January, 2007

www.cuts-international.org

Established in 1984, Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS) is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation working on public interest issues. The following describes the Capabilities, which CUTS has developed over these 20+ years.

VISION Consumer sovereignty in the framework of ATTRIBUTES & VALUES social justice and equality, within and across  Adopting a centrist approach through borders research and advocacy  Marrying the ‘hot’ of advocacy with the PROGRAMME AREAS ‘cold’ of research  Consumer Protection  Ensuring outcomes, rather than just  International Trade & Development outputs  Competition, Investment & Economic  Focusing on areas where a vacuum exists Regulation  Consistency and sustainability are the  Human Development guiding principles  Consumer Safety  Carved a niche for itself in research, advocacy and networking on several issues RESOURCES of public interest  Five dedicated programme centres and six  Working simultaneously at the grassroots resource centres: seven in : three in to the international level, which helps in , one in Calcutta, and one each in conducting policy advocacy in a coherent Chittorgarh and , with a manner representative in ; two in Africa: Lusaka, Zambia and Nairobi, Kenya; one OUTREACH in London, UK and one in Hanoi,  Publishing a wide spectrum of material for Vietnam. information dissemination for semi-  Approximately 20,000 sq. ft. of office literates to professionals in a reader- space with necessary equipment for friendly format ranging from a wall efficient functioning and timely delivery newspaper to research reports  About 140 staff with great diversity,  Each programme centre has a flagship experience and dedication product: a periodic newsletter covering  A well-developed and reader-friendly web relevant issues site: www.cuts-international.org, and  Have created sustainable networks from others in programme centres and resource villages in India to the state, national, centres. regional and international levels  In-house editorial and desk top publishing  Extremely adept at organising campaigns,  Affiliated to important national meetings and seminars from the village committees and a number of international level comprising 5-6 participants to the organisations international level with over 350  Relevant and diverse Advisory participants Committees guide each programme centre

CUTS is one of the very few consumer organisations in the country working from grassroots to international level: Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Vice-President of India

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Consumer Protection

CUTS Centre for Consumer Action, Research & Training www.cuts-international.org/CART.htm

MISSION Good Governance To enable people, in particular women, to  Initiated capacity building of grassroots achieve their right to basic needs and social action groups to promote good sustainable development through a strong governance in through social consumer movement audit of public expenditure and other means RESOURCES  A Centre in Jaipur with experienced staff OUTREACH and working in conjunction with other Publications programme and resource centres at  Gram Gadar (Village Revolution): a Calcutta, Chittorgarh, Mumbai and Delhi monthly wall newspaper and rural  Affiliated to important national development communication initiative committees and to a number of being published in since 1983 international organisations  Panchva Stambh (5th Estate): a Hindi  An advisory board of 8 members having quarterly on accountability, reforms and diverse background and knowledge governance  State of the Indian Consumer and State of PROGRAMME AREAS Consumers in Rajasthan analyses Consumer Action consumer issues  Advocated for the enactment and  Several occasional and bi-lingual (Hindi strengthening of Consumer Protection Act and English) publications, guides and (COPRA) of India, 1986 and developed a training manuals for grassroot groups draft National Consumer Policy at the request of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Networking Government of India  Vast networking in Rajasthan with over 500 voluntary organisations and grassroot Accountability and Budget Analysis groups  Worked on state accountability and citizen  Campaigned successfully on a wide empowerment through budget analysis on spectrum of public interest issues government expenditure for children, which resulted in valuable contributions to Event Management the Rajasthan State Child Policy  Organising several meetings/seminars at block, district and state levels Regulatory Reforms  Have developed a special niche in the FUTURE PLANS power sector reforms process, particularly  Deepen work on good governance, in Rajasthan particularly social audit  Campaign on right to opportunities and Investor Education and Protection right to information  Educating investors (particularly small  Strengthening the consumer movement investors) through workshops

It confirmed my view that often the simple lack of awareness lies at the root of so much misery. Furthermore, the impact and success of a relatively simple publication like this one in enriching and changing the lives of many villagers gives us new impetus to try to improve the lives of the neediest in our daily work – however remote it may seem at first sight: observed Rubens Ricupero, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development on seeing Gram Gadar

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International Trade & Development CUTS Centre for International Trade, Economics & Environment www.cuts-citee.org Sustainable Production & Consumption MISSION  Conducting a policy audit in India of Pursuing economic equity and social justice Section G (guidelines for sustainable within and across borders by persuading consumption) of the United Nations governments and empowering people Guidelines for Consumer Protection and the Johannesburg (Rio+10) Plan of RESOURCES Implementation  Headquartered at Jaipur, India with 20  Instrumental in launching the Indian experienced research and programme staff Ecomark Scheme in 1991 and promoting  Affiliated to important international awareness in India organisations and to a number of national committees OUTREACH  An international advisory board  Economiquity: a bi-monthly e-newsletter comprising of 15 members from diverse on WTO Issues, Regional Economic backgrounds Cooperation and Developmental Issues,  A well-developed and reader-friendly web which is sent out to more than 5,000 site: www.cuts-citee.org interested readers worldwide  In-house editorial and desk-top publishing  Monthly e-newsletters on the above-stated programme areas PROGRAMME AREAS  Research reports, briefing papers, WTO Issues monographs and viewpoint papers are  Conducting network-based research and regularly published and disseminated advocacy for raising a range of civil  Network-based activities with more than society concerns, views and perspectives 60 research institutions and non- on the Doha Round of WTO negotiations governmental organisations all over the world Regional Economic Cooperation  Active participation in all WTO  Working on various aspects of South- Ministerial Conferences and meetings and South and South-North economic and conferences of inter-governmental trade cooperation organisations like UNCTAD, OECD  Catalysed the formation of a number of Developmental Issues networks, such as Kathmandu-based South  Implementing a number of network-based Watch on Trade, Economics & and outreach-oriented projects on trade Environment (SAWTEE), and the Geneva- and poverty, trade and environment, and based International Centre for Trade and institutions and pro-poor growth Sustainable Development  Only and the first NGO in the official Capacity Building Indian delegation to the WTO Ministerial Transferring experiences from South Asia to Conference in Hong Kong other parts of the world, especially in Africa and South East Asia by sharing the know-how EVENT MANAGEMENT and do-how of capacity building  Organised a huge number of seminars and conferences all over the world with clearly articulated outputs and outcomes

CUTS has developed from a modest NGO, addressing mainly domestic consumer issues, to a pre-eminent position as an international NGO, dealing with issues relating to the world trading system and related issues… CUTS is now on the frontline of research and advocacy on global trade issues observed Jagdish Bhagwati, Professor of Economics & Political Science Columbia University, USA

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Competition, Investment & Economic Regulation

CUTS Centre for Competition, Investment & Economic Regulation www.cuts-ccier.org

MISSION Consumer Policy Promoting fair markets to enhance consumer  Drafted a Consumer Protection Regime for welfare and economic development Royal Government of Bhutan on request  Advised the Government of South Africa RESOURCES in drafting a consumer protection law  A Centre in Jaipur with experienced  Undertaking Consumer Impact research and programme staff. Assessment (CIA) to assess impact of  Affiliated to various international/national sectoral policies on consumers in India. organisations  Guided by an international advisory board OUTREACH comprising 14 members from diverse Publications backgrounds  ReguLetter: the flagship quarterly newsletter on competition and regulatory PROGRAMME AREAS issues posted to over 2000 people across Competition Policy & Law the globe.  Closely involved with developing the new  PolicyWatch: quarterly dealing with competition regime in India, i.e, the economic policy issues in India Competition Act of India, 2002 and its  FunComp Forum & Competition Online amendment (which is currently in Forum: electronic list-serves used to progress). interact with diverse stakeholders on  Assisted several developing world competition and regulatory affairs in India competition authorities (Ethiopia, Kenya, and around the world, respectively. Vietnam and Zambia) in enhancing their Networking capacities on competition administration.  Created a one-of-its-kind network:  Developed a unique bottom up approach International Network of Civil Society ‘7-Up Model’ to work on competition Organisations on Competition (INCSOC, issues in the developing world (recognised www.incsoc.net) with members from over by OECD DAC) 50 countries Economic Regulation  Working with over 70 research  Undertaken research to understand institutions/organisations worldwide. regulatory processes and institutions in Event Management various developing and developed  Organised a large number of meetings and countries and draw ‘good practices’. conferences in various parts of the world  Established a Parliamentarians Forum on Economic Policy Issues (PARFORE) in FUTURE PLANS India to brief Parliamentarians on specific  Develop CUTS Institute for Regulation regulatory issues on a regular basis. and Competition as a dedicated training Investment Climate facility on competition policy; economic  Undertaken research on FDI and regulation and commercial diplomacy. development.  Strengthen activities on competition and  UNCTAD identified CUTS as a strategic economic regulation and investment issues partner on Investment Issues. being undertaken by CUTS Hanoi  Conducted research and advocacy on UN Resource Centre. Code of Conduct for TNCs and the OECD  Develop initiatives in West Africa, Guidelines for MNEs. MENA, Central Asia and Latin America.

I realised that CUTS was well informed, well connected in India, influential and a formidable advocate for competition and consumer policy. It needs to get the politician’s ear to move its agenda forward: Frederic Jenny, Judge, Cour de Cassation, Paris

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Human Development

CUTS Centre for Human Development www.cuts-international.org/CHD.htm

MISSION rates in rural areas of Chittorgarh and To be an innovative centre for strategic adjoining districts interventions to raise the living standards of people OUTREACH Publications RESOURCES  Aage Badhnon Hossi (Women Marching  A Centre in Chittorgarh with programme Ahead): a quarterly newsletter in Hindi and field staff and working in over 300  Several guides and reports in Hindi for villages in several districts of Rajasthan dissemination of vital information for rural  Affiliated to important state and national folks organisations and district committees  An advisory board comprising 10 Networking members (of which 40 percent are women)  Established network comprising community leaders, traditional healers and from related fields birth attendants, social action committees,

etc where 2,500 people are actively PROGRAMME AREAS associated Empowering Women and Children  Formed a network of NGOs called Manav  Conducted community-based action Vikas Sajha Manch (Joint Forum on projects over a decade to improve the Human Development) status of women  Help establish over 100 Self Help Groups  Development of Bal Panchayats (SHG) and assisting them on sustaining (children’s assemblies) working on issues basis related to health, hygiene, education, etc Event Management Natural Resource Management  Organising meetings from the grassroots  Initiated community-based biodiversity levels (Chaupal Baithaks: Village conservation practices through restoration Meetings) to block, district and state level of decrepit water bodies, revitalisation of  Organising training programmes for degraded lands and protection of multiple stakeholders endangered species of trees FUTURE PLANS Good Governance  Deepening the work on mobilisation of  Mobilising people to take effective part in people for active participation in Panchayati Raj (local self-governance Panchayati Raj institution)  Strengthening the SHG movement to encompass micro-credit and consumer Reproductive and Child Health issues  Working to contain the high infant mortality and pre- and post-natal death

CUTS has been generating awareness among the villagers about various developments through its literature and has been taking forward their problems to the Central and State Governments: C. P. Joshi, Former Minister for Planning and Programme Implementation, Rajasthan

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Consumer Safety

CUTS Safety Watch www.cuts-international.org/cuts-crc.htm

MISSION OUTREACH To achieve for the citizens the right to be Publications protected against unsafe goods, services and  Published several books, monographs, environment briefing papers, guides, articles for generating awareness on consumer safety RESOURCES  A Centre in Calcutta with research and Networking programme staff and working in  Established a network of Indian voluntary association with various programme and organisations on consumer safety resource centres at Jaipur and Delhi  An advisory board comprising 7 experts Event Management from diverse fields  Organised several awareness generation workshops on consumer safety PROGRAMME AREAS Road Safety FUTURE PLANS  The National Road Safety Policy in 1993  Publish a series of publications: Caveat was developed on the basis of a CUTS Emptor (Buyers Beware). The first one study on road safety in 1990 entitled, How To Survive As A Consumer  Nominated to the National Road Safety deals with consumer protection issues. The Council twice and to the Ministerial second one, Is It Really Safe? examines Committee on the National Road Safety consumer safety issues. The third in the Policy series, Deadly Profits will look at how  Initiated a campaign on Safe Public businesses give precedence to profits Transportation in Rajasthan and West (profiteering) before human safety, Bengal knowing that their action will cause harm.  Conducting action-oriented research on  Conduct an audit of safety-related policies road safety and its linkage with national of public utilities development  Conduct a feasibility study of establishing the National Safety Commission of India, Safety-related Policy Work including drafting a National Consumer  Monitoring the implementation of safety- Safety Policy related policies with respect to services  Generate better awareness among the like transportation, water consumers at large on safety-related issues

By generating awareness on consumer safety issues, CUTS is performing a very useful task of in making the consumers aware of the problems they face in certain matters, which endanger safety: H. D. Shourie, President, Common Cause, New Delhi, India

Consumer Unity & Trust Society D-217, Bhaskar Marg, Bani Park, Jaipur 302 016, India Tel: +91.141.228 2821, Fax: +91.141.228 2485, Email: [email protected], Web Site: www.cuts-international.org 6