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 five weeks
10 January 2005, Copenhagen, Demark: SEMINAR ON COMMODITY TRADE AND THE ELUSIVE PROMISE OF DEVELOPMENT. This seminar is organised by the Danish Institute of International Studies (DIIS) as part of the ‘Trade Mondays’ series where a seminar is held once a month on issues pertaining to the WTO, trade and development. This seminar will feature Stefano Ponte and Peter Gibbon of DIIS as well as other speakers. For further information contact Stefano Ponte, tel: +45 3269 87 10; fax: +45 3269 8800; email: spo@diis.dk; Internet: http://www.diis.dk
13-14 January 2005, New York, US: CLIMATE CHANGE RISKS & OPPORTUNITIES: LEARNING FROM THE LEADERS. This conference, organised by the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) of the of the Hermann von Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, will bring together leaders of the corporate, financial and legal sectors together with some of the world’s foremost experts on climate change policy to discuss the legal and practical implications of the problem for US businesses. For further information contact Robyn Stewart, Center for Economic and Environmental Partnership, tel: +1 518 432 6400; email: robyn@ceepinc.org; Internet: http://www.itas.fzk.de/veranstaltung/000416.htm
10-14 January 2005, Port Louis, Mauritius: INTERNATIONAL MEETING FOR THE 10-YEAR REVIEW OF THE BARBADOS PROGRAMME OF ACTION (BPoA) FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES (SIDS). The United Nations conference will discuss recommendations for further and successful implementation of the BPoA, which sets forth specific actions and measures at the national, regional, and international levels in support of the sustainable development of the SIDS. For further information contact the Small Island Developing States Unit, Division for Sustainable Development, email: mauritius2004@sidsnet.org, Internet: http://www.un.org/smallislands2005/.
17 January - 13 February 2005, Online: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN DECISION-MAKING REGARDING GMOS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: HOW TO EFFECTIVELY INVOLVE RURAL PEOPLE. This online forum is the 12th organised by the FAO with the aim of providing quality balanced information on agricultural biotechnology in developing countries and to make a neutral platform available for people to exchange views and experiences on this subject. For further information contact the FAO, email: mailserv@mailserv.fao.org; Internet: http://www.fao.org/biotech/forum.asp
24-28 January 2005, Paris, France: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BIODIVERSITY: SCIENCE AND GOVERNANCE. This conference is sponsored by UNESCO and organised by the French Ministry of Research and New Technologies. The Conference aims to contribute to and strengthen the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, other relevant international conventions, international organisations and programmes, including through enhancing public opinion about scientific and social issues connected to biodiversity. The debate will highlight the link between biodiversity and sustainable development, poverty alleviation, and the Millennium Development Goals. For further information contact the conference secretariat, email: biodiv2005paris@recherché.gouv.fr; Internet: http://www.recherché.gouv.fr/biodiv2005paris/en/index.htm
31 January - 5 February 2005, The Hague, the Netherlands: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WATER FOR FOOD AND ECOSYSTEMS. Organised by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Government of the Netherlands, this conference will provide a high-level platform to help governments identify management practices, share practical lessons learned and determine the enabling environment for harmonizing food production and ecosystem management with a view to implementing internationally-agreed commitments. For further information contact Mathieu Pinkers, e-mail: m.j.h.p.pinkers@minlnv.nl; Internet: http://www.fao.org/ag/wfe2005/
1-4 February 2005, Gland, Switzerland: 12TH MEETING OF THE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL REVIEW PANEL (STRP) OF THE RAMSAR CONVENTION. The Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. The 12th meeting of the STRP will review the draft "Ramsar Synthesis Report" being prepared as part of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment’s contribution to the Ramsar Convention. It is anticipated that the draft of this report will become available for review in early December 2004. For further information contact the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, tel: +41 22 999 0170; fax: +44 22 999 0169; email: ramsar@ramsar.org; Internet: http://ramsar.org/w.n.strp-datechange.htm