This three-day workshop was organised by RIS;
Action Aid, India; and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), USA in New
Delhi on 1-2 May 1998. Hon'ble Shri I.K. Gujral, former Prime Minister of India
inaugurated the workshop. The programme of the workshop included Panel Discussion,
Presentation of Case Studies and Thematic Sessions on Market Access, TRIPs, and Domestic
Subsidies. The representatives of farmers unions, peasant associations, NGOs and research
institutions from Bangladesh, Chile, Ghana, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, the
Philippines and the USA discussed the implications of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture as
also of TRIPs on agriculture in developing countries and urged the national governments
and the international community to act on the concerns raised in the deliberations of the
workshop. Prominent experts from abroad who participated in the workshop included: Ms.
Sophia Murphy, IATP; Ms. Ana De Ita, Mexico; Ms. Mirta Crivetto, Chile; Kushi Kabir;
Thomas Barasa; and Farhad Mazhar. The Indian side was represented by Dr. G.S. Bhalla, Dr.
Vandana Shiva; Devinder Sharma; Dr. Amitava Mukherjee; Shri P.V. Satheesh; and Prof.
Abhijit Sen. From RIS, Dr. Biswajit Dhar and Dr. Sachin Chaturvedi presented the theme
paper on "WTO Agreements and Agriculture: A View from India".
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