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
3-15 November, Santiago de Chile, Chile: 12th MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO CITES. For further information, contact the CITES Secretariat, tel: (41 22) 917-8139/40; fax: 797 3417; email: cites@unep.ch; Internet: http://www.cites.org
4-9 November, Yokohama, Japan: 33RD SESSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL TROPICAL TIMBER COUNCIL. For further information, contact the International Tropical Timber Organization; tel: (81 45) 223-1110; fax: 223-1111; email: itto@itto.or.jp; Internet: http://www.itto.or.jp
7-8 November, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO COMMITTEE ON SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES. For further information on WTO events, contact the WTO Information and Media Relations Division, Geneva; tel: (41 22) 739- 5007; fax: 739-5458; email: enquiries@wto.org.
7-9 November, Boston, USA: ECOLABELS AND THE GREENING OF THE FOOD MARKET. This conference for the food and drink industry and will focus on current trends in ecolabeling, and examining their value to consumers, the environment and the bottom line. For further information, contact the organisers, fax: (1 617) 627-3856; email: ecolabels@tufts.edu; Internet: http://nutrition.tufts.edu/conted/ecolabels/
11 November, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland: MEA-UNEP MEETING ON ENHANCING MEA AND WTO INFORMATION EXCHANGE. Organised by the secretariats of a number of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) and UNEP. It will immediately precede the special session of the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment on 12 November that will also address information exchange and observer status between MEAs and the WTO. For further information, contact the UNEP Economics and Trade Branch, email: etb@unep.ch; Internet: http://www.unep.ch/etu/etp/events/MEA_WTO/11Nov2002.htm.
11-15 November, Geneva, Switzerland: WIPO STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE LAW OF TRADEMARKS, INDUSTRIAL DESIGNS AND GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS (SCT) (Ninth session). For further information, contact: WIPO, tel: (41 22) 338-9111; fax: 733 54 28; email: WIPO.mail@wipo.int; Internet: http://www.wipo.inthttp://www.wipo.org/news/en/index.html?wipo_content_frame =/news/en/conferences.html
11-22 November, Rome, Italy: FIRST MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE FOR THE REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONVENTION TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION (CRIC). For further information, contact: CCD Secretariat; tel: (49-228) 815-2802; fax: 815-2898/99; email: secretariat@unccd.int; Internet: http://www.unccd.int/cop/cric1/menu.php
13-15 November, Edmonton, Canada: CONFERENCE ON ADVANCES IN FOREST MANAGEMENT - FROM KNOWLEDGE TO PRACTICE. The purpose of the conference is to share with forest stakeholders and other interested persons the latest advances in SFM knowledge developed by network researchers and to show how the new knowledge is being used in practice to guide SFM decision-making by the Network Partners. For further information, contact: Kathryn Veeman; tel: (1 780) 492-2477; fax: 492-8160; email: kathryn.veeman@ualberta.ca; Internet: http://www.ualberta.ca/sfm
14 November, Sydney, Australia: ‘MINI-MINISTERIAL’ MEETING OF CERTAIN WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION MEMBERS. During this event, the ongoing WTO negotiations will be discussed. The Sydney meeting will occur a year after the WTO launched the current round of trade liberalisation talks in the Qatari capital of Doha (see BRIDGES Weekly, 13 September 2002).
14-19 November, Venice, Italy: UNESCO INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS. This event will bring together over 500 experts to discuss the successes and problems of the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Participants will address ways of making the Convention and UNESCO’s efforts to protect World Heritage better known. Attempts will also be made to strengthen future partnerships for World Heritage Conservation. The theme for this year’s event is "Shared Legacy, Common Responsibility". For further information, contact: Lucía Iglesias Kuntz, UNESCO Bureau of Public Information; tel: (33 1) 45-681702; email: l.iglesias@unesco.org; Internet: http://whc.unesco.org/venice2002
15-17 November, Valencia, Spain: 17TH SESSION OF THE GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY FORUM. The GBF17 will be convened immediately prior to the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention. GBF17 will address the following five key issues: The World Summit on Sustainable Development: the Future for the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands; Agriculture, Wetlands and Water Resources; Wetlands, People and Climate: Preparing for Change; the List of Ramsar Wetlands: Enhancing the Framework and National Implementation; and Wetlands Restoration and Mitigation. For further information, contact: Caroline Martinet, IUCN; tel: (41 22) 999-0216; fax: 999-0025; email: caroline.martinet@iucn.org; Internet: http://www.gbf.ch/present_session.asp?no=27&lg=EN
15-16 November, Valencia, Spain: NGO AND LOCAL COMMUNITY WORLD CONFERENCE ON WETLANDS. The event’s theme will be "Ramsar, 30 years on" and will examine the conservation actions and the wise use of water derived from the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands during its 30 years of life. For further information, contact: Patricia Carrera and Raquel Albano, Ecologistas en Acción; tel: (34 91) 531-2389; fax: 531-2611; email: preramsar@nodo50.org; Internet: http://www.nodo50.org/preramsar/
17-20 November, Orlando, United States: SYMPOSIUM ON CHALLENGES FACING SMALL FARMERS. This meeting is organised by the International Farming Systems Association, and will focus on small farms in an ever-changing world: meeting the challenges of sustainable livelihoods and food security in diverse rural communities. For further information, contact: Peter Hildebrand, University of Florida; tel: (1 352) 3921965; fax: 392 7127; email: peh@ufl.edu; Internet: http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/ifsa
18-21 November, Midrand, South Africa: GREEN CITIES, SUSTAINABLE CITIES CONGRESS. Organised by the Institute of Environment and Recreation Management (Africa). The Congress will follow on the World Summit on Sustainable Development. For more information, contact: tel: (27 11) 789-1384; fax: 789-1385; email: ierm@vdw.co.za; Internet: http://www.ierm.org.za/events.asp
18-26 November, Valencia, Spain: THE 8TH CONFERENCE OF THE CONTRACTING PARTIES TO THE RAMSAR CONVENTION (COP-8). Organised by Ramsar Convention Wetlands. For further information, contact: Mr. Dwight Peck, Executive Assistant for Communications, Ramsar Convention Wetlands; Fax: (41 22) 999 0169; email: peck@ramsar.org; Internet: http://www.ramsar.org
18-22 November, Monterrey, Mexico: FIRST INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON TRANSBOUNDARY WATER MANAGEMENT. The Symposium will review the main issues involved in the management of transboundary basins and aquifers. For further information contact: Javier Aparicio Mijares; tel/fax: (52 55) 5666 0835; email: aparicio@tlaloc.imta.mx; Internet: http://www.transboundarywatersmexico.org/
20-22 November, Delft, the Netherlands: FROM CONFLICT TO COOPERATION - INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT. Organised by UNESCO and Green Cross International as part of their contribution to the World Water Assessment Programme. For further information contact: Janos Bogardi, UNESCO France; fax: (33 1) 45685811; email: pccp@unesco.org; Internet: http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/pccp/delft_first_circular.pdf
21 November, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA: WHEN MEDIA, SCIENCE AND PUBLIC POLICY COLLIDE: THE CASE OF FOOD AND BIOTECHNOLOGY. During this workshop stakeholders will discuss how media coverage has influenced and been influenced by science, industry, policymakers and advocacy groups on the topic of agriculture biotechnology and food and human health. For further information, see: http://pewagbiotech.org/events/1121/.
21-22 November 2002 CLIMATE POLICY FOR THE LONGER TERM FROM HERE TO WHERE? The event is organised by the Royal Institute For International Affairs (RIIA) in association with Climate Strategies. For further information, contact: Georgina Wright; tel: (44 207) 9575754/ 9575700; fax: 3222045/ 9575710; email: conferences@riia.org; Internet: http://www.riia.org
Other forthcoming events
25-26 November, Venice, Italy: SUSTAINABILITY IN THE WATER SECTOR This initiative organised by the IWA plans to direct thinking and actions over the next decade towards making the concept of a sustainable water sector an everyday occurrence. For further information, contact: Lara Changizi; tel: (44 20) 7654 5518; fax: 7654 5555; email: sustainability2002@iwahq.org.uk; Internet: http://www.iawq.org.uk/template.cfm?name=sustainability2002
25-29 November, Geneva, Switzerland: WIPO STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE LAW OF PATENTS (EIGHT SESSION). For further information, contact: WIPO, tel: (41 22) 338 9111; fax: 733 54 28; Email: WIPO.mail@wipo.int; Internet: http://www.wipo.inthttp://www.wipo.org/news/en/index.html?wipo_content_frame =/news/en/conferences.html
25-29 November, Rome, Italy: SIXTH CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE VIENNA CONVENTION and 14TH MEETING OF THE PARTIES TO THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL ON OZONE-DEPLETING SUBSTANCES. For further information, contact: Ozone Secretariat; tel: (254-2) 62 3850 or 62 1234; fax: 62 3601 or 62-3913; Internet: http://www.unep.org/ozone/mop/14mop/14mop.shtml
26 November, University of Leuven, Belgium: SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GLOBALISATION. This year’s conference will examine the two following questions: How can we counterbalance the fast-moving one-sided economic globalisation process? What are the ethical, social and ecological conditions to make globalisation work for everyone? How do we evaluate the results so far of the Doha Development Agenda? For further information, contact: email: information@globalisationdebate.be; Internet: http://www.globalisationdebate.be.
26 November, Amsterdam, Netherlands: LINKAGES - HOW DO WE BRIDGE THE GAP ON TRADE, ENVIRONMENT AND LABOUR. For further information, contact: tel: (91 141) 207 482; fax: 207 486/203-9; e-mail: cuts@cuts.org; Internet: http://www.cuts.org/linkages-index.htm
6-7 December, Berlin, Germany: 2002 BERLIN CONFERENCE ON THE HUMAN DIMENSIONS OF GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE: This conference will discuss the theme "Knowledge for the Sustainability Transition: The Challenge for Social Science." For further information, contact: Sabine Campe; tel: 49 331 2882572; fax: 2882600; email: sabine.campe@pik-potsdam.de; Internet: http://www.fu-berlin.de/ffu/akumwelt/bc2002/index.htm
9-17 December, Geneva, Switzerland: FOURTH SESSION OF THE WIPO INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND GENETIC RESOURCES, TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND FOLKLORE. For further information, contact WIPO; tel: 41 22 338-9111; email: WIPO.mail@wipo.int.