EVENTS
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: 29 September - 5 October
29 September, Geneva, Switzerland: FORUM ON FOREST CERTIFICATION - DO GOVERNMENTS HAVE A ROLE? The UN Economic Commission for Europe and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) will host this policy forum, which will focus on whether governments should use forest certification to promote sustainable forest management and, if so, how and whether forest certification is an obstacle to international trade. For further information contact Cynthia De Castro, tel: (+41 22) 917-3254; fax: 917-0041; e-mail: cynthia.de.castro@unece.org; Internet: http://www.unece.org/trade/timber/docs/tc-sessions/tc-63/english/2005TC_Forum.pdf.
3-7 October, Nairobi, Kenya: THIRD WORLD CONGRESS ON CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE. Organised by the African Conservation Tillage Network, this conference aims to share experiences and lessons learned worldwide on the role of conservation agriculture in enhancing rural livelihoods in diverse environments. This is expected to contribute to enhancing the promotion and adoption of conservation agriculture as a means to concurrently ensure food security, economic benefits and global environmental benefits such as biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and cleaner international waters. For further information contact Martin Bwalya, tel: (+263) 4-882107; fax: (+263) 4-885596; email: actnetwork@africaonline.co.zw.
3-14 October, Geneva, Switzerland: TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD, FIFTY-SECOND SESSION. Organised by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The provisional agenda includes an examination of interdependence and global economic issues from a trade and development perspective, a review of progress in the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010 and a review of developments and issues in the WTO’s post-Doha work programme that are of particular concern to developing countries. For further information contact the UNCTAD secretariat, Intergovernmental Affairs and Outreach Service at tel: +41-22-917-5809; fax: +41-22-917-00-56; email: correspondence@unctad.org; Internet: http://www.unctad.org/Templates/meeting.asp?intItemID=2068&lang=1&m=9940.
5 October, Geneva, Switzerland: TOWARDS A NEW INTERNATIONAL REGIME FOR ACCESS TO GENETIC RESOURCES AND BENEFIT SHARING. This roundtable, organized by the Geneva Environment Network, will explore how to achieve a workable balance between equity and traditional knowledge on one hand, and intellectual property rights and commercial partnerships on the other. It will also discuss how the issue of access and benefit sharing is linked to international trade. Registration is required. For further information contact Fatma Gordon, tel: (+41) 22-917-8326; fax: (+41) 22-797-3464; email fatma.gordon@unep.ch.
WTO
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.
29 September: COMMITTEE ON BUDGET, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
29 September: SUB-COMMITTEE ON LEAST-DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
29-30 September: COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES - SPECIAL SESSION
3 October: COMMITTEE ON MARKET ACCESS
3-4 October: WORKING GROUP ON TRADE, DEBT AND FINANCE
3 October: WORKING PARTY ON THE ACCESSION OF YEMEN
4 October: NEGOTIATING GROUP ON RULES - REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS
5 October: TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY - TUNISIA
5-6 October COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT
Other Upcoming
31 October, Hanoi, Vietnam. INTERNATIONAL FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL TRADE POLICY COUNCIL SEMINAR. The seminar will be split into two main themes: issues in agricultural trade and the progression of multilateral negotiations, with specific attention to Vietnam’s accession to the WTO; and domestic issues including rural development, building local competitiveness into global value chains, and environmental concerns. The meeting will also highlight projects on sustainable agricultural production. There is a fee to attend this event. For further information contact Kyle Chapman, tel: (+1) 202-328-5117; fax: (+1) 202-328-5133; e-mail: agritrade@agritrade.org; Internet: http://www.agritrade.org/Plenary/Hanoi/Hanoi05.htm.
28 October, Paris, France. TRADE FOR DEVELOPMENT: THE FUTURE OF SPECIAL AND DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. This international conference is jointly organised by the trade policy unit of the Institut Français des Relations Internationales (IFRI) and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD). The conference will focus on two key topics: the future of non-reciprocal trade preferences and differentiation among developing countries under Special and Differential Treatment rules. Discussions will be in both English and French and are expected to contribute to public debate on the Doha Agenda in the months before the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference. For further information contact Anne-Sophie Novel, tel: (+33) (0)1-40-61-72-88; fax: (+33) (0)1-40-61-60-60; e-mail: novel@ifri.org; Internet: http://www.ifri.org/frontDispatcher/ifri/manifestations/interventions___l_ext_rieur_1031842993962/publi_P_manif_eco_trade_and_dev________1127477193712?language=us.
16-18 November, Tunis, Tunisia. THE WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY - PHASE TWO. This event is the second phase of a two-part summit endorsed by the UN General Assembly in December 2001 to create a global discussion on the digital revolution and the ever-widening digital divide and related development gap between rich and poor. Phase Two in Tunis will allow working groups to build upon the achievements of the Phase One in Geneva, Switzerland (December 2003) and take measures to bridge the digital divide and hasten the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. For further information contact the World Summit on the Information Society Executive Secretariat, tel: (+41) 22-730-6317; fax: (+41) 22-730-6393; email: wsis@itu.int; Internet: www.itu.int/wsis.
18 November, Bern, Switzerland: ACCESS TO PHARMACEUTICALS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: SOCIAL, LEGAL AND ECONOMIC ASPECTS. This conference is jointly organised by the World Trade Institute, the Institute of European and International Economic Law of the University of Berne and the Institute of Health Law of the University of Neuchâtel. The focus of the conference will be the economic and regulatory framework of international trade (WTO/WHO) and the challenges for the future in meeting global demands. Registration is requested. For further information contact Rachel Liechti, tel: (+41) 31-631-3487; fax: (+41) 31-631-3630; email:rachel.liechti@iew.unibe.ch; Internet: http://wti.org/gomenu.html?http://wti.org/conf/wticonferences.html.