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 events@ictsd.ch.
Coming Up: 5 - 11 June
26 May - 6 June, Geneva, Switzerland: THIRD SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS FORUM ON FORESTS (UNFF-3). Delegates will discuss a variety of issues, including: means of implementation; progress in implementation, specifically related to economic aspects of forests, forest health and productivity, and maintaining forest cover to meet present and future needs; and common items. For further information, contact: Mia Soderlund, UNFF Secretariat, tel: (212) 963-3262, fax: 963-4260, email: unff@un.org, Internet: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/forests.htm.
2-5 June, Brussels, Belgium: EUROPEAN GREEN WEEK CONFERENCE. The European Commission’s Environment Directorate-General is sponsoring a "Green Week" conference aimed at bringing together local, regional and national decision-makers, as well as environmental stakeholders including companies, industry associations and non-governmental organisations. Key environmental issues to be discussed include sustainable consumption and production, renewable energy, climate change and water. For further information, contact: EC/EDG; fax: +32-2- 29-69560; e-mail: mailto:env-greenweek@cec.eu.int; Internet: http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/greenweek/index_en.htm.
4-6 June, Montreal, Canada: INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONGRESS (IEDC). The conference, entitled "Global Alliances," will bring competitors together and document the successes of those businesses that have achieved economic development. It will also provide current perspectives on the EU, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Europe, and the Pacific Rim. For more information, please visit: http://www.iedconline.org/InternationalCongress/index.html.
5 June: WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY. Under the heading "Water - Two Billion People are Dying for it!" the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is organising the annual World Environment Day, with activities all over the globe to stimulate awareness and enhance political action and attention. For further information contact: Elisabeth Guilbaud-Cox, UNEP; tel (+254 20) 623401/623128; fax 623692/623927; email: elisabeth.guilbaud-cox@unep.org; Internet: http://www.unep.org/wed/2003/about.htm.
5-7 June, Raipur, India: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON REGIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE AND AGRICULTURE. Organised by the Indira Gandhi Agricultura University. For further information, contact: email: asastri@yahoo.com.
6 June, London, UK: FINANCIAL & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS IN THE WTO. This event will focus on WTO services negotiations, including Members’ initial "offers" currently being submitted, which outline in which areas of services trade they are prepared to undertake new market- opening commitments to the benefit of foreign services firms. Participants will consider the prospects for the forthcoming WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancun, Mexico, and whether the Doha development round of WTO negotiations will be brought to a successful conclusion by the agreed deadline of 1 January 2005. Speakers will discuss their industries’ objectives and assess the value of the liberalisation offers that have been put on the table thus far. For further information visit: http://www.jus.uio.no/lm/cm.conferences/wto_fpsn_2003.html.
10-12 June, Carillo Puerto, Mexico: ZONA MAYA MEETING IN PREPARATION FOR CANCUN.The International Forum on Globalization (IFG) and the Organization of Communal Forest Producers of the Zona Maya (OEPFZM) are organising a meeting to prepare for the upcoming WTO Ministerial in Cancun, Mexico. The meeting’s agenda will focus on two objectives: to deepen the understanding among forest groups of the potential impacts of WTO on forests and to explore what can be done to impact WTO decisions in Cancun. To better know the emerging alternatives, and truly comprehend "what’s at stake," a visit to at least one forest community that has been FSC-certified will be organised. For further information contact Victor Menotti, IFG, tel: +1-415-561-3482; email: vmenotti@ifg.org.
10-13 June, St. Gallen/Geneva, Switzerland: MODEL WTO 2003. Hosted by Oikos, a University of St. Gallen student group, this simulation game is a model of the negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO). Students are encouraged to apply. Please visit: http://www.model- wto.org/.
11 June, Brussels, Belgium: WORKSHOP ON BEST PRACTICES FOR SETTING VOLUNTARY STANDARDS. The ISEAL Alliance invites participation in a workshop to further develop a Code of Good Practice for Voluntary Standard-Setting Procedures. Building on ISEAL’s public consultation currently underway, this interactive workshop seeks to strengthen the credibility of voluntary standards by improving the way they are developed and applied. For more information contact Abra Brynne, ISEAL Outreach Coordinator, email: secretariat@isealalliance.org; Internet: http://www.isealalliance.org/events/index.htm.
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.
4-6 June, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO COUNCIL FOR TRADE-RELATED ASPECTS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS.
5-6 June, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO WORKING GROUP ON TRADE, DEBT AND FINANCE.
10 June, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO TRADE NEGOTIATIONS COMMITTEE.
10-12 June, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO WORKING GROUP ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRADE AND INVESTMENT.
11 June, Geneva, Switzerland: WTO NEGOTIATING GROUP ON RULES - REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS.
Other forthcoming meetings
23-27 June, Trondheim, Norway: FOURTH TRONDHEIM CONFERENCE ON BIODIVERSITY. Technology transfer and capacity building are to be major themes of the seventh Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biodiversity in 2004. One aim of the Trondheim Conference on Technology Transfer and Capacity Building, focusing on biodiversity, will be to provide input to that discussion and the discussions at the SBSTTA- meeting in November 2003, while also supporting the work of UNEP and its Intergovernmental Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity Building to Developing Countries. For further information contact the Trondheim Conference organisers; tel: (+47 22) 24 5700; fax: (+47 73) 801401; email: laila.saksgard@nina.no; Internet: http://www.biodiv.org/doc/meetings/abs/abswscb-01/other/abswscb-01- norway-en.pdf.
11 June, Montreal, Canada: INVESTMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: MEETING THE HUMAN RIGHTS CHALLENGE. This fifth annual Think Tank on international human rights and democratic development will focus on the topic of investment and human rights in developing countries. The areas of discussion will include: the business of resource extraction; investment in the North American Free Trade Agreement and bilateral investment agreements; and multilateral debates around investment and the right to development. For further information, please contact Lucie Léveillé or Steve Smith, tel: +1 (514) 283-6073; Internet: http://www.ichrdd.ca.
11-13 June, Durban, South Africa: AFRICA ECONOMIC SUMMIT 2003. The World Economic Forum’s Africa Economic Summit will gather leaders from business, politics and civil society. The Summit will focus on economic targets and enable the creation of new partnerships aimed at fostering development. For further information, please contact World Economic Forum; +41-22-869-1212; fax: +41-22-786-2744; e-mail: africasummit@weforum.org; Internet: http://www.weforum.org/site/homepublic.nsf/Content/Africa+Economic+Summi t+2003.
26 June, London, England: TRADE, GATS & THE ENVIRONMENT - THREATS & OPPORTUNITIES. Manchester City Council will sponsor this forum. Participants will address key social and environmental issues and challenges related to GATS and sustainable development with a view to the forthcoming WTO Ministerial Conference. The forum will also seek to answer some specific questions regarding water and education. For further information contact Sian Slater, tel: +44 (0)20 7089 4300; fax: +44 (0)20 7089 4310; Internet: http://www.stakeholderforum.org and http://www.earthsummit2002.org.