About the Project

CUTS Centre for International Trade Economics & Environment (CUTS CITEE) Jaipur, India is implementing phase-III of the project entitled, ‘South Asian Forum for International Trade’. The first two phases of the SAFIT Project had the twin objectives of promoting incisiveness in trade policy making in five select South Asian countries and providing inputs to arrive at a possible common South Asian negotiating position in regard to the Doha Development Round of the WTO, which if and when concluded will have significant implications for international trade and national development, especially for developing countries. In the thirds phase, research will be carried out to determine how ground realities relevant for the negotiating interests of South Asian countries have changed. The results would then be used to review the common South Asian negotiating position arrived at through SAFIT I and II and appropriate capacity building efforts would be undertaken along with recommendations.

The project will cover five South Asian countries viz. Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and will focus on the following trade negotiation topics.

• Agriculture

• NAMA

• Services

• Trade Facilitation

• Development Dimensions

The long term objective of the project is to generate negotiating inputs and to assist negotiators and policy makers of the programme countries to use such inputs in the Doha Round negotiations. Trade policy makers and negotiators of the programme countries as well as NGOs and civil society groups engaged in trade and development issues in South Asia will be the direct beneficiaries of this project. The duration of the project is 4 months i.e. from February 2010 to May 2010.