Farmers Rights to Livelihood in the Himalaya(Rare) – Kamalesh Adhikari, Ratnakar Adhikari

Launched in December 1994 by a consortium of South Asian non-governmental organisations (NGOS), South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics & Environment (SAWTEE) is a recognised, registered, non-profit, non-governmental organisation. After having been operated as a loose network until 1999, it was formally registered with District Administration Office, Kathmandu in the same year. It currently operates through its headquarters in Kathmandu and 11 member institutions from five South Asian countries, namely Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. SAWTEE’s mission is to build capacity of the concerned stakeholders in the context of liberalisation and globalisation in South Asia. The major objectives include:
To analyse various provisions of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreements and functioning of the system so as to promote social justice and economic equity at the national, regional and global levels.
To conduct programmes aimed at enhancing participation of least developed countries and land-locked countries in the global economic system.
To facilitate the process of regional integration within South Asia from the non-governmental side.
To establish linkage and promote cooperation with other organisations having similar objectives.
To conduct research and advocacy programmes on trade, economic and environmental issues affecting South Asia.
SAWTEE follows a five-prong strategy to achieve its objectives.
Networking: Establishing institutional linkages with various national, regional and international institutions that are working in the areas of liberalisation, globalisation and sustainable development.
Capacity building: Conducting capacity building activities at various levels through training workshop, information dissemination and internship programme.
Policy research: Conducting policy research on issues such as the WTO rules, regional cooperation, intellectual property rights, competition policy, environment and development dimension of trade liberalisation.
Advocacy: Organising conferences, seminars, policy dialogues, consultation meetings, talk programmes and interaction programmes. The advocacy at the policy level is also supplemented by publication and distribution of policy briefs and posters on relevant issues in a timely manner. Sensitisation: Publishing and circulating briefing papers, newsletters, discussion papers, monographs and policy briefs on issues related to globalisation, liberalisation, multilateral trading system, regional cooperation, competition policy, environment, farmers’ rights, intellectual property rights, gender, food security etc.
Farmers Rights to Livelihood in the Himalaya(Rare) – Ratnakar Adhikari, Kamalesh Adhikari