History of CUTS London Resource Centre
CUTS International was established in February 2003 as the  London Resource Centre (LRC) of Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS), a social action, advocacy and research NGO with headquarters in India, and offices in Zambia and Kenya.
The work of CUTS LRC builds on the expertise and experience of CUTS India, particularly within the fields of international trade, economics and development, as well as global decision making processes.
Working to make the global economy work for development, LRC provides a route for Southern civil society to voice their development concerns to Northern policy makers and NGO partners. Through research, advocacy and campaigning, LRC seeks to build strong partnerships and alliances among Northern and Southern actors in order to promote a sustainable and just international trading system.
Since its start, LRC has built up a wide-ranging network with Northern NGOs, academics, researchers and policy makers, and has become an active member of UK and European groups such as the UK and European Trade Network, The Cotonou Lobby Group, Make Poverty History and Bond.
Activities
LRC is currently managing a project in six African countries, entitled ‘CapacityBuilding of Eastern and Southern African civil society during the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Negotiations’. The project is being implemented with local partner organisations in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia, and aims to support the efforts of local civil society organisations to advocate their concerns surrounding the EPA negotiations to local and national decision makers.
LRC is managing the European part of the CUTS project: ‘Linkages between Trade, Development and Poverty Reduction’ (TDP). The TDP project is currently being implemented in 15 countries and seeks to explore the practical linkages between trade policies, and efforts aimed at development and poverty reduction through research, consultations and advocacy.
LRC is involved in the management of CUTS Centre for Competition, Investment and Economic Regulation’s (C-CIER) research and advocacy projects on competition: 7up2 & 7up3. In addition, LRC was involved with CUTS Centre for International Trade, Economics and the Environment’s (CITEE) IBSA project, exploring potential synergies between India, Brazil and South Africa, and Mekong-Ganga project, IBSA’s sister project in the Mekong-Ganga region.
In 2004, LRC launched a quarterly newsletter, “Bridging the Gap”, which brings you up-to-date with the various research initiatives and campaigning and advocacy activities of CUTS. It also contains news on conferences, events, funding deadlines, and features on developmental issues, particularly Southern view points.
Friends of CUTS is coordinated by LRC. As a friend of CUTS, you will receive information on developmental issues, CUTS programmes, policy briefs, publications updates and “Bridging the Gap”
LRC is governed by a Board of Trustees and holds a staff of five employees, and two interns.
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