For a more comprehensive list of events in trade and sustainable development, please refer to ICTSD’s web calendar..
Coming Up This Week
1-4 December, Pretoria, South Africa: FAO EXPERT CONSULTATION ON TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT AND TRANSFER. For further information visit the FAO calendar at http:// www.fao.org/events/index.asp.
4-5 December, Calcutta, India: CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP: MEETING THE CHALLENGES. This conference, organised by the Centre for Social Markets, will bring together senior figures from business and industry, finance, media, government and NGOs for open discussion. For further information contact: Malini Mehra, Director, Centre for Social Markets; tel: (44-20) 7407-7625; fax: 7407-7082; email: info4csm@aol.com; Internet: http://www.csmworld.org.
5 December, Geneva, Switzerland: UNEP/GEF BIOSAFETY PROJECT: A BRIEFING ON GOALS AND ACTIVITIES. The UNEP/GEF Biosafety Project will host this meeting to promote regional and sub-regional collaboration on issues relevant to developing countries’ national biosafety frameworks. For further information contact: The International Environment House; tel: (41-22) 917-8505; fax: 797- 3464; email: info@environmenthouse.ch; Internet: http://www.environmenthouse.ch.
7-8 December 2001 in Berlin, Germany: 2001 BERLIN CONFERENCE ON THE HUMAN DIMENSIONS OF GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE. Entitled "Global Environmental Change and the Nation State," the conference will examine the interlinkages between global and national environmental politics, and look at new forms of global environmental governance that link global institutions with a significant degree of national decision- making. For further information visit: http:// www.environmental- policy.de. From IISD Linkages: http://www.iisd.ca/linkages/journal/.
10-13 December, New York, US: UNITAR/WTO WORKSHOP ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS. Jointly organised by the UN Institute for Training and Research and the WTO as part of their International Trade Series, the workshop will focus on a debriefing of the Fourth Ministerial Conference held in Doha from 9-14 November. Intended for Permanent Mission Representatives in NYC. For further information contact: Cecelia Coleman, New York; tel: (1-212) 963-9196/9196.
10-14 December, Geneva, Switzerland: WIPO SECOND SESSION OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND GENETIC RESOURCES, TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND FOLKLORE. The following are on the agenda for this meeting: "Accreditation of certain Non-Governmental Organizations," "Operational Principles for Contractual Agreements Concerning Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit- Sharing," "Traditional Knowledge" which includes a review of current IPR protection, Folklore, and Future Work. For further information contact: WIPO Secretariat, tel: (41 22) 338-9428; email: francis.gurry@wipo.int; Internet: http://www.wipo.int/eng/meetings/2001/igc/index_2.htm.
20-21 December, Dakar, Senegal: ECOWAS SUMMIT. Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States will assess progress made in the implementation of integration programmes and designate the definitive host countries for ECOWAS’ nascent parliament and court of justice. For further information contact ECOWAS Secretariat, Abuja, Nigeria; tel: (234) (9) 31 47 647-9; fax: 31 43 005, 31 47 646; email: info@ecowasmail.net; Internet: http://www.ecowas.int/.
WTO
An updated list of forthcoming WTO meetings is posted at: http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/ meets.doc. 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. For further information on WTO events contact: WTO Information and Media Relations Division, Geneva; tel: (41-22) 739- 5007; fax: 739-5458; email: enquiries@wto.org.
3-5 December, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE: INFORMAL SPECIAL SESSION (For details see WTO In Brief, this issue).
3-6 December, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES: SPECIAL SESSION.
4 December, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS.
5 December, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BODY.
6 December, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE: REGULAR SESSION.
7 December, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE: FORMAL SPECIAL SESSION.
7 December, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ANTI-DUMPING PRACTICES.
10 December, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BODY
10-12 December, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO TEXTILES MONITORING BODY
12 December, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO COMMITTEE ON BALANCE OF PAYMENTS - BANGLADESH.
18 December, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BODY.
19-20 December, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO GENERAL COUNCIL.
Other Forthcoming
28-29 January 2002, Midrand, South Africa: UNEP FI REGIONAL OUTREACH EVENT - AFRICA. Organised by the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiatives (UNEP FI). The conference aims to address the role of the African financial sector in the progression of sustainable development. The objective of the conference is to highlight and encourage the active participation of diverse African financial institutions within the dynamics of sustainability. For further information contact Niamh O’ Sullivan, UNEP FI, Geneva, Switzerland; tel: (41-22) 917-8178; fax: 917 8076; email: niamh.o.sullivan@unep.ch; Internet: http://www.unepfi.net/africa.
31 January - 4 February 2002, New York, USA: WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM ANNUAL MEETING 2002. For the first time in its 31-year history, the World Economic Forum will conduct its Annual Meeting outside of Davos, Switzerland. Experts, business and political leaders will gather for next year’s annual meeting to address key economic, political and societal issues. For more information contact: Charles McLean, Communications and Public Affairs; email: public.affairs@weforum.org; Internet: http://www.weforum.org/site/homepublic.nsf/Content/Annual+Meeting+2002. From IISD Linkages: http://www.iisd.ca/linkages/journal/.
7-8 February 2002 in Paris, France: CONFERENCE ON FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT AND ENVIRONMENT. Organised by the OECD, the conference aims to shed light on the broader linkages between FDI and the environment in the mining sector, an important sector for the economy in many developing countries, and where environmental concerns have frequently been voiced. For further information visit: http://www.oecd.org/oecd/pages/home/displaygeneral/0,3380,EN- document- 0-nodirectorate-no-20-21276-0,FF.html. From IISD Linkages: http://www.iisd.ca/linkages/journal/.
12-21 February 2002, New York, US: 40TH SESSION OF THE UN COMMISSION FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. At its 40th session, the Commission for Social Development will focus on the ‘Integration of social and economic policy.’ Key topics to be discussed include: social aspects of macro- economic policies, social assessment as a policy tool, and expenditures in the social sector as a productive factor. For further information, contact: ESA Secretariat, email: esa@un.org; Internet: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/csd/2002.htm.
8-26 April, The Hague, Netherlands: SIXTH MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES (COP-6) & FIRST MEETING OF THE PARTIES TO THE CARTAGENA PROTOCOL ON BIOSAFETY (MOP1). For further information contact: CBD Secretariat, Montreal; tel: (514) 288- 2220; fax: 288-6588; email: secretariat@biodiv.org; Internet: http://www.biodiv.org.