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.
ICTSD Event
19 April, Helsinki, Finland: TRADE, AGRICULTURE AND IP: ISSUES IN THE LEAD-UP TO HONG KONG. This Dialogue, co-organised by the Finnish Parliament, ICTSD and the Finnish Service Centre for Development Cooperation (KEPA), will address the current phase of the Doha Round. The focus will be on trade issues of relevance to Finland that also have implications for the South and the trading system as whole. The conference will consider sugar reform as a case study of the conflicting interests at play in WTO agriculture negotiations. It will also showcase critical issues at the interface of intellectual property rights (IPRs), innovation and public interest research and development (R&D). To register, send an email to mia.nordlund@eduskunta.fi. For further information, visit http://www.ictsd.org/dlogue/2005-04-19/Helsinki%20Seminar.pdf.
Coming Up: 14 - 20 April
14-15 April, Aalborg, Denmark: 4TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE. The EURO Sustainability 2005 conference, organised by a broad range of representatives from international business, government, and non-governmental organisations, is focused on partnerships among business and all its stakeholders as a valid strategy for responsible behaviour, as well as achieving sustainable solutions and concrete results. The two-day conference features workshops on building solutions and opportunities, creating business commitment, financing business partnerships, and partnership models that work. For further information, contact the EURO Sustainability secretariat, tel: +45 9935 5555; fax: +45 9935 5533; email: ehe@akkc.dk; Internet: http://www.euro-environment.dk.
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.
14-15 April: WTO COMMITTEE ON SUBSIDIES AND COUNTERVAILING MEASURES.
15 April: WTO WORKING PARTY ON THE ACCESSION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.
18 April: WTO WORKING GROUP ON TRADE, DEBT AND FINANCE.
19 April: WTO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE - SPECIAL SESSION.
20 April: WTO DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BODY.
20-22 April: WTO PUBLIC SYMPOSIUM.
Other Upcoming Events
21 April, Geneva, Switzerland: IMPLEMENTING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS FROM THE DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE: PRESENTATION OF THE UNCTAD-ICTSD RESOURCE BOOK ON TRIPS AND DEVELOPMENT. This reception celebrates the publication of the UNCTAD-ICTSD Resource Book on TRIPS and Development. The Resource Book is conceived as a thorough guide to the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). It provides a detailed analysis of each provision of the Agreement, aiming at a sound understanding of WTO Members’ rights and obligations. It highlights the areas in which the treaty leaves leeway to Members for the pursuit of their own policy objectives according to their respective levels of development, and will be an indispensable tool to all those involved in the field of intellectual property and development. The reception will be held on 21 April 2005 from 18:00-21:00 in the restaurant on the top floor of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Avenue de la Paix 7bis, Geneva. For further information contact Andrew Stevenson, tel: + (41 22) 917-8492; email: astevenson@ictsd.ch; Internet: http://www.iprsonline.org.
26 April, Washington D.C., US: THE DRAGON GOES SHOPPING: A LOOK AT CHINA’S IMPORTS. The meeting, organised by the Global Business Dialogue (GBD) will take place from 8:30-10:00 a.m. at the St. Regis Hotel, 923 16th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. Price: $40 general admission. There is no charge for GBD members, US Government staff, or the press. To register, and for further information, contact Global Business Dialogue, tel: + (1 202) 463 5074; fax: (+1 202) 463 7075; email: registrations@gbdinc.org; Internet: http://www.gbdinc.org/main_html/events.htm.
26-27 April, London, UK: FOOD CROPS IN A CHANGING CLIMATE. Food crop production is inherently sensitive to climate and weather. Changes in both the mean and the variability of climate pose a threat to crop production globally. This meeting looks at how to forecast the impacts of climate variability and change on food crops, including the climatic aspects of food security in Africa. For further information contact The Royal Society, tel: (+44 20) 7451 2500; fax: (+44 20) 7930 2170; email: info@royalsoc.ac.uk; Internet: http://www.royalsociety.ac.uk/event.asp?id=2844&month=4,2005.
3 May, Geneva, Switzerland: TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD, THIRTY-SIXTH EXECUTIVE SESSION. This conference, organised by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, will discuss the outcome of the high-level meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Council with the Bretton Woods institutions, and the WTO, as well as discuss a possible contribution of the Board to the Millennium+5 Summit. For further information contact UNCTAD, tel: (+41 22) 917 5809; fax: (+41 22) 917 0051; email: meetings@unctad.org; Internet: http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Meeting.asp?intItemID=1942&lang=1&m=9942&year=2005&month=4.