house. This document provides a brief profile of research done by the organisation on trade, economics and environmental issues. OBJECTIVES Present an independent political economic viewpoint on issues from the perspective of developing countries Empower civil society representatives to understand issues of priority for better welfare of developing countries Juxtapose counterfactuals on a scientific basis Strengthen the capacity of developing country representatives in international negotiations Raise awareness in developed countries to understand the concerns of developing and least developing countries Assist representatives of international and inter-governmental organisations to understand the issues from a Southern perspective CUTS has emerged as one of the three leading intellectual centres of the country on international trade issues, the other two being ICRIER and RIS. CUTS, however, has its own distinctive profile by virtue of being basically a civil society organisation. CUTS is able to use the civil society for getting inputs from the micro-level as well as a forum for disseminating its output. This has enabled CUTS to carve out a special niche in the areas of research, advocacy, training and networking. Muchkund Dubey, Former Foreign Secretary of India 1
Agriculture 1 Non-trade Concerns in Assesses various dimensions and country the WTO Agreement on Agriculture positions on non-trade concerns in the WTO Agreement on Agriculture Year: 1999 Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Germany 2 Compatibility or Otherwise of Subsidies on Cotton and Cotton Products in the US and EU with Concerned WTO Instruments Year: 1999 Ministry of Textiles, Government of India 3 Food Distribution System in India: An Annotated Agenda Year: 2000 Consumers, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Kuala Lumpur 4 WTO Agreement on Agriculture: Frequently Asked Questions 5 Demystifying Agriculture Market Access Formula: A Developing Country Perspective after Cancún Setback Analyses legal and hidden subsidies as major barriers, which affect the exports of developing countries Examines the food distribution system in India highlighting both positive and negative aspects Demystifies various terms of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture for the benefit of the layperson and argues how the Indian economy could benefit by taking advantages of the agreement Argues that the draft Cancún ministerial text on agriculture, known as the Derbez text, had made the framework of agriculture negotiations very complex and was one of the reasons for the failure of the Cancún ministerial and put forward simplified formula for reduction in agricultural tariffs 2
Agriculture 6 WTO Agreement on Agriculture and South Asian Countries Looks into various commonalities in the economic situation of South Asian countries, their sensitivity attached to agriculture and tries to explore a common agenda that South Asian countries can follow in the WTO negotiations on agriculture 3
TRIPs 1 TRIPs, Biotechnology and Global Competition Year: 1997 Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Germany 2 The Functioning of Patent Monopoly Rights in Developing Economies: In Whose Interest? Year: 2000 The John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, USA 3 Negotiating the TRIPs Agreement: India s Experience and Some Domestic Policy Issues Year: 2002 4 TRIPs and Public Health: Ways forward for South Asia 5 ABC of TRIPs Shows that provisions in the TRIPs Agreement concerning biotechnology are of great concern to the developing countries Reveals that there is no positive link between a strong patent regime and foreign direct investment and technology transfer and points out that current trends are largely limited to exchanges amongst the industrialised countries Draws lessons from what actually happened during the Uruguay Round negotiations of the GATT and finds that many of the lessons that can be drawn from India s experience with the TRIPs negotiations are the same as those that can be drawn from the negotiations more generally and true for many other countries Aims to answer one specific question: what genuine choices do policy-makers in South Asian countries have following the link between the trade regime and pharmaceuticals and argues that more empirical work is needed to document the extent to which South Asian economies are adversely affected and the extent to which the promises in the preamble to the WTO TRIPs Agreement are realised in tangible terms Demystifies various terms of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights for the benefit of layperson and argues opportunities and challenges before India 4
Environment 1 Environmental Conditions in Trade Year: 1995 Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India 2 Tariff Escalation: A Tax on Sustainability Year: 1997 Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Germany & HIVOS, The Netherlands 3 Multilateral Environmental Agreements, Trade and : Issues and Policy Options Concerning Compliance and Enforcement Year: 2002 Department for, UK & Swedish Agency 4 Domestically Prohibited Goods, Trade in Toxic Waste and Technology Transfer: Issues and s Department for, UK & Swedish Agency Analyses the environmental conditions acting as barriers to international trade and suggests measures for better market access for developing countries Examines how tariff escalation harms the environment and sustainable development of developing countries and argues that the existence of escalating tariff structure, particularly in developed countries, results in the third-best allocation of resources, which crucially harms the environment, development and the balance of trade Highlights that majority of developing countries failure to comply with environmental obligations stems from the lack of technical and financial capacity and suggests how policy measures can be reformed and reorganised to address the negotiating requirements in dealing with environmental issues in future Attempts to highlight concerns about industrialised country s exporting domestically prohibited goods and technologies, and toxic waste to developing countries that are not capable of disposing these substances safely, and protecting their people from health and environmental hazards 5
Environment 5 Trade in Environmental Goods and Services: What is in store? Swedish Agency 6 Trade in Environmental Services: An Indian Perspective Year: 2005 Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India 7 Eco-labelling: Does (Should) One Size Fit All? Year: 2005 Swedish Agency 8 Eco-labelling: Is it a Visible Instrument for Trade Promotion? Year: 2005 Ministry of Spatial Planning, Housing and Environment, The Netherlands 9 Linkages between Environmental Standards and Poverty: A Peoplecentred Approach Year: 2005 Swedish Agency Outlines definitional aspects of trade in environmental goods and services and argues for strengthening the regulatory framework for the prevention of anticompetitive practices and promoting market mechanisms Explores the issues relating to definition and classification of environmental services and recommends definition as a basis for classification, which has taken a centre stage in the WTO negotiations Provides a developing country s perspective on the problem of harmonisation of eco-labels at the international level and analyses conceptual issues, comparative costs of application of eco-labels and trade barrier issues arising out of the harmonisation demands Finds answer to whether eco-labels in India and in the European Union impact export of leather and its products from India and finds that India s ecomark has failed to make an impact on Indian exporters Argues that the best way of improving environmental standards in developing countries is through a comprehensive development strategy, where poverty reduction is at the forefront 6
Environment 10 Stocktaking of Progress towards Sustainability: A Pilot Study of Indian Legislative Initiatives Year: 2005 Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India Analyses the state of affairs in India with respect to specific provisions of the United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection, 1985 (Section G: sustainable consumption) and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, 2002 7
General Issues 1 Agenda for India at A reader-friendly document for policy the WTO Need to be Proactive makers, business representatives, social activists and media persons Year: 1997 2 Trade, Labour, Global Competition and the Social Clause Year: 1997 Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Germnay & HIVOS, The Netherlands 3 Cost on Consumers due to Noncooperation among SAARC Countries Year: 1997 Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Germany 4 Is Trade Liberalisation Sustainable Over Time? Year: 1998 5 Ratcheting Market Access Year: 1998 Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Germany & HIVOS, The Netherlands 6 Consumers Agenda and the WTO An Indian Viewpoint Year: 1999 Argues that the quality of the debate on these issues has not met its volume and attempts to sting the various debates together Presents how South Asian consumers are suffering due to economic noncooperation between and among SAARC (South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation) countries Aims at understanding the process of trade and economic policy reforms for general public and the social activists to comprehend economic and trade policy issues Analyses the impact of the GATT/WTO Agreements on developing countries and takes stock of what happened at the WTO in the 1990 vis-à-vis the market access issues Analyses strategic and WTO-related issues under two broad heads, international agenda and domestic agenda and outlines what India should do at the international forums and at the domestic level to enhance and protect consumer rights in the context of the WTO 8
General Issues 7 Eradicating Child- Labour While Saving the Child Year: 1999 The John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, USA 8 Liberalisation and Poverty: Is there a virtuous circle? Year: 2000 Department for, UK 9 Globalisation and India: Myths and Realities Year: 2001 10 ABC of the WTO Year: 2002 11 WTO and India: An Agenda for Action in Post-Doha Scenario Year: 2002 12 Market Access Implications of SPS and TBT: Bangladesh Perspective 13 Voluntary Selfregulation Versus Mandatory Legislative Schemes for Implementing Labour Standards The Ford Foundation, USA Provides logical arguments and a case study for those groups which are against the use of trade sanctions for the solution of this social malaise and makes recommendations for effective solution of the problem Analyses the conditions necessary for liberalisation of trade and investment regimes to reduce poverty in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan Examines the myths and realities of globalisation and the Indian economy, so as to address some common fallacies and discuss potential benefits of globalisation Deals with various elements of the World Trade Organisation for the benefit of the layperson Covers the pre and post Doha analyses and suggests that India will have to undertake some major restructuring in the current trade policy formulation process Aims to increase awareness in the North about the ground-level situation in poor countries and suggests how the concerns of poor countries can be addressed best within the multilateral trading system Examine how the failure of 1980s code, regulated by international bodies, resulted in the proliferation of corporate codes of conduct and an increased emphasis on corporate social responsibility 9
General Issues 14 Child Labour in South Asia: Are Trade Sanctions the Answer? The Ford Foundation, USA 15 Bridging the Differences: Analyses of Five Issues of the WTO Agenda Explores the impact of trade sanctions on child labour in South Asian countries and finds that these sanctions resulted in the contradiction of the basic objective, i.e. the eradication of child labour Five issues analysed are investment, competition policy, anti-dumping, textiles & clothing, and movement of natural persons European Commission 16 Globalisation, Economic Liberalisation and the Indian Informal Sector Oxfam GB in India 17 Putting our Fears on the Table Analyses of the proposals on investment and competition agreements at the WTO Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden; and Department for, UK 18 Competitiveness of Service Sectors in South Asia: Role and implications of GATS Argues that globalisation and economic liberalisation can result in potential gain, even for the poor, but there is the need for safety measures as well Conducts analyses by a core group of experts from Southern countries on the interpretation and development implications of each of the proposed elements in potential agreements on competition and investment Outlines the relevance and importance of the WTO GATS Agreement for the developing countries and focuses on health services and competitiveness of South Asian countries in trade in health services 10
General Issues 19 An Analysis of Negotiating Proposals on Trade, Debt and Finance Commonwealth Secretariat, London 20 WTO Agreement on Rules of Origin: Implications for South Asia 21 Dealing with Protectionist Standard Setting: Effectiveness of WTO Agreements on TBT and SPS Emphasises new ideas and approaches that might enhance the chances of success in negotiations, particularly taking into account the concerns and interests of developing countries and recommends how developing countries might achieve advantageous outcomes, including indications of trade-offs they may have to make Focuses on the implications of harmonised rules of origin, in particular examining the effects of common rules of origin on consumers and suggests a set of measures to improve the negotiating positions of South Asian countries and for reorienting institutional arrangements to work with the common rules of origin Attempts to fathom the relevance of SPS and TBT agreements of the WTO, their necessity in the present global economic scenario and the development of case law related to these agreements 22 We ve been here before: Perspectives on the Cancún Ministerial 23 ABC of GATS 24 WTO Agreement on Textiles & Clothing: Frequently Asked Questions A compendium of select articles appeared in various national and international newspapers before, during and after the Cancún ministerial conference of the WTO Demystifies various terms of the General Agreement on Trade in Services for the benefit of the layperson and argues how the Indian economy could benefit by taking advantage of the agreement Demystifies various terms of the WTO Agreement on Textiles & Clothing for the benefit of layperson and argues how the Indian economy could benefit by taking advantages in the post-quota regime of trade in textiles and clothing 11
General Issues 25 Trade Policy Making Discusses and concludes that India in India: The Reality below the Water Line struggles with trade policy making, especially because domestic and international thinking on development and economic growth is seriously out of alignment 26 Trade-Labour Debate: The State of Affairs The Ford Foundation, USA 27 Improving Labour Standards through : A Positive Agenda The Ford Foundation, USA 28 Protectionism and Trade Remedial Measures 29 Agreement on SAFTA: Is it Win- Win for All SAARC Countries? 30 Trade facilitation and South Asia: The Need for Some Serious Scenario Planning Assesses the current and possible future direction of the debate from the developing countries perspective and provides policy suggestions for way forward Argues that the best way of improving labour standards is through a comprehensive development strategy, where poverty reduction is at the forefront Demonstrates that countries have preferred using anti-dumping measures over safeguard measures because the former can be easily used for extending protection to domestic industry for a long time Provides a good account of existing trade between South Asian countries and highlights lessons learnt from the efforts so far made for better intraregional trade within South Asia Emphasises that the problems of improving customs administration in South Asia are only a small part of a much greater problem relating to border management and domestic tax and revenue enforcement issues 12
General Issues 31 Movement of Natural Persons: A Case Study of South Asian Countries 32 Enhancing Export Competitiveness on Textiles and Clothing 33 From Cancún to São Paulo: The Role of Civil Society in the Trading System Focuses on the significance of mobility of labour and how WTO negotiations can be used to advance South Asian countries export interests under this mode of service supply Underlines the importance of enhancing collective export competitiveness of South Asian countries through cooperation rather than competition and recommends the necessity of having an effective institutional arrangement for making such cooperation meaningful A report of the proceedings and papers presented at the Afro-Asian Civil Society Seminar on Trade, which was held in New Delhi, India in the run-up to UNCTAD XI The Commonwealth Foundation, UK; Research Cenrtre, ; Oxfam GB in India & Norwegian Agency for Cooperation 34 Trade Facilitation: Reducing the Transaction Cost or Burdening the Poor! Year: 2005 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden 35 Unpacking Transparency in Government Procurement Year: 2005 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden Analyses contentious, but fundamental, issues pertaining to WTO negotiations on trade facilitation in order promote better understanding, particularly in poor countries Promotes understanding on various aspects of government procurement and argues that domestic measures for enhancing transparency in government procurement can effectively reduce corruption, particularly in developing countries 13
Briefing Papers 1995 1. GATT, Patent Laws and Implications for India 2. Social Clause in the GATT A Boon or Bane for India 3. Greening Consumer Choice? Environmental Labelling and the Consumer 4. Trade and Environment: The Inequitable Connection 5. Anti-dumping Measures under GATT and the Indian Law 6. No Patents in Life Forms! 1996 1. The Freezing Effect: Lack of Coherence in the New World Trade Order 2. The Circle of Poison: Unholy Trade in Domestically Prohibited Goods 3. Swim Together or Sink: Costs of Economic Non-cooperation in South Asia 4. Carrying the SARRC Flag: Moving Towards Regional Economic Cooperation 5. DPGs, Toxic Waste and Dirty Industries: Partners in Flight 6. WTO Beyond Singapore: The Need for Equity and Coherence 1997 1. The Uruguay Round and Going Beyond Singapore 2. Non-tariff Barriers or Disguised Protectionism 3. Anti-dumping under the GATT: The Need for Vigilance by Exporters 4. Subsidies and Countervailing Measures 5. Textiles and Clothing: Who Gains, Who Loses and Why? 6. Trade in Agriculture: Quest for Equality 7. Trade in Services: Cul de Sac or the Road Ahead! 8. TRIPs and Pharmaceuticals: Implications for India 9. Movement of Natural Persons under GATS: Problems and Prospects 1998 1. Trade Liberalisation, Market Access and Non-tariff Barriers 2. Trade Liberalisation and Food Security 1999 1. The Linkages: Will it Escalate? 2. Trade and Environment: An Agenda for Developing Countries 3. Dispute Settlement at the WTO: From Politics to Legality 4. TRIPs and Biodiversity 5. Overdue Reforms in European Agriculture: Implications for Southern Consumers 6. Negotiating History of the Uruguay Round 7. Professional Services under GATS: Implication for the Accountancy Sector in India 2000 1. Implementation of the WTO Agreements: Coping with the Problems 2. Trade and Environment: Seattle and Beyond 3. Seattle and the Smaller Countries 4. Dispute Settlement under the GATT/WTO: The Experience of Developing Countries 5. Biosafety Protocol: Sweet N Sour 6. Process and Production Methods: Implications for Developing Countries 14
2001 1. Trade and Sustainable : An Outline of a Southern Agenda 2. Human Rights and Trade: Right Cause with Wrong Intentions 3. Framework for Fair Trade and Poverty Eradication 4. Implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreements: Need for a Frontloading Agenda 5. Proactive Agenda for Trade and Poverty Reduction 6. WTO Transparency and Accountability: Need for Reforms 7. EU s Environmental Agenda: Genuine Concern or Pitching for Protectionism! 2002 1. Amicus Curie Brief: Should the WTO remain Friendless? 2. Market Access: The Major Roadblocks 2003 1. India Must Stop being Purely Defensive at the WTO 2. IPRs, Access to Seeds and Related Issues 2004 1. Farm Agenda at the WTO: The Key to Moving the Doha Round 2. TRIPs Plus: Enhancing Right Holders Protection, Eroding TRIPs Flexibility 3. Global Partnership for : The Way Forward 4. The End of the WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing: Opportunity or Threat! 5. Movement of Natural Persons and Regional Trade Agreements 15