NEW DELHI. Nov 10: Experts from 16 leading global fashion institutes met here Monday to discuss the setting up of an international designers' forum attuned to the needs of the world trade organisation, organisers said, reports AFP.

The three-day conference, organised jointly by Nift. India's premier fashion institute. New Yorks Fashion Institute of Technology, the Institute Fran-cais De La Mode of France and Britain's Nottingham and Tent University, was inaugurated by Indian Textiles Minister Kashiram Rana.

"As the new global regime in textile and clothing under the auspices of the WTO is going to be ushered in very shortly we realise that we have io do a lot more on the human resources development front than what we are doing at present. "Rana said.

Officials said delegates from Australia. Britain. Brazil. China. France. India. Italy. Japan and Holland would try to evolve guidelines to ensure professionalism in their structure and operation of the industry