sustainable development: A new negotiating agenda: How India could address issues of sustainable development in trade negotiations

Developing countries fear that TSD obligations could result in developed countries imposing trade restrictions based on a stringent formulation of sustainability.

Synopsis

Creativity and pragmatism must guide India’s endeavour in negotiating a full array of tools to shape sustainable trade outcomes. An appropriately tailored Trade and Sustainable Development chapter in India’s Free Trade Agreements could be a force for good and should not be opposed without due consideration.

There is a growing trend among developed countries to incorporate provisions linking Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). Nearly all the recently concluded FTAs by the US and EU include provisions on TSD.

Most TSD provisions in FTAs cover issues of environment and labour protection. These in turn are primarily based on Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and International Labour Organisation (ILO)

BY

Pradeep S Mehta and Sneha Singh

ET CONTRIBUTORS

Feb 19, 2022, 10:37 AM IST

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