CTIL Celebrates 7th Year with Special Issue of Global Trade and Customs Journal and G20 Presidency Magazine

The occasion featured the release of a Special Issue of the Global Trade and Customs Journal (GTCJ) and the Seventh Anniversary Magazine, focused on “India’s G20 Presidency.”

The Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL) at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi, celebrated its seventh anniversary at a distinguished event held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The occasion featured the release of a Special Issue of the Global Trade and Customs Journal (GTCJ) and the Seventh Anniversary Magazine, focused on “India’s G20 Presidency.”

The event was honored by notable attendees including G20 Sherpa Shri Amitabh Kant, Commerce Secretary Shri Sunil Barthwal, Additional Secretary of the Department of Commerce Shri L. Satya Srinivas, and Vice Chancellor of IIFT Shri Rakesh Mohan Joshi.

CTIL, established in 2016 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, serves as a key think tank and advisory body, dedicated to enhancing India’s international trade and investment law capacity. Over its seven years, CTIL has provided over 2,500 advisory opinions on international trade issues, focusing on WTO law and bilateral trade agreements.

In his keynote address, G20 Sherpa Shri Amitabh Kant underscored the significance of the G20 as a leading forum for addressing global challenges, including financial stability, climate change, and sustainable development. He emphasized the need for global forums to better represent the Global South and emerging markets, noting the inclusion of the African Union in India’s G20 Presidency as a step towards more inclusive international economics and development.

Shri Kant praised CTIL’s contributions, particularly the work of its young and multidisciplinary team of lawyers, in advising the Department of Commerce on complex international trade and investment matters. He highlighted the G20's consensus-based approach, citing the unanimous agreement on all 83 paragraphs of the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration.

Union Commerce Secretary Shri Sunil Barthwal highlighted the importance of integrating the needs of developing and Least Developed Countries into the global trade system. He pointed to upcoming forums like the Global South Summit and the African Summit as opportunities to elevate these concerns on a global stage. Shri Barthwal also noted the increasing prevalence of non-trade issues in trade negotiations, calling for enhanced cross-disciplinary capacity building in Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.

CTIL’s mission is to provide rigorous legal analysis on international trade and investment issues, fostering a pool of experts to enhance India’s role in global trade and economic integration. As a thought leader in international economic law, CTIL aims to support India’s participation in negotiations and dispute resolution, driving progress in WTO law, international investment law, and economic integration.