For a more comprehensive list of events in trade and sustainable development, please refer to ICTSD’s web calendar at: http://www.ictsd.org/cal/index.htm. If you would like to submit an event, please email events@ictsd.ch.
Coming Up This Week: 16-22 January
13-17 January, Port Louis, Mauritius: AGOA SUMMIT. The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) mandates that a ministerial-level Forum and a parallel private sector session be held every year between the U.S. and the eligible beneficiary countries of sub-Saharan Africa. The Second U.S.-Sub-Saharan African Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum includes a government meeting, private sector workshop, trade exhibition and NGO forum. The ministerial sessions will focus on trade, conditions for investment, and investing in people. For more information on the summit visit: http://www.agoa.mu/ .
13-17 January, Bangkok, Thailand: TECHNICAL CONSULTATION ON BIOLOGICAL RISK MANAGEMENT IN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE. Organised by UN FAO. For further information, contact: Ms. Ezzeddine Boutrif, FAO Food Quality and Standards Service, tel: (39 6) 5705 6156; fax: 57054593; email: ezzeddine.boutrif@fao.org ; Internet: http://www.fao.org .
21 January, Tokyo, Japan: PUBLIC FORUM ON INTER-LINKAGES - ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE IN 14 ASIAN AND PACIFIC COUNTRIES. This public forum will present results and outline future prospects and follow-up activities derived from national and regional case studies on environmental governance undertaken in Asia and the Pacific by UNU and its partners in 2001 and 2002 under the inter-linkages initiative, which aims to promote opportunities for effective and efficient implementation at national and regional levels of sustainable development instruments, particularly multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). For further information visit: http://www.unu.edu/hq/rector_office/press2002/pre54-02.html .
21-23 January, Pretoria, South Africa: INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON WATER, POVERTY, AND PRODUCTIVE USES OF WATER AT THE HOUSEHOLD LEVEL. This international symposium focuses on practical experience, new research, and policy implications from innovative approaches to the provision and use of household water supplies. For further information on the symposium visit: http://www.irc.nl/themes/management/prodwat/index.html .
WTO Events
An updated list of forthcoming WTO meetings is posted at: http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/meets.pdf . 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. Unless otherwise indicated, all WTO meetings are held at the WTO, Centre William Rappard, rue de Lausanne 154, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
15 & 17 January, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY - MALDIVES.
17 January, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK STEERING COMMITTEE.
17 January, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO INFORMAL MEETING OF THE SPECIAL SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT.
22 & 24 January, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO SPECIAL SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE.
Other Forthcoming Events
23-28 January, Porto Alegre, Brazil: WORLD SOCIAL FORUM (WSF). This year’s WSF focuses on five themes: democratic sustainable development; principles and values, human rights, diversity and equality, media, culture and counter-hegemony; political power, civil society and democracy; and emocratic world order, fight against militarism and promoting peace. For more information visit: http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/home.asp .
23-27 January, Davos, Switzerland: THE PUBLIC EYE ON DAVOS 2003. At the occasion of the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), the international NGO-coalition “The Public Eye on Davos” organises an independent conference in Davos. NGO experts, academics and political representatives from the global North and South will provide a critical analysis of corporate-driven globalisation and present alternatives towards more equitable and sustainable world economic policies. Session topics include: corporate accountability - binding rules for big business; corporate PR strategies; the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline; impacts of globalisation on Switzerland - cutbacks in public services?; and window to the World Social Forum; globalization and labour rights. For further information visit: http://www.evb.ch/index.cfm?page_id=1772 .
13-14 February, Geneva, Switzerland: UNEP WORKSHOP FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FRAMEWORK FOR STRATEGIC INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT. UNEP is establishing a Working Group to develop a framework for integrated assessment and to help guide 8 country projects to test the framework. The objective of workshop, which launches the project, is to review and provide input to the preparation of the framework and agree on a road map for the testing of the framework and selection and implementation of country projects. For further information on the workshop visit: http://www.unep.ch/etu/etp/events/Integrated%20Assessment/Feb2003.htm .
17-18 February, Geneva, Switzerland: THIRD UNEP WORKING GROUP MEETING ON ECONOMIC INSTRUMENTS. At this workshop, participants will discuss two papers on “Opportunities, Prospects and Challenges for the Use of Economic Instruments in Environmental Policy Making” and, “The Use of Economic instruments to Implement Selected Multilateral Environmental Agreements”. For further information on the workshop visit: http://www.unep.ch/etu/etp/events/Economic_Instruments/2003_17Feb.htm .
19-20 February, Geneva, Switzerland: UNEP MEETING ON THE INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT OF TRADE LIBERALISATION IN THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR. This meeting will review UNEP country projects on trade liberalisation in the agricultural sector, as well as a Reference Manual for the Integrated Assessment of Trade-Related Policies for the Agriculture Sector. For further information on this meeting visit: http://www.unep.ch/etu/etp/events/Agriculture/2003_19Feb.htm .