IIFT Centre for WTO Studies

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) having a center for WTO Studies . will you please tell when this center was established . And also please tell what is the purpose of the establishment of the center for WTO Studies by IIFT.

Can you tell me in detail about the research activities carried out by the Centre for WTO Studies of IIFT (Indian Institute of Foreign Trade)?

[pooja]

The Centre for WTO Studies of Indian Institute of Foreign Trade was set up in 1999 to be a permanent repository of WTO negotiations-related knowledge and documentation.

It was also predicted that it would evolve into a research unit with interest in trade in general and WTO in particular to finally develop into an independent think tank in the area. It was later situated in the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in November 2002.

Over the years, it has conducted a robust research programme with a series of papers in all spheres of interest at the WTO. It has also created a specialised e-repository of important WTO documents, especially related to India, in its Trade Resource Centre.

It has been often called upon by the Government of India to undertake research and provide independent analytical inputs to help it develop positions in its many trade negotiations, both at the WTO and other forums such as Free and Preferential Trade Agreements and Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreements.

It has also been actively interfacing with industry and Government units and other stakeholders through its Outreach and Capacity Building programmes by organizing seminars, workshops, subject specific meetings etc.

Research Activities
The research activities carried out by the Centre is classified into two broad categories:

First, those that are mainly demand focused, especially relating to current WTO and RTA negotiation, which include requests from the Government in which the Centre has been providing technical inputs, especially in the following areas:
a. Agriculture
b. NAMA
c. Services
d. TRIPS
e. Subsidies and Anti-Dumping.
Second - those that are autonomously taken up by the Centre. In it, Centre has taken up research in areas such as Trade and Gender, Trade and Environment, Trade in Cultural Products, Trade Facilitation, Developing web portal on SPS and TBT database etc.

In addition, Centre has also carried out joint studies with inter-governmental agencies like ADB, Commonwealth Secretariat, ESCAP, UNCTAD and UNICEF.

Contact Detail:
Centre For WTO Studies
7th Floor, IIFT Bhawan, B-21,
Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi - 110016
Tel: 91-11-26965124, 26965300, 26966360
Ext-723,721 Fax: 91-11-26853956
Email id: cws@iift.ac.in