Campaign on Linkages

Events>CUTS’ Panel Discussion on Linkages: Are Trade Sanctions A Part Of Legitimate Instruments For Elimination Of Child Labour?

Symposia on linkages: How do we bridge the gap?
19th October 2001, Washington DC, USA

Symposia on linkages: How do we bridge the gap?
10th October 2001, London, UK

Implementation Issues vs. Expansion of the WTO 
March 24, 2001, New Delhi, India

Round Table: The Social Clause and Linkage at the WTO: What is at Stake?
December 16, 2000, New Delhi, India

CUTS’ Panel Discussion on Linkages: Are Trade Sanctions A Part Of Legitimate Instruments For Elimination Of Child Labour?
November 14, 2000, Durban, South Africa 14:30hrs-16: 30 Hrs

CUTS’ Panel Discussion: Labour Linkage From The view  Point of Trade Sanctions
June29,2000,Geneva

Planning Meeting Research on Child Labour
June 18, 2000, Jaipur, India

Background and Context

Event

Background and Context

One of the causes for the failure of the Seattle Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation in 1999, was a polarised position of the North and South on the issue of incorporating labour standards into trade accords. A similar situation exists with the issue of environment and trade. 

Some of the industrialized countries and members of the civil society are pushing for various issues to be incorporated into the WTO. While many in both the developed and developing countries and civil society are against the incorporation of sanctions into the multilateral trading regime. They fear that the sanction might be a route for protectionism and on the other hand there are many who feel that only adoption of such standards can translate liberalized trade into fair trade. Another section feels that amending trade rules to include non-trade issues would not address these issues justifiably, as WTO is opaque. 

This Discussion has been part of a series of events being organised by CUTS-CITEE in the context of different stance taken by countries and civil society organisations on the inclusion of trade with labour and environmental standards into the mainstream multilateral trade disciplines of the WTO. 

Event

This Panel Discussion will be organised on the sidelines of the 16th World Congress of the Consumers International (CI) being held during November 13-17,200 at Durban, South Africa. 
We feel that a Panel Discussion on the subject would provide a forum to bring together the speakers of different views to put forward their arguments on this complex issue. The specific objective of the Panel Discussion is to gather the views of the consumer activists around the world on these matter when they are holding the triennial Congress to discuss the issues before them and identify priorities for future action. This exercise can perhaps help us to go into the details of this issue and also suggest a solution to it.

The goal is to reduce the heat and tension with the hope that the problems are addressed in a fair manner leading to equity and sustainability. Governments, cross section of civil society groups and most importantly the concerned strata of society, viz. parents of working children, unorganised labour, etc. who are going to be impacted due to the results of these discussions, all have an interest in the outcome of this programme. The views of consumer organisations are to be heard on this subject as these issues are directly concerned to them too. 

The questions of common concern include: 

• Does the current debate on ‘linkages’ reflect the concerns expressed by developing countries vis-à-vis sustainable development (e.g. problems pertaining to poverty alleviation, technology absorption etc.)? 
• Whether having a multilaterally agreed text concerning ‘linkages’ on a sanctions-based platform like the WTO put an end to problems like child labour? How will it impact sectors, which are not related to international trade? 
• How can we give teeth to the existing multilateral institutions such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and other concerned organisations to tackle various issues identified under linkages? 
• What would be the estimated costs that would have to be incurred by developing countries to achieve and maintain the necessary standards vis-à-vis environment protection and labour welfare? Would they have the capacity to bear the cost burden? 
• How can one ensure that domestic legislation concerning maintenance of labour standards are effectively implemented at the national level, and that they are not distorted by vested interests? 

Organised by: 
CUTS Centre for International Trade, Economics & Environment, Jaipur, India 

Contact Details: 
For more details please feel free to contact: 
Mr. K.S. Sajeev/Ms. Purnima Purohit
CUTS Centre for International Trade, Economics & Environment 
D-217, Bhaskar Marg, Bani Park, Jaipur 302 016, India 
Ph: 91-141-2282482, Fax: 91-141-2282823/203998 
Email: cutsjpr@sancharnet.in

CONTACT US

CUTS Centre For International Trade, Economics & Environment (CITEE)

D–217,  Bhaskar Marg,  Bani  Park, 

Jaipur  302 016,  India,

Ph: +91(0)141-228 2821-3

Fx: +91(0)141-228 2485  

Email: cuts@cuts.org