UNCTAD-India and the United Kingdom has launched of a new project to assess the impact and opportunities for India of trade and globalization. The five- year project is being funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID).

Entitled "Strategies and Preparedness for Trade and Globalization in India", the project has two main objectives. First it will assist Indian trade negotiators, policy makers and other stakeholders in understanding the development dimension of key trade issues, particularly as they related to the current WTO agenda. Secondly, it will strengthen the country's human and institutional capacities for analysis of globalization-related issues and facilitate a policy environment that will support and sustain a more equitable process of globalization. In the process, the project should help India derive the greatest possible benefits from the multilateral trading system and influence international trade rule making. The project will work in partnership with private sector and civil society. It will focus on institutions and sectors with the greatest potential to affect the poor stakeholders in their roles as producers, workers, consumers and citizens.

The main issues for the project are:

  Agriculture and food security
   Non-agriculture market access, including textiles
  The TRIPS Agreement
   The impact of WTO agreements on small scale industries
   Services
   Environment
   Trade facilitation
   Dispute settlement
   Regional trade agreements
   Investments
   Competition

The programme Strategies and Preparedness for Trade and Globalization in India is implemented by Ministry of Commerce (Govt. of India) and UNCTAD-India with the active support of Partners in each sector. Textiles Committee, under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, is implementing the project in the Textiles & Clothing sector as the major Tier -1 Partner.

The programme works through a tiered system where the Tier 1 partner would be able to put the sector network in place, and they, along with Tier 2 partners (the stakeholders of the industry), undertake Trade Related Capacity Building (TRCB) and other activities, on a demand driven basis. While the Tier 1 partner coordinates with the Tier 2 partners and other stakeholder bodies of the industry for effective implementation of the programme, the UNCTAD coordinates with sector partners on a regular basis, and takes on a more pro-active role, in partnership with the Government. In the Textiles & Clothing sector, the project is implemented by selecting important themes which have relevance to globalisation and international trade.

The programme "Strategies & Preparedness for Trade & Globalisation in India" has two components. Component I of the Project, which is being implemented since March 2003, is assisting negotiators and policy makers, in enhancing understanding of the development and pro-poor dimension of key trade issues relating to the Doha work programme. Component II of the programme aims to strengthen human and institutional capacities among stakeholders, as well as a policy environment that will support and sustain a more equitable process of globalisation. Component II will facilitate building capacities on trade competitiveness in selected sectors/regions. While Component I focuses on 'upstream' activities (assisting trade negotiators and policy makers), Component II engages in 'downstream' actions, to build stakeholder capacities for understanding and managing the impact of globalisation on their respective constituencies. The activities under both these components are interlinked, for instance, when research and analysis of negotiating issues ( a Component 1 activity) is disseminated to stakeholders and their responses fed back to the negotiators ( a Component II activity).

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UNCTAD is the focal point within the United Nations for the integrated treatment of trade and development and the interrelated issues in the areas of finance, technology, investment and sustainable development.

UNCTAD is a forum for intergovernmental discussions and deliberations, supported by discussions with experts and exchanges of experience, aimed at consensus-building.

UNCTAD undertakes research, policy analysis and data collection in order to provide substantive inputs for the discussions of experts and government representatives.

UNCTAD, in co-operation with other organizations and donor countries, provides technical assistance tailored to the needs of the developing countries, with special attention being paid to the needs of the least developed countries, and countries with economy in transition.

The present Secretary-GeneraI of UNCTAD is Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi. In performing its functions, the secretariat works together with member Governments and interacts with organizations of the United Nations system and regional commissions, as well as with governmental institutions, non-gover- nmental organizations, the private sector, including trade and industry associations, research institutes and universities worldwide.