+ IIA > CoA
        iia-coa-001.jpg - between IIA and Coa presidents...   (IIA)   Date 05/07/2001 - 147 kb
        iia-coa-002.jpg - between IIA and Coa presidents...   (IIA)   Date 05/07/2001 - 101 kb
        iia-coa-003.jpg - between IIA and Coa presidents...   (IIA)   Date 05/07/2001 - 083 kb

  ++ (Abstracted) Academics at the IIA
        iia-sem-001.jpg - the Pundits, WRT Arch. profession   (IIA)   Date 31/05/2003 - 195 kb
        iia-sem-002.jpg - the Pundits, WRT Arch. profession   (IIA)   Date 31/05/2003 - 216 kb

 +++ IIA > Ministry of Commerce
        iia-moc-001.jpg - attn:A.Jaitly, hon'ble minister MOC (IIA)   Date 11/08/2003 - 181 kb
        iia-moc-002.jpg - attn:A.Jaitly, hon'ble minister MOC (IIA)   Date 11/08/2003 - 194 kb
        iia-moc-003.jpg - attn:A.Jaitly, hon'ble minister MOC (IIA)   Date 11/08/2003 - 129 kb

 $$$ Ministry of commerce
 	tns-oind-01.pdf - GoI Document for Consultation...    (GoI)   Date 24/08/2005 - 474 kb
 	document liberated from http://commerce.nic.in/
 	....
 	Government of India Consultation Papers.. (accepted at WTO)
        wto-del-srv.htm - Principles Complementary Approaches (GoI)   Date 10/10/2005 - 009 kb
        wto-kml-nth.htm - Issue Paper for Services Group Meet (GoI)   Date 12/10/2005 - 012 kb
	.... 	
 	also see: Government of India preface... 	< here > (2003) (on new page)

 ^^^ Protests at Hong Kong Round, 12-2005 (International Protesters) 
  	03 .torrent(s) and 48nos/445 MB media files...	< here > (2005) (on new page)
	
 $$$ Positions (mostly obsolete)
        summary: GATS at World Trade Organisation...    < below > 
        summary: Indian Institute of Architects...      < below > 
        summary: Council of Architecture...             < n/a >
        ...
        ...
        obsolet: ICRIER WP # 75...			< here > (2001) (offsite at icrier.org)
        	 (Trade in Construction and Consultancy Services: India and GATS) 
        	 [archived locally]

• Architexturez WTO-GATS Document Archive
• Architexturez Mailing lists (In-Enaction and MPISG-Media)...
  • Search the Mailing Lists for term "GATS" < here >
  • In-Enaction threads:
    1. scan: GATS: Services Exports
    2. scan: GATS: Opening up is a two-way process
    3. scan: GATS: India's Revised Offer on Trade in Services

WTO: What is the main purpose of the GATS?
see esp: S/C/W/44 WTO.ORG 28/04/2002
 
The creation of the GATS was one of the landmark achievements of the Uruguay Round, whose results entered into force in January 1995. The GATS was inspired by essentially the same objectives as its counterpart in merchandise trade, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT): creating a credible and reliable system of international trade rules; ensuring fair and equitable treatment of all participants (principle of non-discrimination); stimulating economic activity through guaranteed policy bindings; and promoting trade and development through progressive liberalization.
 
While services currently account for over 60 percent of global production and employment, they represent no more than 20 per cent of total trade (BOP basis). This -- seemingly modest -- share should not be underestimated, however. Many services, which have long been considered genuine domestic activities, have increasingly become internationally mobile. This trend is likely to continue, owing to the introduction of new transmission technologies (e.g. electronic banking, tele-health or tele-education services), the opening up in many countries of long-entrenched monopolies (e.g. voice telephony and postal services), and regulatory reforms in hitherto tightly regulated sectors such as transport. Combined with changing consumer preferences, such technical and regulatory innovations have enhanced the "tradability" of services and, thus, created a need for multilateral disciplines.
 

from the WTO page... http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/serv_e/serv_e.htm

Links:

1. Bibliography on the World Trade Organization < here >
   (Peace Palace Library)
2. Gatswatch.ORG

The GATS agreement covers four modes of supply for the delivery of services in cross-border trade:

Mode	Criteria	Supplier Presence
Cross-border supply	Service delivered within the territory of the Member, from the territory of another Member	Service supplier not persent within the territory of the member
Consumption abroad	Service delivered outside the territory of the Member, in the territory of another Member, to a service consumer of the Member
Commercial presence	Service delivered within the territory of the Member, through the commercial presence of the supplier	Service supplier present within the territory of the Member
Presence of a natural person	Service delivered within the territory of the Member, with supplier present as a natural person
Note: From the document MTN.GNS/W/124, available on the World Trade Organization Website, posted courtesy of ISTIA

A "natural person" is a human being, as distinct from legal persons such as companies or organisations. Countries can freely decide where to liberalize on a sector-by-sector basis, including which specific mode of supply they want to cover for a given sector.

Abstract: RESTRICTED World Trade S/C/W/44 1 July 1998 Organization 98-2629) for Trade in Services ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING SERVICES Note by the Secretariat
HTML version archived < here > where Areas of Concern are...

	United Nations classification ## 867
	
	Hierarchy
		
	    + Section:	8 - Business services; agricultural, mining and manufacturing services
	    + Division:	86 - Legal, accounting, auditing and book-keeping services; taxation 
	    		services; market research and public opinion polling services; management 
	    		and consulting services; architectural, engineering and other technical services
	    + Group:	867 - Architectural, engineering and other technical services
	    		offsite @ UN: < http://unstats.un.org/unsd/cr/registry/regcs.asp?Cl=9&Lg=1&Co=867 >
	
	Breakdown: This Group is divided into the following Classes:
	
	    offsite @ UN: 8671 - Architectural services
	    offsite @ UN: 8672 - Engineering services
	    offsite @ UN: 8673 - Integrated engineering services
	    offsite @ UN: 8674 - Urban planning and landscape architectural services
	    offsite @ UN: 8675 - Engineering related scientific and technical consulting services
	    offsite @ UN: 8676 - Technical testing and analysis services
	    ...
	    ...

(top of this page)

IIA: General Agreement on Trade in Services at World Trade Organisation in Reference to Architectural Profession

GATS at WTO aims to achieve progressively higher levels of liberalization of Trade in Services without disturbing the state of profession in the host country i.e. comfort level of the profession. It aims to facilitate increase of participation in terms of export of services from developing countries and achieve a level playing field.

To understand "a level playing field" for profession of architecture it is necessary to recognise that in the coming years expected Growth rate in India shall be more than 6% of GDP, resulting in tremendous urban development which is a big opportunity for the incoming professionals. Where as the opportunity of urban development/architecture in the developed countries are shrinking day by day thus leaving not much scope for Indian Architects abroad. Initially Ministry of Commerce invited the views of Bar Council of India, Medical Council of India, Indian Nursing Council, Consulting Engineering Association, Institute of Engineer India, Council of Architecture, Institute of Town Planner India, and asked "whether it is in the interest of the nation to open up their sector and upto what extend and wherein lies their competitive advantage?".

IIA and its members at that stage itself through workshop discussions, letters and also during a discussion on the subject in Jan. 2003 at New Delhi conveyed to the President COA and officials of Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Commerce that there is no need for India to open up Architectural Services and requested the concerned authorities to provide the facts and figures relevant to the expected scope in other countries if any for the benefit of architects from India. It is noted with concern that instead of providing any details about the data, facts and figures about the scope for Indian Architects abroad the COA have been making presentations at various forums advocating India's stand to open up Architectural services under GATS. It was in this context that IIA council at its meeting on 12.04.2003 resolved that as there is no dearth of quality and quantity in the profession of Architecture in India, hence opening up of the profession of Architecture at this stage need not be placed on the negotiation table at WTO/ GATS. Infact to improve the existing situation which allows foreign architects to practice in our country we should introduce a system of compulsory collaboration on an equal level with local Architects as per UIA policy/ recommendations. All the Chapter Chairmen and Council members were requested to arrange sessions on the subject. Accordingly IIA's presentations on the subject have already been held at Trichy on 26th April, 2003, at New Delhi on 31st May 2003, at Bhopal and Indore on 21st June 2003, at Kolkata on 27th June 2003. The next presentation will be held at Bangalore on 5th July 2003.

At various presentations the members opined that the need for opening up our profession doesn't arise and it is surprising that how COA and others decided to send initial offers without providing the relevant facts and figures. Members have expressed their concerned view that the state of the profession in the country does not call for opening up and also opined that architecture is not simply a commodity and while architecture shapes the physical environment, it also creates the cultural heritage of a society.

also,

• Debates at Northern Chapter, Indian Institute of Architects < website >
• Lecture presentation http://www.iia-india.org/gats/fullscreen.htm
• IIA website now includes a Discussion Board [ no longer available, was < here > ] Web Archive mirror as of 2004-07-04 < here >
  [ part of the Indian Architecture Network by S.Manchanda ]

from the IIA pages...http://www.iia-india.org | (top of this page)