For a more comprehensive list of events in trade and sustainable development, please refer to ICTSD’s web calendar. Please bear in mind that dates and times of WTO meetings are often changed, and that the WTO does not always announce the important informal meetings of the different bodies.
Coming up in the next two weeks
18-20 May, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America: WORLD AGRICULTURAL FORUM 2003 CONGRESS. Organised by the World Agricultural Forum (WAF). The 2003 World Congress will bring together leaders and decision makers to discuss the future of agriculture and the existing barriers to development. For more information contact: World Agricultural Forum; tel: (1-314) 206-3208; fax: 206-3222; email: wafstl@stlrcga.org; Internet: http://www.worldagforum.org/
19 - 20 May, London, United Kingdom: CONFERENCE ON FOOD PRODUCTION AND THE NEW TRADE AGENDA. This two-day conference, hosted by the Royal Institute for International Affairs (RIIA), will address questions related to food production, transportation, and sales. For more information contact: RIIA; tel: (44-20) 7957-5700; fax: 7957-5710; email: contact@riia.org; Internet: http://www.riia.org.
19 - 23 May, Bonn, Germany: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON RURAL LIVELIHOODS, FORESTS AND BIODIVERSITY. Organised by the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the German Foundation for International Development (DSE), Germany’s Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and ‘Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit’ (GTZ). This conference will consider the role of forests in supporting rural livelihoods in developing countries and in maintaining biodiversity. For more information contact: William Sunderlin; tel: (251) 622-622; fax: 622-100; email: w.sunderlin@cgiar.org; Internet: http://www.cifor.cgiar.org/shared/template/livelihoodconference.asp.
21-23 May, Kiev, Ukraine: FIFTH MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE - ENVIRONMENT FOR EUROPE. On the meetings agenda of Environment Ministers will be the pan-European environmental cooperation and taking stock of the progress made since the previous meeting held five years ago. The Ministers will also submit three new protocols for adoption, these are: the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers to the Aarhus Convention, the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment to the Espoo Convention, and the Protocol on Civil Liability and Compensation for Damage Caused by the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents on Transboundary Waters to the Helsinki Conventions. For information contact: The Kiev Secretariat: tel: (380-44) 290-4157 or (380-44) 290-3007; fax: 290-3719; email: secretariat@kyiv-2003.ln.ua; Internet: http://www.kyiv-2003.info/main/index.php
21-23 May, London, United Kingdom: 2010: THE BIODIVERSITY CHALLENGE. Organised by the CBD, UNEP-WCMC and UNDP. This second "Biodiversity after Johannesburg" meeting will follow up on the first that was held from 2-4 March 2003. For more information contact: Jerry Harrison, UNEP, World Conservation Monitoring Centre; email: Jerry.Harrison@unep-wcmc.org; Internet: http://www.unep-wcmc.org.
22 - 24 May, Shanghai, China: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT (ICEE): Organised by the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology and George Washington University, this conference aims to provide an international forum for the discussion of clean city energy and related topics. For more information contact: Daoping Liu; tel: (86-21) 6568-9564; fax: 6568-0843; email: dpliu@online.sh.cn; Internet: http://www.gwu.edu/%7Eeem/ICEE/firstpagenew.htm
26 - 28 May, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO NEGOTIATING GROUP ON MARKET ACCESS. For information contact the WTO Information and Media Relations Division, Geneva; tel: (41-22) 739- 5007; fax: 739-5458; email: enquiries@wto.org.
26 - 30 May, Trieste, Italy: INTRODUCTION ON BIOSAFETY AND RISK ASSESSMENT FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL RELEASE OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMOS): THEORETICAL APPROACH AND SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND. Organised by International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology. The Workshop will be aimed at scientists dealing with risk assessment and management for the environmental release of GMOs. The main goal of the workshop is to provide the participants with an overview of the current research in biosafety and different risk assessment approaches used for the environmental release of GMOs. For information contact: Ms. Chiara Villanovich, ICGEB, Programme and Training Unit; tel: (39-040) 3757-333; fax: 226-555; email: courses@icgeb.org; Internet: http://www.icgeb.org/biosafety
26 May - 6 June, Geneva, Switzerland: THIRD SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS FORUM ON FORESTS (UNFF-3). Delegates will discuss a variety of issues, including: economic aspects of forests, forest health and productivity, and maintaining forest cover to meet present and future needs. For information contact: Mia Soderlund, UNFF Secretariat; tel: (1-212) 963-3262; fax: 963-4260; email: unff@un.org; Internet: http://www.un.org/esa/forests/
28 May, Brussels, Belgium: GMOs - CO-EXISTENCE OR CONTAMINATION? THE CHALLENGE TO ENSURE CO-EXISTENCE OF ORGANIC AND CONVENTIONAL FARMING WITH GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS. Organised by the Greens/EFA in the European Parliament, Friends of the Earth Europe, Euro Coop and the Heinrich Böll Foundation. For information, contact: Geert Ritsema, FOEE, tel: (32-2) 542-01-82; fax: 537-55-96; email: geert.ritsema@foeeurope.org; Internet: http://www.foeeurope.org/GMOs/conference/home.htm
30 May - 12 June, Havana, Cuba: IV INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. For information contact: Araceli Mateo de Acosta Fernández, Convention Organizational Secretary, tel: (537) 867-0606 and 860-3411 ext 1291; fax: 33-8054; email: mateo@citma.cu; Internet: http://www.medioambiente.cu/convencion/ingles/default.htm.
28 - 31 May, Bologna, Italy: FROM THE GREEN REVOLUTION TO THE GENE REVOLUTION. Organised by University of Bologna University of Bologna. This Conference will bring together green revolution experts and plant biotechnology experts to assess new technologies for their value in identifying valuable alleles and in manipulating such alleles with indirect (e.g. marker-assisted selection) and/or direct (e.g. genetic engineering) approaches. For information contact: tel: (39-051) 656-4311; fax: (39-051) 656-4350; email: avenuemedia@avenuemedia.it; Internet: http://www.avenuemedia.it/linkCONG/Green-Gene.html
Other forthcoming events
1-3 June, Evian-les-Bains, France: G8 SUMMIT. Delegates will discuss issues relating to globalisation. Among the proposed major themes are solidarity, with particular emphasis on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), and access to water for all. Other topics include government and corporate responsibility, security and democracy. For information see http://www.g8.fr/evian/english/home.html.
16-20 June, Berlin, Germany: 55TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION. This meeting will be preceded by meetings of the Scientific Committee and various sub-groups. For further information contact: IWC; tel: (44 1223) 233971; fax: 232876; email: iwc@iwcoffice.org; Internet: http://www.iwcoffice.org/2003_meeting.htm.
16-18 June, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO PUBLIC SYMPOSIUM. Hosted by the World Trade Organization, this public symposium will focus on the challenges WTO Members face ahead of the WTO’s 5th Ministerial Conference this September in Cancún, Mexico. Participants from governments, parliaments, civil society, the business sector academia and the media are invited to discuss what is at stake in the current negotiations and other key challenges facing the multilateral trading system. For information contact: WTO External Relations Division; tel: (41-22) 739 56 76 or 739 52 86; email: symposium2003@wto.org, Internet: http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dda_e/symp_devagenda_03_e.htm