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
8-15 November, Kampala, Uganda: 9TH ORDINARY MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE CONTRACTING PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON WETLANDS. The Conference of the Parties will review the work of the Convention, plan its the future activities, and advance wetland science and policy and management tools. The conference’s focus will be on the effective wetland management for poverty eradication, taking into consideration related priority actions found in Agenda 21, the UN Millennium Development Goals, and the Plan of Implementation adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. For further information contact Dwight Peck, tel: (+41 22) 999 0170; fax: 999 0169; email: peck@ramsar.org
15-18 November, Rome, Italy: AD HOC TECHNICAL EXPERT GROUP ON RISK ASSESSMENT UNDER THE CARTAGENA PROTOCOL ON BIOSAFETY. This meeting will look at existing approaches to risk assessment, whether they can and should be used within the Protocol’s regime of approvals of imports of living modified organisms and identification of areas in which capacity constraints can impact on the ability of countries to carry out an adequate biosafety risk assessment. For further information contact the CBD Secretariat, tel: +1 (514) 288-2220; fax: 288-6588; email: secretariat@biodiv.org
16-18 November, Berlin, Germany: SCOPING FOR A FUTURE AGREEMENT ON FORESTS. The objective of this country-led initiative in support of UNFF is to contribute to the preparations for UNFF-6. Drawing from the Chair’s text of UNFF-5, the meeting will provide an opportunity for experts to explore and develop further some of the concepts and ideas on the future of the International Arrangement on Forests (IAF). For further information contact Marika Schinkel-Kleinke, Capacity Building International (InWent), tel: (+49 178) 7160-667; fax: (+49 342) 0284-5777; email: marika.schinkel-kleinke@inwent.org
16-18 November, Mumbai, India: WORLD CONFERENCE ON DISASTER REDUCTION. This event will address the specific need of corporate sector involvement in disaster management. It comes as the follow up of the WCDR held at Kobe, where need to involve all stakeholders in the disaster mitigation tive will be to connect government agencies, corporate world, expert organisations, relief organisations, and the communities to discuss the crucial role they can play in mitigating human suffering wrought by disasters.
19-23 November, Manila, Philippines: 5TH INTERNATIONAL RICE GENETICS SYMPOSIUM. This Symposium, held every 5 years, will explore developments in rice genetics and their applications. It will be held jointly with the Third International Rice Functional Genomics Symposium, an annual event. World famous geneticists will deliver plenary lectures covering a wide range of topics from classical genetics to the most advanced research on gene isolation and functional genomics. The symposium will provide an important forum for reviewing the latest advances in rice research and for in-depth discussion and exchange of information on classical genetics and genomics. For further information contact, email: rg5@cgiar.org
19-26 November, Rome, Italy: FAO CONFERENCE 33RD SESSION. This Conference is the supreme governing body of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Comprising all 184 FAO Members (presently 183 States and one Member Organisation, the European Community) it meets in regular session every two years. Its main functions are to determine the policies of the organisation, approve the budget, and make recommendations to Members and international organisations on any mprocess was identified and enforced. This conference in November 2005 is aimed to identify sectors’ strengths and highlight the areas where they can create a difference. For further information contact, email: FAO-Conference@fao.org
24 November, London, UK: EUROPEAN EMISSIONS TRADING WORKSHOP: WHAT’S IN STORE IN PHASE II AND BEYOND. This event is organised by the British Energy Association. For further information contact Di Mammet, tel: (+44) 20- 8767-9744; fax: 8767-9744; email: BEAwec@aol.com
24 November, Geneva, Switzerland: INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON LINKAGES BETWEEN TRADE DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY REDUCTION. Organised by the Jaipur, India-based Consumer Unity and Trust Society Centre for International Trade, Economics & Environment (CUTS-CITEE) in association with the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service, the symposium will discuss stakeholder perceptions on linkages between trade, development and poverty. For further information contact Ms. Pooja Sharma and/or Mr. S. K. Soni, tel: (+91) 141-228-2821; fax: 228-2485; email: tdp@cuts-international.org
Other upcoming events
28 November, Montreal, Canada: ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, MEAS AND MARKET BASED APPROACHES. This United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) side event to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 11 and COP/MOP 1) aims to reassess the current status of market based mechanisms for ecosystem services, and identify ecosystem services that while serving the purposes of the CBD and UNFCCC, developing countries may have a market advantage in a liberalised market. For further information contact Rebecca Carter, tel: (+81) 45-221-2300; fax: 221-2302; email: carter@ias.unu.edu
1-2 December, Beirut, Lebanon: REGIONAL SEMINAR ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND COMPETITIVENESS OF THE AGRO-FOOD SECTOR. Some topics addressed at this UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia seminar include strategies for overcoming obstacles that are hindering the growth of the agro-food sector, ways of enhancing competitiveness through clusters and networks, safety and technical regulations, and labelling and marketing. For further information contact Issa Toubbeh, tel: (+ 961) 1-978117; fax: 981501; e-mail: toubbehi@un.org
14 December, Hong Kong, China: INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES AND TRADE LIBERALISATION. This event, organised by JF ZENGYOREN (the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations of Japan) and YUTAIKYO (the All Japan Seafood Import Consultative Group), will discuss necessary considerations for forthcoming trade rules with regard to ensuring the sustainable development of fisheries and fishing communities. For further information contact JF ZENGYOREN, tel: (+81) 3-3294-9617; fax: 3294-9602; e-mail: kokusai-sato@r6.dion.ne.jp.
23 January, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENT AND GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE. This seminar, coordinated by the Institute for Environmental Studies (Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam) and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Institute for Water Education (UNESCO-IHE), will address the issue of how multilateral agreements can be designed to foster sustainable development while also promoting and providing protection for investment. in the context of the Concerted Action on Trade and Environment (CAT&E). For further informaiton contact Kyla Tienhaara, tel: (+31) 20-598-8257; e-mail: kyla.tienhaara@ivm.falw.vn.nl.