South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics & Environment (SAWTEE)

Mission | Objectives | Organisation Structure | Resources

Introduction
Launched in December 1994 at Nagarkot, Nepal by a consortium of South Asian NGOs, South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) is a regional network that operates through its secretariat in Kathmandu and 11 member institutions from five South Asian countries namely Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Registered in Kathmandu in 1999, the overall objective of SAWTEE is to build the capacity of concerned stakeholders in South Asia in the context of liberalisation and globalisation.

Mission

Enabling South Asian communities to benefit from and minimise the harms of changing regional and global economic paradigms.

Objectives

The overall objective of SAWTEE is to build the capacity of concerned stakeholders in South Asia by equipping them with knowledge, information and skills to voice their concerns particularly in the context of liberalisation and globalisation. Specific objectives include:

To analyse various provisions of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreements and functioning of the system to promote social justice and economic equity at the national, regional and global level.
To conduct programmes aimed at enhancing participation of developing countries, in particular least developed countries (LDCs) and land locked countries in the global trading system.
To facilitate the process of regional integration within South Asia from the non-governmental side.
To establish linkages and promote cooperation with other organisations having similar objectives.
To conduct research and advocacy programmes on trade, regional cooperation and sustainable development issues affecting South Asia.

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Organisation Structure

SAWTEE has a two-tiered organisation structure. The uppermost in the leadership hierarchy is the Advisory Board comprised of representatives of member institutions, which meets twice a year to provide overall guidance to the organisation. The second tier leadership is the Executive Committee comprising of Nepalese professionals. It is responsible for providing policy directives and guidance on the functioning of the organisation. The Executive Director is the chief executive of the organisation who serves both organs as the General Secretary. He/she is responsible for day-to-day management of the organisation. Currently, there are 12 staff members working for SAWTEE.

Organisational Chart

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Resources

SAWTEE has been sustaining itself through membership fees, contributions, sales proceeds of its publications and support from donor organisations. So far, SAWTEE has received support from ActionAid, Kathmandu and Bangkok; CARITAS, Kathmandu; DFID, Kathmandu; Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), New Delhi and Kathmandu; Ford Foundation, New Delhi; HIVOS, Bangalore; International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu; Novib, The Hague; United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Geneva; United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Kathmandu; and United Nations Development Fund for Women and Development (UNIFEM), South Asia Regional Office, New Delhi.

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