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
6 November, Nairobi, Kenya: TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE BIOENERGY STRATEGY: THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE. This event, organised by ICTSD as a side event at the UNFCCC COP-12, aims to generate innovative thinking and engage key stakeholders in addressing the vast range of opportunities and challenges associated with harnessing the potential of bioenergy in a sustainable manner. Participants will assess sustainability challenges and try to identify viable solutions for harnessing the potential of bioenergy as a means of enhancing access to cleaner energy, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and contributing to income generation for improving rural livelihoods. For more information, contact Gueye Kamal, e-mail: gkamal@ictsd.ch; tel: +41 22 917 8754; fax: +41 22 917 8093.
15 November, Nairobi, Kenya: SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TRANSITION, CLIMATE CHANGE AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE: STRENGTHENING THE POLICY AGENDA - BROADENING THE CONSTITUENCY. Organised by ICTSD and the Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea, Italy, as a side event at the UNFCCC COP-12. Participants will examine ways in which the international trade system could better support the implementation of domestic and international measures for mitigation and adaptation to climate change as well as policies and initiatives towards a sustainable energy transition. Discussions will revolve around the following issues: The geopolitics of energy and trade - WTO rules and agreements and their relevance to energy; Energy efficiency standards - relevance to climate change and international trade implications; Liberalisation of environmental goods and services - significance for climate change mitigation; Potential implications of a reform of subsidies for non-renewable and renewable energies, including bioenergy. For more information, contact Gueye Kamal, e-mail: gkamal@ictsd.ch; tel: +41 22 917 8754; fax: +41 22 917 8093; internet: http://www.ictsd.org/dlogue/2006-11-15/2006-11-15-desc.htm.
Coming up in the next two weeks
6-8 November, Prague, Czech Republic: SYMPOSIUM ON ILLEGAL INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC IN HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS AND WASTE. The objective of the symposium is to share information and experience from different regions on the size of illegal international trade of hazardous chemicals and wastes, the adverse effects of this on human health and the environment and to take stock of and evaluate existing measures to address illegal traffic. For further information, see http://www.chem.unep.ch/unepsaicm/default.html.
6-10 November, Mar del Plata, Argentina: CODEX COMMITTEE ON FOOD IMPORT AND EXPORT INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION SYSTEMS. For more information see internet: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/current.jsp.
6-17 November, Nairobi, Kenya: TWELFTH CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE UNFCCC AND SECOND MEETING OF THE PARTIES TO THE KYOTO PROTOCOL. UNFCCC COP 12 and Kyoto Protocol COP/MOP 2 will also coincide with the 25th meetings of the UNFCCC’s subsidiary bodies. For more information, contact UNFCCC Secretariat; tel: (+49) 228 815 1000; fax: (+49) 228 815 1999; e-mail: secretariat@unfccc.int; internet: http://www.unfccc.int.
7-10 November, Rome, Italy: FAO PANEL EXPERTS ON PESTICIDE MANAGEMENT. Issues on the agenda include collaboration on pesticide management with other UN agencies, development of international environmental indicators of pesticide use and the review of draft guidelines on, inter alia, pesticide labelling. For more information see internet: http://www.fao.org/ag/agp/agpp/pesticid/Code/Download/Agenda06.pdf.
9-10 October, 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.
13-15 November, Bangkok, Thailand: INTEGRATED POLICIES FOR BIO-INNOVATIONS IN AGRICULTURE AND HEALTH IN ASIA. The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) will host this workshop supported by the Rockefeller Foundation’s Southeast Asia Regional Office and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), a Canadian public corporation. The workshop will bring together researchers, non-governmental and community-based organizations, and policy-makers from countries in South, Southeast, and East Asia to: 1) critically examine existing policies on bio-innovations in the region; 2) identify existing research gaps; and 3) recommend a strategy for information sharing, learning across borders, and partnering in the region. For further information see internet: http://www.bioinnovationpolicies.ait.ac.th.
13-17 November, Rome, Italy: IPPC STANDARDS COMMITTEE WORKING GROUP. The Standards Committee (SC) was established by the Third Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (ICPM), in 2001. The SC manages the standard-setting process and assists in the development of International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) which have been identified by the ICPM as priority standards. For further information, contact the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat; tel: (39 06) 5705 4812; fax: (39 06) 5705 4819; e-mail: IPPC@fao.org; internet: https://www.ippc.int/servlet/CDSServlet?status=ND0xMzM1NS40MzExMSY2PWVuJjMzPWV2ZW50cyYzNz1pbmZv.
16-17 November, Terrassa, Spain: FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABILITY MEASUREMENT AND MODELING. This conference will be hosted by the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair in Sustainability. It will provide a forum for organisations, institutions and experts interested in sustainability measurement, modelling and evaluating issues to further integrate their knowledge and ideas. Dialogue will focus on the creation of measurements, models and evaluations for sustainable development. For more information, contact CIMNE; tel: (+34) 934 017 441; fax: (+34) 934 016 517; e-mail: icsmm@cimne.upc.edu; internet: http://congress.cimne.upc.es/icsmm06/frontal/default.asp.
Other Upcoming
20 November, Seoul, Korea: FAO/WHO REGIONAL WORKSHOP FOR ASIA ON FOOD SAFETY RISK COMMUNICATION. The purpose of this workshop is to provide information on the food safety risk communication within the framework of risk analysis, including information on definitions, food safety risk communication in the development of Codex standards, and application of risk analysis principles and guidelines. International and local case studies will be used to demonstrate their application in a national and regional context. For further information contact Masami Takeuchi, email:Masami.Takeuchi@fao.org.
20-22 November, Groningen, the Netherlands: CLIMATE AND ENERGY POLICY INTERACTIONS. This workshop, held during the second edition of Energy Convention Groningen, is intended to provide a synthesis of different approaches and methodologies of analysing interactions of energy and climate policy instruments. It will address research questions including how to combine different energy and climate policy instruments, define a proper design of combined policy instruments, and determine ex-ante the effects of combined policy instruments on the energy market as well as integrating top down and bottom up approaches of analyzing policy interactions. Discussion will be among policymakers, academics, researchers, companies and other stakeholders. For further information, contact Vlasis Oikonomou; tel: (31 20) 6625340; e-mail: v.oikonomou@rug.nl; internet: http://www.energyconvention.nl.
27 November to 1 December, Chiba, Japan. AD HOC INTERGOVERNMENTAL TASK FORCE ON FOOD DERIVED FROM BIOTECHNOLOGY. The Codex Alimentarius Commission’s Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived for Biotechnology will hold its sixth session, focusing on, inter alia: 1) a proposed draft guideline for the conduct of food safety assessment of foods derived from genetically modified (GM) animals; 2) a proposed draft annex to the guideline for the conduct of food safety assessment of foods derived from GM plants, which would deal specifically with food safety assessment of food derived from GM plants modified for nutritional or health benefits; and 3) a discussion paper on sanitary surveillance after placing on the market foods derived from biotechnology. For further information see http://www.codexalimentarius.net/download/report/675/bt06_01e.pdf.