For a more comprehensive list of events in trade and sustainable development, please refer to ICTSD’s web calendar. If you would like to submit an event, please email us.
Coming Up: 27 January - 2 February
24 January - 4 March: WTO E-TRAINING COURSE FOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. The WTO e-training program is offering a six-week online course for 61 government officials from developing countries from January 24 to March 4 2005. The course, entitled "Introduction to the WTO and its Basic Principles," will be held in English. The objective of the course is to familiarize participants with the World Trade Organization, the multilateral trading system and its legal framework. For further information contact the WTO, tel: + 41 (0)22 739 51 11; fax: +41 (0)22 731 42 06; email: enquiries@wto.org; Internet: http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/devel_e/train_e/train_e.htm
26-28 January, Amsterdam, the Netherlands: SUMMIT FOR THE FUTURE. This conference is organised by the Club of Amsterdam, an independent, international think-tank that organises regular high-level discussions on ‘preferred futures’. Is globalisation the single biggest factor affecting our visions and strategies for 2020? Is it a threat to the fabric of society - or are those who do not join the people we should be keeping an eye on? The conference will examine the movement of knowledge centres around the world. The trade stream of the conference will examine trade in services, the WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), and knowledge exchange in detail. For further information contact the Club of Amsterdam, tel: +31-20-615 4487; fax: +31-20-408 0733; email: summit2005@clubofamsterdam.com; Internet: http://www.clubofamsterdam.com/press.asp?contentid=373&catid=61
28 January, Paris, France: THE DEVELOPMENT DIMENSIONS OF AFRICAN COTTON. Organised by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as a contribution to the follow-up of the WTO African Regional Workshop on Cotton held in Cotonou, Benin, in March 2004, this meeting aims to bring together key stakeholders from bilateral donor agencies; multilateral agencies and international financial institutions; regional organisations and development banks; representatives of African countries involved in cotton production and trade; African producer association and private sector representatives; the WTO Secretariat; and WTO agriculture negotiations chair Ambassador Tim Groser of New Zealand . It aims to examine whether cotton is appropriately reflected in the development policies and poverty reduction strategies of African countries, share information on emerging approaches to development assistance programmes and discuss how to increase aid effectiveness. For further information contact Ebba Dohlman, tel: 33 (0) 1 45 24 98 48; email: ebba.dohlman@oecd.org; Internet: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/40/2/34034557.pdf
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, and are open to WTO Members and accredited observers only.
27 January: TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY - JAPAN.
31 January: NEGOTIATING GROUP ON MARKET ACCESS.
1 - 4 February: NEGOTIATING GROUP ON MARKET ACCESS.
Other Upcoming Events
14-18 February, Geneva, Switzerland: SECOND SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE FOR THE NEGOTIATION OF A SUCCESSOR AGREEMENT TO THE INTERNATIONAL TROPICAL TIMBER AGREEMENT, 1994. This meeting is organised by UNCTAD and seeks to create a second agreement to strike a balance between trade in tropical timber and the conservation and protection of natural forests from destruction, degradation and excision, thereby acting as a driver of sustainable development by providing valuable foreign exchange and supporting environmental goals. For further information contact UNCTAD Secretariat, Intergovernmental Affairs and Outreach Service, tel: 41-22-917-5809; fax: 41-22-917-5809; email: correspondence@unctad.org; Internet: http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Meeting.asp?intItemID=3322&lang=1
7-8 March, New York City, United States: MULTI-STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION ON "SOVEREIGN DEBT FOR SUSTAINED DEVELOPMENT: ISSUES FOR COUNTRIES THAT ACCESS FINANCIAL MARKETS". This consultation is organised by the Financing for Development Office, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in cooperation with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, UNCTAD, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and is part of the follow-up process to the International Conference on Financing for Development. It will comprise a series of informal meetings, including panel discussions and interactive round tables, with the participation of experts private sector, the UN, academia and civil society. For further information contact the Financing for Development Office, tel: 1-212-963-2587; fax: 1-212-963-0443; email: ffdoffice@un.org; Internet: http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/09multi-stake-consul-flyer-debt.htm