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.
ICTSD
9 March, Geneva, Switzerland: UNDERSTANDING THE WTO INTERIM BIOTECH RULING — WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT? The release of the interim ruling by the WTO panel assessing the US/Canada/Argentina complaint against the EU’s alleged de facto moratorium on the approval of new biotech products has attracted widespread public attention. The resulting 1,050-page document will require careful reading and analysis to identify the key findings and their implications. In addition, the interim ruling - and the case as a whole - has raised fundamental questions about the impact of WTO rules on the approach countries take to dealing with biotechnology. This meeting aims to shed light on these issues. For further information contact Sarah Mohan, tel: (+41 22) 917-8755; fax: 917-8093; email: smohan@ictsd.ch; Internet: http://www.ictsd.org/dlogue/2006-03-09b/2006-03-09b-desc.htm
MOP-3 to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
13-17 March, Curitiba, Brazil: THIRD MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES SERVING AS THE MEETING OF THE PARTIES TO THE CARTAGENA PROTOCOL ON BIOSAFETY (MOP3). Organised by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). For further information contact the CBD Secretariat, tel: (+1-514) 288-2220; fax: 288-6588; email: secretariat@biodiv.org; internet: http://www.biodiv.org/doc/meeting.aspx?mtg=MOP-03
Side-events
Tuesday, 14 March 2006, 13h15 to 14h45: INTERNATIONAL GRAIN TRADE - A PERSPECTIVE ON THE BRAZILIAN ECONOMY AND LOGISTIC. Organised by ABIOVE- Brazilian Association Of Grain Processor Industries, ANDEF - Brazilian Crop Protection Association And ICONE - Institute Of International Trade Negotiations.
Tuesday, 14 March 2006, 13h15 to 14h45: GENETIC CONTAMINATION AND GMO FREE ZONES. Organised by AS-PTA Assessoria E Serviços A Projetos Em Agricultura Alternativa.
Tuesday, 14 March 2006, 13h15 to 14h45: THE WTO RULING AND REGULATING LMOS UNDER THE PROTOCOL. Organised by the Washington Biotechnology Action Council (WASHBAC), Friends Of The Earth International (FOEI) and others.
Thursday, 16 March 2006, 13h15 to 14h45: TRADING PRECAUTION: THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE AND THE WTO. Organised by UNU-IAS.
Friday, 17 March, 13h15 to 14h45: IMPLICATIONS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY AND NANOTECHNOLOGY FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS. Organised by Universidad Del Mar.
For a complete list of COP/MOP 3 side-e, visit http://www.biodiv.org/register/side-events/list.aspx?mtg=MOP-03.
Coming Up In the Next Two Weeks
3-4 March, St. Louis, USA: INTRODUCTORY SEMINAR ON THE CARTAGENA PROTOCOL ON BIOSAFETY. This seminar is organised by the Public Research Sector Initiative, a project that aims to involve the public research sector in the development and implementation of biotechnology regulations. The seminar will inform scientists from public research institutions from both developing and developed countries about the background, content, and implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, as well as about the ongoing discussions in the Meetings of the Parties. For further information contact Kathleen MacKey, tel: (+1 314) 587 1203; email: kmackey@danforthcenter.org; Internet: http://pubresreg.org/Members/Kim/Danforth/Danforthmeeting.
610 March, Cairo, Egypt: 22 GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE AU-INTER-AFRICAN PHYTOSANITARY COUNCIL. This biannual meeting brings together all the National Plant Protection Services of the African Union to update, and review implementation of the recommendations of the previous general assemblies as well as exchange information on the latest happenings at the international level in the phytosanitary field. For further information, information, contact the IPPC Secretariat, tel: (+237) 221 19 69; fax: 221 19 67; e-mail: au-cpi@au-appo.org; Internet: https://www.ippc.int/servlet/CDSServlet?status=ND0xNDU5OS50MTA4OTAzJjY9ZW4mMzM9ZXZlbnRzJjM3PWluZm8%7E
6-10 March, Treviso, Italy: INTRODUCTION TO BIOSAFETY AND RISK ASSESSMENT FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL RELEASE OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMOs): THEORETICAL APPROACH AND SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND. This workshop is being organised by the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Bio technology (ICGEB) in collaboration with the Istituto Agronomico per l’Oltremare. The workshop will be aimed at those scientists who are interested in issues related to risk assessment and management for the environmental release of GMOs. For further information, tel.: +39-040-3757333; fax: +39-040-226555; email: courses@icgeb.org; Internet: http://www.icgeb.org/MEETINGS/CRS06/6_10marzo.pdf
7-8 April, New Delhi, India: INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. This workshop, organised by Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and The Energy Research Institute (TERI), will explore the linkages between climate change and sustainable development. For further information, contact DESA, tel: (+ 1 212) 963-8102; fax: 963-4260; Internet: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/sdissues/climate_change/climateChange_inter.htm
8-9 March, Sao Paulo, Brazil: BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BRAZIL: IMPLICATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR GLOBAL AGRICULTURE. Biotechnology and Brazil is the first major international conference to focus on Brazils recently approved seed legislation and the effect it will have on the prospects in Brazil itself and around the world. The conference is an opportunity to meet and discuss biotechnology issues with people who are actively involved in the subject. For further information, contact Agra Informa, tel: (+44 20) 7017 7500; fax: 7017 7599; email: marketing@agra-net.com; Internet: http://www.agra-net.com/biotech06
8-10 March, Hong Kong, China: PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS TO COMBAT ILLEGAL LOGGING: INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE ON BEST PRACTICE FOR BUSINESS AND CIVIL SOCIETY. This initiative is being organized by the Forest Dialogue of Yale University, in collaboration with various other organisations and agencies such as the Nature Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund. The dialogue has three objectives: to raise awareness among business leaders of the problems posed by illegal logging, identify solutions, and agree on how participants can work together for widespread adoption of these resolutions. For further information contact Gary Dunning, tel: (+1 203) 432 5966; fax: 432 3809; email: info@theforestsdialogue.org; Internet: http://research.yale.edu/gisf/tfd/logging.html.
13 - 17 March, Dakar, Senegal: FIRST TRAINING WORKSHOP ON BUILDING CAPACITY TO SET PRIORITIES FOR AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA. The motivating question for this workshop is how to allocate biotechnology and other crop-improvement investments to maximise poverty reduction and environmental sustainability. Organised by West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF). For further information, contact Marcel Nwalozie, email: marcel.nwalozie@coraf.org; Internet: http://www.scidev.net
16-17 March, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO COMMITTEE ON TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE. For further information, contact the WTO Information and Media Relations Division, Geneva; tel: (41-22) 739- 5007; fax: (41-22) 739-5458; email: enquiries@wto.org.
20-21 March, Geneva, Switzerland: THE WTO AND FISHERIES: A WORKSHOP ON THE IMPACT OF WTO AGREEMENTS AND THE CURRENT WTO NEGOTIATIONS ON THE FISHERIES SECTOR. This meeting is organised by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and includes sessions on international fish trade and NAMA, fisheries subsidies, quality and safety aspects for fish trade, financing infrastructure and fishing activities, disputes and fishery products and fisheries management, access and labelling. For further information, contact Audun Lem, tel: (+39 06) 5705 2692; fax: 5705 6500; email: audun.lem@fao.org; Internet: http://www.fao.org/fi/default.asp
Other upcoming events
1-12 May, New York, US: FOURTHEENTH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. CSD-14 is the year of the second implementation cycle, and will review progress on energy for sustainable development, industrial development, air pollution/atmosphere and climate change. For further information contact Federica Pietracci, Major Groups Programme Coordinator, UN DSD/DESA, tel: (+1-212) 963-2803; fax: 963-4260; email: pietracci@un.org; Internet: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/csd/review.htm