In Focus

SAWTEE’s Programme Coordinator, Ms. Dikshya Singh, discussed the barriers faced by women-led businesses in international trade due to gender blind policies in a symposium titled "Breaking Barriers: Nepali Women Entrepreneurs Accessing International Markets" organized by the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs’ Association of Nepal and VRock and Company on 31 March 2024. The symposium was organized on the sidelines of the 7th International Women’s Trade Expo and Symposium 2024, which takes place from 29 March to 2 April in Kathmandu.

Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, presented on "Nepal’s prematurely premature de-industrialization and its search for an industrial policy" in a session at the Second LDC Future Forum in Helsinki on 6 March 2024.  The organizers included the United Nations Office of the High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UN-WIDER), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Participants included government officials, researchers and private sector actors from various least developed countries and development partners.

At the invitation of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MoICS), Government of Nepal, Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, on 6 February 2024 gave a research-based talk on “Nepal-Bangladesh trade: opportunities and challenges” in the presence of the commerce secretary, the industry secretary, and joint secretaries, under-secretaries and officers of the ministry.

Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, delivered a lecture on the Nepali economy and international trade issues to officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD), Government of Nepal, in Lalitpur on 30 January 2024 as part of a training programme organized by Agriculture Information and Training Centre, MoALD.

Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, presented on Nepal’s ginger trade at "International Workshop on Development and Promotion of Ginger Trade in Asia" held in Kathmandu on 26 January 2024. It was jointly organized by the Center for Agricultural Infrastructure Development and Mechanization Promotion (CAIDMP) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD) and Nepal Agricultural Economics Society (NAES). The audience included MoALD officials, agriculture economists, and private sector representatives, including exporters.

On January 22, 2024, SAWTEE, in collaboration with the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ-Surkhet), conducted a media workshop for economic journalists in Surkhet, Karnali Province. The main objective of the programme was to enhance the capacity of media professionals in reporting on topics such as balance of payments, Nepal-India trade, and Nepal-Bangladesh trade.

Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE delivered a lecture on the Nepali economy and international trade issues facing it at the “Policy Lab-based Training for Engaging Trade Policy Making for Government Officials” organized by WTO, WTO Chairs Programme and KUSOM (Kathmandu University School of Management) Policy Lab at KUSOM, Lalitpur on 22 January 2024. The audience comprised government officials, and economics and management students and teachers. 

Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, presented at a session on “Rethinking Ways to Attain SDGs in South Asian Countries in the Context of the Ongoing Global Challenges”, organized in New Delhi on 13 January 2024 by SANEM and the Institute of Human Development at the IHD Global Conclave on “Advancing Human Development in the Global South”, 11-13 Jan 2024.

Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, participated in a workshop organized by the National Planning Commission (NPC), Government of Nepal on 10 January to get inputs from experts on the draft sixteenth development plan with a focus on the themes of LDC graduation, the Sustainable Development Goals and green economy. Dr. Kharel’s inputs covered issues such as rules of origin, industrialization strategy, revenue/tax policy, service sector, the TRIPS Agreement, free trade and preferential trade agreements, SDGs 8 and 9, export-oriented FDI, fiscal space and resource mobilization. The attendees from the NPC included the vice-chairperson, the secretary, a joint secretary, under secretaries and officers.

South Asia Watch on Trade Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) organized a discussion between the High-Level Committee for Tax System Reform and businesses and experts from Nepal’s information technology (IT) industry on 3 January 2024 at SAWTEE office. The committee, chaired by former minister and finance secretary Vidyadhar Mallik, received inputs on opportunities, problems, and changes essential for accelerating the growth of Nepal’s IT sector.Read More

Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, participated in a policy dialogue organized by Policy Research Insitute, a Government of Nepal think tank, on 28 December 2023 in Kathmandu to provide inputs to Nepal’s nominee to the Eminent Persons’ Group on the Future Directions of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation), Mr. Durga Prasad Bhattarai. 

Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, presented on Nepal-Bangladesh trade, drawing on a SAWTEE study, in a programme organized by Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI) - Koshi Province in Biratnagar on 18 December 2023. The audience included the Chief Minister of Koshi Province Mr. Kedar Karki, Vice-Chair of Koshi Province Planning Commission Mr. Puranjan Acharya, President of FNCCI - Koshi Province Mr. Rajendra Raut, Koshi Province government officials, businesspeople, civil society, security officials and the media.

Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, delivered special remarks in the inaugural session of the conference titled "South Asian integration: Trends and way forward", organized by Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), India in New Delhi on 9-10 December 2023. The conference saw the participation of researchers, policymakers and private sector representatives from South Asian countries. Ms. Meenakshi Lekhi, Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, Government of India, chaired the inaugural session. On the occasion, Dr. Kharel joined Ms. Lekhi, Dr. Fahmida Khatun, Executive Director, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dhaka, Dr. Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General, RIS, Professor Tetsuya Watanabe, President, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Jakarta, and Ms. Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF Representative to India in launching three books of RIS. Dr. Posh Raj Pandey, Chairman, SAWTEE and Chief Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance, Government of Nepal, spoke as a panellist in a plenary session on trade and investment. Dr. Kharel spoke as a panellist in a plenary session on trade facilitation and connectivity.

South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics, and Environment (SAWTEE) organized a discussion programme on Nepal-China Trade: Prospects and Challenges on 9 November 2023 in Kathmandu. The objective of the programme was to share the preliminary findings of the research done by SAWTEE and gather insights from stakeholders into the prospects and challenges in Nepal-China trade. The focus was particularly in navigating the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic that has led to significant disruptions to cross-border trade between the two nations. The programme was supported by The Asia Foundation. Read More

SAWTEE’s Senior Research Officer Kshitiz Dahal co-authors an UNNExT/ESCAP working paper on Nepal’s national single window. The paper is available here.

Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, presented on "Non-tariff measures facing Nepal: LDC graduation and beyond" in a workshop on “The Implementation of the Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2022-2031”, organized by ESCAP and National Planning Commission, Government of Nepal in Kathmandu on 13 October 2023. Participants included policymakers, representatives of development partners, and private sector representatives. 

Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, spoke in a panel discussion on "Productivity, exchange rate and exports", organized by the Word Bank in Kathmandu, on 5 October 2023. It was on the sidelines of the release of the Nepal Economic Update by the World Bank. He spoke on de-industrialization; export performance; the realism of hopes pinned on services; implications of devaluation. Learn More

SAWTEE’s Programme Coordinator, Ms. Dikshya Singh, made a presentation on challenges faced by South Asia in meeting Sustainable Development Goals on 28 September 2023 during the South Asia Peoples Forum on Sustainable Development 2023 organized by the National Campaign for Sustainable Development Nepal.

SAWTEE’s Executive Director, Dr. Paras Kharel, gave a lecture on select topics in international trade, covering theory and empirics, to officers of Nepal’s central bank, Nepal Rastra Bank, on 14 September 2023, in a training programme organized by the Human Resource Management Department of the bank in Bode, Bhaktapur.

South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), in partnership with the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), recently convened a two-day workshop in Ilam on September 7-8, 2023. Read More

SAWTEE conducted a focus group discussion at Mechi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Dhulabari, Jhapa) on 5 September 2023 to discuss the opportunities and challenges of Nepal-Bangladesh trade. The discussants emphasized that high import tax is the primary barrier that impedes Nepal’s export to Bangladesh. Other issues such as non-tariff barriers and the need for the government to proactively facilitate export to Bangladesh, including through negotiating for removing high import taxes, were raised.

South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) organized a discussion programme titled “Assessment of Nepal’s public debt, and experiences of Pakistan and Sri Lanka” on 1 September 2023 as part of a seminar on "Small State Capabilities: Navigating Competition and Foreign Policy Priorities in Nepal", supported by The Asia Foundation (TAF). The discussion programme aimed to initiate a dialogue on Nepal’s public debt and assess whether Nepal is veering towards an unsustainable path of debt accumulation. Read More

Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, presented on the implications of LDC graduation and policy priorities before commodity associations in a workshop organized by Federation of Export Entrepreneurs Nepal (FEEN) and USAID Trade and Competitiveness, on 30 August 2023 in Kathmandu.

Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, presented on development finance in the context of Sustainable Development Goals before Nepal’s federal parliamentarians in a workshop organized by Sustainable Development and Good Governance Committee, National Assembly, on 29 August 2023 in Kathmand.

Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, gave a lecture on research methods and issues at a "Research Training Programme for Federal Parliament Secretariat Staff: Strengthening Research Skills for Parliament Research Services", organized by the Secretariat on 25 August 2023 in Dhulikhel.

Ms Dikshya Singh, Programme Coordinator, SAWTEE participated in a regional conference on "Agriculture Trade in BIMSTEC: New Opportunities and Way Forward" organized by Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS India) and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) on 17 August 2023 in New Delhi.

Participating in a programme organized by Parliamentary Studies and Research Section, Federal Parliament Secretariat, Nepal on 16 August 2023, SAWTEE’s Executive Director, Dr. Paras Kharel, presented on select activities and achievements of SAWTEE, and suggested potential avenues of collaboration with the Secretariat. 

South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) in collaboration with the Society of Economic Journalists (SEJON) organized a workshop for economic journalists to build their capacity in covering issues related to balance of payments, Nepal-India trade and transit treaty, examining trade through gender lens, Nepal-Bangladesh trade, and LDC graduation. The workshop was held in Janakpur on 1-2 August 2023. Read More

Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, spoke as a panellist in a discussion programme on “National Logistics Excellence Devoted to Trade Facilitation”, organized by Nepal Freight Forwarders Association (NEFFA) on 29 July 2023 in Kathmandu on the occasion of the 29th Cargo Day.

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Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, presented his views on LDC graduation as a panellist in a workshop on “Nepal’s Export Outlook After LDC Graduation”, organized by the Confederation of Nepalese Industries on 28 July 2023 in Kathmandu.

On July 20,2023, South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) organized a roundtable discussion on Unpacking Nepal-US Trade. The main objective of the event was to discuss the prospects and challenges of exporting to the US. The event was supported by The Asia Foundation. Read More

SAWTEE is delighted to announce an exciting fellowship opportunity for economic journalists from various media channels of Nepal. The fellowship program will select four exceptional individuals who will have the opportunity to delve into various aspects of international trade, economics, and gender analysis. This fellowship presents a unique opportunity for economic journalists to deepen their knowledge, expand their network, and contribute to the public’s understanding of critical economic and trade issues.  Read More

With more than 95 percent of the business enterprises in Nepal categorized as micro, small and medium enterprises, these small businesses play a vital role in Nepal’s economy. In a country where there are about only 1,100 large industrial enterprises, providing direct employment to about 150,000 people, smaller firms drive the economy. SMEs are estimated to contribute 22 percent to the gross domestic product (GDP) and employ around 1.7 million people. Hence, SMEs not only play a vital role in keeping the economy going but also contribute to creating decent jobs, reducing poverty and overall national productivity. Read More

South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) in collaboration with the Society of Economic Journalists (SEJON) organized a workshop for economic journalists to build their capacity in covering issues related to balance of payments, Nepal-India trade and transit treaty, examining trade through gender lens, Nepal-Bangladesh trade, and LDC graduation. The residential workshop was held at Godavari Village Resort on 30 June -1 July 2023.Read More

Neelu Thapa, Executive Member, SAWTEE, presented about the roles that provincial governments could play in the area of international trade, especially in relation to promoting exports, at the pre-budget discussion held at Koshi Province by FNCCI Koshi Province on 19 May 2023.

Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, presented on a "Policy Dialogue on Priorities for subregional cooperation for climate action and SDGs in South and South-West Asia", organized by ESCAP and the South and South-West Asia Network on the SDGs (SANS) on the sidelines of the 79th Session of ESCAP in Bangkok on 19 May 2023.  Dr. Kharel flagged the need for support to LDCs to gear their industrial and trade policies and strategies towards a green structural transformation; utilize existing LDC-specific climate funds; leverage aid for trade for climate finance; and improve understanding of emerging developments in carbon trade, carbon markets, carbon standards and carbon border adjustment mechanisms.

On 3 May 2023, SAWTEE handed over to Mr. Madhu Kumar Marasini, Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Government of Nepal, a set of recommendations on how the Nepal-India trade treaty should be revised. It drew on a roundtable discussion on the bilateral trade treaty organized by SAWTEE on 6 April where the Secretary had participated as a chief guest.

This Policy Brief explores how economic diplomacy can be a tool to diversify products and better grasp the opportunities available in destination countries for better export performance of Nepal. Read More

This Policy Brief investigates the roles that the federal trade policies provide or envision for subnational governments, the current level of mainstreaming of trade in subnational governments’ plans, policies, and strategies, and coherence and complementarity in the trade-related policies and strategies of federal and subnational governments. Read More

This issue brief highlights the low level of intraregional investment in South Asia and identifies it as a significant contributor to the region’s poor economic integration. The paper suggests that addressing barriers to regional investment can unlock the potential for increased economic cooperation and resilience in the face of emerging trends. Read More

This issue paper discusses the details of the master plan, its importance for connectivity in the region, and gaps and challenges that characterize the Master Plan and highlights potential challenges in implementing the plan & identifies gaps that need to be addressed. Read More

This paper highlights the crucial role of energy in economic growth and the potential benefits of increased access to clean and affordable energy. The brief also emphasizes the importance of sustainable development given Nepal’s social and ecological vulnerabilities. It presents pathways to green structural transformation and discusses the co-benefits of replacing petroleum products with cleaner energy sources. Overall, this paper aims to provide insights on how Nepal can achieve rapid and equitable economic growth while promoting sustainable development through a transition to clean energy. Read More

South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) organized a roundtable discussion on 6 April, 2023, to seek inputs from relevant stakeholders regarding the required amendments and revisions to the Nepal-India Trade treaty in order to further develop trade between Nepal and India for mutual benefit. Read More

SAWTEE’s Issue Brief on "Economic case for clean energy transition in Nepal" is out. Authored by Ms. Dikshya Singh, Research Coordinator, SAWTEE, the paper delves into Nepal’s pathways to green structural transformation in Nepal. Find more

SAWTEE partnered with The Institute of Social & Cultural Studies (ISCS) in organizing the 2nd conference on BIMSTEC: 25 Years of Driving Force behind Neighbourhood Cooperation in collaboration with The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), GOI. Dr. Posh Raj Pandey, Chairperson, SAWTEE participated as one of the distinguished speakers in the session "BIMSTEC: Strengthening regional solidarity through transport connectivity" on 25 March, 2023. 

Dikshya Singh, Research Coordinator, SAWTEE, participated as a panelist in the workshop on ’Gender and Trade’, organized by The Asia Foundation (Sri Lanka) and presented the findings of SAWTEE’s research on the gender dimensions of trade policy and implementation in Nepal.   

She discussed various constraints women entrepreneurs face while engaged in trade directly and indirectly, and presented measures that could promote women’s engagement in cross-border trade.

Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, presented on "Trade, structural transformation and LDC graduation issues facing Nepal" at Rotary Club of Kathmandu on 11 Jan 2023.

In a webinar titled "Multilateral Development Finance: Supporting an Inclusive and Sustainable Recovery in South Asia", Dr Paras Kharel, Executive Director, South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics & Environment (SAWTEE), said “Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, stand to lose preferential market access, policy space, and access to some concessional finance sources. The impact on aid as a whole is not going to be significant as per available data and studies. However, with all countries already in the middle-income group, if not graduation, then income-based graduation will make their access to concessional financing more difficult in the years to come.”

Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, presented on “Regional integration in South Asia: Goods trade and NTMs with a focus on SPS/TBT” at a concluding workshop of the project “Strengthening regional integration and cooperation in the field of quality infrastructure in SAARC”. 

A workshop on structural transformation and regional cooperation was held in Bangkok on 26 August, 2022. The event was organized by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). 

SAWTEE was invited by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD), Government of Nepal to present in a seminar titled "International Agricultural Trade Provisions and Nepal’s Current Situation" at Singhadurbar, Kathmandu on 27 May 2022. SAWTEE’s research director, Dr Paras Kharel, presented on:

Industry-Academia Dialogue Series was held in Biratnagar at the Late Mahendra Golchha Research Centre, Chambers of Industry on 26 May 2022. Dr. Paras Kharel, Research director at SAWTEE presented on "Implications of Nepal’s graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category".  

UNESCAP South and South-West Asia Office (UNESCAP SSWA)’s development paper on ’Resource Mobilization for Sustainable LDC Graduation of Nepal in the context of Emerging Challenges to Development Financing’ by Dr. Paras Kharel, Research Director at SAWTEE is out.  Find more.

SAWTEE and the Export Promotion Committee (EPC) at the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) held a virtual dialogue on 23 February 2022 to discuss the implications of Nepal’s graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category. Find more

SAWTEE participated in a dialogue with the private sector in an interaction event virtually organized by the National Planning Commission (NPC) on 15 February 2022. Find More

SAWTEE and Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) on 6 February 2022 held a virtual dialogue on the implications of Nepal’s LDC graduation with the objective of informing the government of the concerns of the private sector to ensure a smooth transition out of the LDC category for Nepal.  Find More

A research report on "Trade Policy Coherence and Coordination in Nepal: An Exploratory Assessment", a joint publication of SAWTEE and The Asia Foundation, is out. This study report is authored by Dr.Paras Kharel, Research Director, SAWTEE, and Kshitiz Dahal, Senior Research Officer, SAWTEE.  Find More 

An article ‘Pervasive Informality: How South Asia’s jobs could be saved in the face of COVID-19?’authored by Dikshya Singh, Programme Coordinator, SAWTEE has been published as a book chapter in ‘Impact of COVID-19 Pandemicon SDGs of South Asia’ published by Consortium of South Asian Think-Tanks (COSATT) and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS). Click here for more: https://www.cosatt.org/uploads/news/file/Final%20book-Sep_20211001034425.pdf.

The article ‘International remittances and nonfarm entrepreneurship among the left- behind: Evidence from Nepal’, authored by Dr. Paras Kharel, Research Director, SAWTEE, and Kshitiz Dahal, Senior Research Office, SAWTEE is published in the journal Review of Development Economics. https://doi.org/10.1111/rode.12840

This Virtual National Policy Dialogue aimed to bring together policymakers, practitioners, entrepreneurs and other concerned stakeholders to discuss the issues faced by women entrepreneurs in trade and provide recommendation for concrete gender-responsive trade facilitation policies

Graduation without addressing the structural impediments to sustainable development may rather be harmful to Nepal as the existing concessions. This webinar, aimed to bring together policymakers, representatives from the private sector, civil society, think tanks and academia to discuss the LDC graduation for a better and managed transition. Find More

SAWTEE organized a webinar titled "Towards recovery: Women entrepreneurs coping with the pandemic" to take stock of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the women entrepreneurs and provide evidence-backed solutions to create resilient business eco-system. Find More 

The Working Paper on Green Growth and Trade in Environmental Goods and Services: A South Asian Perspective co-authored by SAWTEE‘s Chairman Dr. Posh Raj Pandey and SAWTEE‘s Research Officer Kshitiz Dahal has been published as a book chapter in ‘Environmental Sustainability and International Trade: Roadmap for sustainable Development.

Details: South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), in association with Biruni Institute, Afghanistan, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), India, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Pakistan, and Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS), Sri Lanka, is organising a series of webinars to deliberate on various socio-economic aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, how they relate to South Asia and what should be the future course of action for South Asian countries. Please click here for details.

Dr. Puspa Sharma, Executive Director, SAWTEE, together with researchers from reputed think tanks in South Asia, provides perspectives on measures that South Asian countries can adopt for recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. continue reading

The article ‘The troubled path to food sovereignty in Nepal: ambiguities in agricultural policy reform’, authored by Dr. Puspa Sharma, Deputy Executive, South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) and Prof. Carsten Daugbjerg, University of Copenhagen, is published in the journal Agriculture and Human Values. DOI 10.1007/s10460-019-09988-1. continue reading

Intellectual Property Law and Plant Protection: Challenges and Developments in Asia is a collection of papers presented at the Two-Day Workshop on Reimagining the Governance of Genetic Resources and Intellectual Property for Agriculture and Food Security in Asia, jointly organized by SAWTEE, University of Queensland and Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI) in August 2017. The volume, edited by Dr. Kamalesh Adhikari and Dr. David J. Jefferson, is published by Routledge. 

SAWTEE’s Chairman Dr. Posh Raj Pandey, Deputy Executive Dr. Puspa Sharma, Research Director Dr. Paras Kharel and Research Officer Ms. Pragati Koirala participated as speakers in the 12th South Asia Economic Summit (SAES XII) held on 26-27 September, 2019 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. continue reading

Dr. Puspa Sharma, Deputy Executive, SAWTEE, participated in the international conference on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) organized by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dhaka, on 8 September 2019. Speaking as a panelist in the session “Economics of BRI”, he said that only development of transport corridors  through the BRI might not be beneficial. The BRI should focus on developing economic corridors. More importantly, the choice of projects to be developed under the BRI should be based on a proper cost-benefit analysis rather than political expedience. The session was chaired by Prof. Mustafizur Rahman, Distinguished Fellow, CPD. The event was widely covered by the media. Details about the conference and its proceedings are here.

Dr. Posh Raj Pandey, Chairman, SAWTEE, made a presentation at the, “High Level Discussion on Multilateral Trading System and LDC Graduation” on 7 August, 2019. The discussion was organized by Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Government of Nepal. In the presentation he discussed the graduation criterion and process, Nepal’s standing in the process and the implications of graduation for Nepal. He also suggested some way forwards for the aftermath of Nepal’s graduation.

Dr. Paras Kharel, Research Director at SAWTEE in his opinion piece published on July 31, 2019 highlights the need for setting up and maintaining a database on the stock of migrants by destination. He emphasizes that the numbers on migration and remittances so often cited require a closer scrutiny through the lens of duration of stay and seasonality of the migration.  continue reading

Mr. Kshitiz Dahal and Ms. Dikshya Singh, researchers at SAWTEE, offered their perspective on the recent controversy regarding government`s policy, and subsequent repudiation regarding mandatory pesticide residue testing on the imports of fruits and vegetables through an opinion piece in The Himalayan Times. The essay, published on June 16, 2019, discusses challenges that could emerge from the decision, particularly in the context of inadequate infrastructure, lack of standards, and misalignment with the WTO agreement. It also offers practical solutions, both short term and long term, to ensure safety of imported fruits and vegetables without disrupting the trade.

Dr Paras Kharel, Research Director, SAWTEE spoke as a panelist in a session on “Trade and Regional Connectivity for Shared Prosperity” at the “BER International Conference for Economists 2019: Inclusive Growth for Sustainable Development” in Dhaka on 6 July 2019. The conference was organized by the Bureau of Economic Research, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. 

Asian Development Bank (ADB), in May 2019, published the diagnostic report: "Potential Exports and Nontariff Barriers to Trade: Nepal National Study," which explores how Nepal could boost its exports by addressing nontariff barriers to trade. The report, designed jointly by the Trade and Investment Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and ADB, was prepared by Dr. Posh Raj Pandey, Chairman, SAWTEE, with significant research contribution from Mr. Kshitiz Dahal, Research Officer, SAWTEE.

Ms. Neelu Thapa, Programme Coordinator at SAWTEE, presented a paper in the programme “Tapping the socioeconomic and the nutritional power of vegetables in context of Nepal” organized by Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) on 18th June 2019. The paper titled “Prospects and Problems of Vegetable Exports” looked into the demand side, supply side and the market side with an effort to identify the issues and potential of vegetable production and exports.  The workshop aimed at creating efforts to compile knowledge of different dimensions of vegetables in the context of Nepal.

Dikshya Singh and Pragati Koirala, researchers at South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), delivered a presentation about their research findings on May 30 at the 2019 PEP Annual Conference

Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS), in collaboration with Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh; Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), India; Sustainable Development Policy institute (SDPI), Pakistan and South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), Nepal, will be organizing SAES XII on 26-27 September 2019 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. SAES XII will focus on the theme "Shaping South Asia`s Future in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)". Interested academics, policymakers and other stakeholders are invited to submit research papers for presentation at SAES XII.Details 

Application is now open for this year’s CGE Training which is going to be held in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Eligible candidates are requested to apply as per the following details.

SAWTEE in February 2018 joined the Nepal Agricultural Market Development Programme (NAMDP), branded as Sahaj, as a co-facilitator. Sahaj is a bilateral initiative between the Government of Switzerland and the Government of Nepal and is being jointly implemented by Swisscontact and Center for Environmental and Agricultural Policy Research, Extension and Development (CEAPRED). 

A program is being organized by South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) and Overseas Development International (ODI)- Supporting Economic Transformation (SET) on October 26, 2017 at Radission Hotel, Kathmandu to discuss finding of their study and policy suggestions on how Nepal should proceed forward to create quality jobs and meet its ambitious goal of reaching middle-income country status by 2030.

South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), Kathmandu and National Planning Commission, Government of Nepal invite paper submissions for the Tenth South Asia Economic Summit (SAES X) to be held from 14-16 November 2017 in Kathmandu, Nepal.

SAWTEE is deeply saddened by the sudden demise of Dr Saman Kalegama, Executive Director of Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS). We would like to express our deepest condolences to his family and IPS. 

The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) will host the Ninth South Asia Economic Summit (SAES-IX) in Dhaka on 15-16 October 2016. More details 

Application is now open for this year’s CGE Training which is going to be held in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Eligible candidates are requested to apply as per the following details. 

SAWTEE has become a knowledge partner of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SAARC CCI). The latter is the apex body of the national federations of chambers of commerce and industry of SAARC countries.

SAWTEE participated in the Midterm Review Conference for the Istanbul Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries in Antalya, Turkey from 27-29 May 2016. Our Executive Chairman Dr. Posh Raj Pandey spoke during the session "Trade and commodities, and economic diversification and graduation" of the Conference.

SAWTEE in an effort to give continuation to its support towards the earthquake victims distributed blankets for them. It was inspired by the news published in various newspapers about them suffering in cold weather in their makeshift tents. Around 200 blankets were distributed in Dhading and Gorkha districts in collaboration with the government officials and locals.

SAWTEE organized two different sessions at the Trade and Development Symposium that took place on the sidelines of the 10th Ministerial Conference of the WTO in Nairobi, Kenya. The sessions were based on the themes of trade facilitation and climate change respectively. Participants and speakers from various countries across the world attended the sessions. 

In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that hit Nepal on 25 April 2015, SAWTEE extended its helping hand to the earthquake victims by raising funds for relief efforts. SAWTEE and its staff members successfully raised NRP 2,65,000 and transferred NRP 1,11,111 to the Prime Minister Relief Fund. In addition, SAWTEE also procured food items, which were distributed to those affected in Sindhupalchowk district. Considering that some of SAWTEE staffs from outside Kathmandu Valley have lost their house to the earthquake and its subsequent aftershocks, SAWTEE provided token amount to help them rebuild their homes. 

We are glad to inform you that we have moved back to the original location. We have settled down beside the SAWTEE building. We can be reached at our regular numbers 4444438, 4424360 and 01-2239370.

SAWTEE in collaboration with SANEM, Dhaka and Centre for WTO Studies, New Delhi is going to organize the Eighth South Asian Training Programme on CGE Modelling in Bangladesh from 4-8 August 2015. 

The United Nations has announced the formation of a panel to assess the scope and functions of its proposed new Technology Bank, which includes Dr Posh Raj Pandey, Executive Chairman of South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE). 

World Bank has published its most recent Doing Business Report 2015: Going Beyond Efficiency. The document provides a new conceptual framework incorporating efficiency as well as quality and additional categories measuring aspects of quality including strengths of legal rights, depth of credit information, minority shareholders’ rights, and strengths of legal framework for insolvency have been included. According to the report, out of 189 countries surveyed, Singapore has been judged to offer the best business environment.

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) has published its annual Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report. The report titled Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2014: Recent Trends and Development details on intra-regional as well as inter-regional trade, FDI inflows, trade facilitation and trade policy measures, and preferential trade agreements and policies in Asia-Pacific region. 

FAO has published its latest report The State of Food Insecurity in the World: The Multiple Dimensions of Food Security. The report provides a global progress update towards achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) and World Food Summit (WFS) hunger goals. The latest findings indicate that South Asia contains the largest share of undernourished in the world—35 percent of total global share.

We are pleased to announce the call for applications for the Seventh South Asian Training Programme on CGE Modelling to be held from 20 to 24 November 2014, in Kathmandu, Nepal. 

SAWTEE is participating at the Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC9) to be held on 3-6 December 2013 at Bali, Indonesia.

His Excellency Minelik Alemu Getahun, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the UN Office in Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland in his capacity as Chair of the Enhanced Integrated Framework Board and following the WTO Director-General’s conclusion of the selection process, has announced the appointment of Dr Ratnakar Adhikari as the Executive Director of the Executive Secretariat for the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) replacing Mrs Dorothy Tembo whose tenure comes to an end on 31st October 2013.

SIX years after its inauguration in Colombo, the 6th South Asia Economic Summit (SAES) was held in Colombo again on 2–4 September 2013. The Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka hosted the annual event in collaboration with different organizations, including SAWTEE. With the theme of “Towards a Stronger, Dynamic and Inclusive South Asia”, the SAES discussed the needs of South Asian nations to strengthen their economic growth prospects while managing risks and challenges in building a stronger region. 

Aid for Trade has become crucial for developing countries and especially LDCs to increase their participation in global trade. Helping these countries to overcome their infrastructural and administrative limitation that prevent them to reap benefits from trade should be fostered. One possible way is the development of regional value chain, and incrementally linking those with the global value chain, increasing by the same way benefit-sharing among participating countries.

At the sidelines of the Eleventh Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP11), South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) organized a panel discussion on the theme “Climate change, agriculture biodiversity and food security”. 

Representing SAWTEE, Mr Paras Kharel participated in an expert group meeting (EGM) organized by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) in Dhaka on 8 and 9 September 2012. The meeting was part of the activities of the LDC IV Monitor, an independent partnership for the monitoring of the outcome of the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (UN LDC IV). 

SAWTEE participated in the “Multi-stakeholder Dialogue on Trade Opportunities in the Context of a Green Economy Transition” in Rio de Janerio, held on the sidelines of the Rio+20, on 18 June. The event was jointly organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) and the International Trade Centre (ITC).

SAWTEE, together with CUTS International, is organizing a discussion programme on “Climate change, food security and trade: Challenges and opportunities” at the sidelines of the 13^th Session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XIII) in Doha on 24 April 2012 at 1430–1630 hrs in Auditorium 1. 

SAWTEE participated in the inaugural conference of the Green Growth Knowledge Platform scheduled for 12-13 January 2012 in Mexico City. The conference being organized by Mexico’s National Institute of Ecology (INE), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and World Bank offices in Mexico City.

The Aid for Trade (AfT) initiative, launched during the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) held in Hong Kong in December 2005, came on the heels of several unsuccessful trade-related technical assistance programmes ostensibly designed to integrate developing countries, in particular least-developed countries (LDCs), into the global trading system. 

SAWTEE participated in a regional workshop “Translating Commitments to Actions toward Results: An Asian CSO Regional Workshop on Food Sovereignty” being organized jointly by the Global Secretariat of the Alliance Against Hunger and Malnutrition (AAHM), which includes the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), among several other organizations, and the Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC) from 22-23 August 2011 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

SAWTEE participated in “Project Learning Sharing and Dissemination Workshop on Climate Change and Food Security in South Asia”, organized by Practical Action Bangladesh on 27 June 2011 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. SAWTEE’s network partner CUTS International, India, in partnership with Practical Action Bangladesh, is implementing the multi-country collaborative research project entitled "Scoping Study on Climate Change and Food Security in South Asia".

SAWTEE participated in the workshop on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing on 16-17 June 2011 in Wageningen, the Netherlands. The meeting was organized by Centre for Genetic Resources of the Wageningen University and the International Development Research Centre, Canada. Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LI-BIRD) and SAWTEE shared the findings of their policy and grassroots work on access to genetic resources, benefit sharing and farmers' rights.

SAWTEE, together with International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), Geneva, has launched a programme to evaluate the effectiveness and development impact of Aid for Trade (AfT). SAWTEE has been involved in the process right since the inception of the idea in early 2010. One of its major contributions has been to prepare the methodology for conducting country case studies in six countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America/Caribbean. SAWTEE is also responsible for implementing the Nepal component of the programme.

After nearly five years of  mutually beneficial cooperation on trade, economic development and  environmental issues, SAWTEE and Centre for WTO Studies (CWS) of the Indian  Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding  (MoU) at Kathmandu on 20 December 2010.

SAWTEE has moved to its own premises. Its new building is located at Tukucha Marg, Baluwatar, Kathmandu. With inputs from its member institutions, it has also changed its logo reflecting its mission of strengthening partnership on trade, economic and environmental issues in the eight countries of South Asia.

The 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), held in Cancun, Mexico from 29 November to 10 December 2010, reached an agreement, albeit non-binding, on a climate fund and recognized that climate change represents an urgent and potentially irreversible threat to human societies and the planet, and thus requires to be urgently addressed by all countries.

Following extensive consultations with stakeholders in three events, held in the last two years, SAWTEE and Oxfam Novib have launched a two-year Trade, Climate Change and Food Security Programme in South Asia, beginning 1 October 2010. The programme’s broad vision is to contribute to making trade and climate change negotiations and outcomes fair, inclusive, equitable and mutually supportive for ensuring food security in South Asia.

Some 18,000 participants representing the 193 Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and their partners closed the 10th Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention (COP10) on 29 October in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Though several concerns have been raised ...

The process used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to produce its periodic assessment reports has been successful overall, but the IPCC needs to fundamentally reform its management structure and strengthen its procedures to handle ...

The world´s 49 poorest countries need more and better-designed financing—rising from an estimated US$4 billion to US$17 billion per annum by 2030—to cope with the difficulties posed by climate change, says the Least Developed Countries Report 2010.

Multilateral trade negotiations have largely been a story of unfulfilled promises for South Asian countries, says the report Human Development in South Asia 2009: Trade and Human Development, unveiled in October 2010 by the Islamabad-based Mahbub ul Haq Human Development Centre.

Political leaders want negotiators to deliver them a global trade deal next year and the clock has started ticking on intensified talks, World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General Pascal Lamy said on 30 November.

The G20 countries, in their summit in Seoul in November, said they would enhance cooperation to promote external sustainability and pursue policies conducive to reducing trade imbalances and maintaining imbalances at sustainable levels.

Following internal negotiations, European Union (EU) governments on 11 November approved a package of trade concessions set to boost Pakistani imports to the Union in the wake of the flood disaster in June this year. However, the package originally proposed by the European Commission, the EU’s executive body, has been watered down.

Development agencies worldwide are joining forces to spend US$200 million in a 10-year programme to help the agricultural sector adapt to climate change and cut greenhouse gas emissions, farm research groups said on 17 November. 

Terming the ongoing India-European Union (EU) Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations “non-transparent” and a threat to the livelihoods of millions of people, Indian and European advocacy groups have warned that any hasty conclusion of the talks will only fuel poverty, inequality and environmental destruction.