Implementation
CUTS CITEE will implement the project in alliance with research institutions, CSOs and other stakeholders. For this, it has been taking part in initiatives, including exchange of information and knowledge. As this project is about collating civil society perceptions on issues of trade negotiations, CUTS CITEE will gather inputs from such initiatives and will use them as complementary information. In this manner, this project will complement other initiatives and vice-versa. In the course of implementing this project, CUTS CITEE will prepare a reader-friendly database of WTO-related civil society initiatives in South Asia, which will help in having better synergy in future.
In India, CUTS has been working on many of the above-stated concerns. CUTS is a member of the advisory committee on international trade constituted by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India and chaired by the minister for commerce & industry. Some of the partners in this project are members of such committees in their respective countries. CUTS and other partners of this project will share their mutual experience of being a part of the process and will see how best once can learn from each other’s experiences.
Milestones
The following milestones will be achieved as per the project activities stated above:
- By 15.05.2006, five country-wise position papers on the outcome of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration will be ready for initial discussions with trade negotiators as a follow-up of SAFIT-I advocacy work.
- By 31.05.2006, there will be good communication between trade negotiators and officials on the one hand and CUTS CITEE and partners on the other hand, also in preparation for the project review, WTO public symposium and UNCTAD quadrennial meetings in September 2006. Specific attention is given to the impact of trade policy measures on women in each of the five subjects: agriculture, non-agricultural market access, trade in services, duty & quota free market access for LDCs and Preference erosion & aid for trade.
- By 25.09.2006, findings from five draft research papers containing South Asian countries concerns on specific issues of negotiations will be submitted to (a) trade negotiators (of South Asian countries) in Geneva during the WTO public symposium; and (b) to trade policy officials in respective countries as bases for the continuing dialogue.
- By 30.09.2006, a database of state and non-state actors will be further expanded and strengthened and the first indications from the five partners have been received that interactive learning has taken place. CUTS CITEE would have provided the partners with information on the WTO via an online forum. The web page at CUTS CITEE’ website is established with link to the project partners’ websites.
- By 20.10.2006, valid, justified and well-founded research results (i.e. 5 papers) have been received by CUTS CITEE, indicating that the model is functioning. CUTS CITEE will have shared the models with partners in Africa for testing there, to see if the model is replicable under different circumstance. If the need is there the model will also be shared with other regional bureaux in Oxfam Novib.
- By 30.11.2006, a book containing research papers will be published.
- By 15.12.2006, the book will be released and distributed.
- By 30.04.2007, national consultations in each of the South Asian countries will take place to discuss the findings of Component II and its implications on the country. A total of 150 persons will participate in these consultations.
- By 15.05.2007, recommendations from the five declarations (out of the national consultations) will be compiled and submitted to the trade negotiators and trade policy officials, and for wider dissemination to the NGOs, business bodies and other civil society actors.
- By 30.06.2007, five background papers will be published and distributed.
Timeframe
The project partners are expected to complete the activities within 15 (fifteen) months, i.e. the duration of the Partnership Agreement. The detail activity chart (month-wise; April = 4, December = 12) is shown below.