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4 March, Geneva, Switzerland. UNEP GC/GMEF 11TH SPECIAL SESSION AND BASEL, ROTTERDAM AND STOCKHOLM CONVENTIONS EXCOPS BRIEFING. The eleventh special session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC/GMEF) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) took place in Bali, Indonesia, from 24 to 26 February 2010. The simultaneous extraordinary meetings of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions were held prior to the eleventh special session, on 22 and 23 February, with a resumed decision making session on the morning of 24 February International Environment House II is hosting a morning briefing on the outcome and the decisions taken at UNEP GC/GMEF Special Session and the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions ExCOPs. For further information, please visit http://www.environmenthouse.ch/#.
8 March, Washington DC, US. TRADE CAPACITY BUILDING. As a part of the Washington International Trade Association’s Professional Development Series, this seminar focuses on building the capacity of developing nations to play a more active role in and have greater responsibilities with respect to the international trading system. In particular, the seminar aims to discuss what role US businesses can play and to whom they turn for information. Speakers will include Jeri Jensen, Managing Director for Private Sector Initiatives, Millennium Challenge Corporation, as well as speakers from the World Bank, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and industry. For more information, please visit http://www.wita.org/ht/display/EventDetails/i/43169/pid/317 or contact: tel.: +1 202 312 1600; email: events@wita.org.
8 March, Geneva, Switzerland. SOURCING FROM WOMEN-OWNED ENTERPRISES: ETHICS OR ECONOMICS? Women-owned enterprises make a significant contribution to the economy, yet the incidence of cross border trade for such businesses is limited and can be hampered by unequal access to the resources and opportunities necessary to trade - for example, transport, finance and training. This panel discussion will focus on what efforts are being made to diversify supply chains to include sourcing from women owned enterprises. Panelists will explore policy perspectives - both in terms of government procurement and corporate procurement - and explore the challenges and benefits experienced by women owned small and medium-sized enterprises. For more information, or to register, please visit http://www.gwit.ch/component/option,com_events/task,view_detail/agid,184/year,2010/month,03/day,08/Itemid,1/
9 March, London, UK. THE POLITICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. Climate change is an issue quite unlike any other we have to cope with on a global level, since it is about future risk and filtered through the findings of science, making it largely inaccessible to the layperson. At this event hosted by Chatham House, Lord Giddens, Professor Emeritus of the London School of Economics, will ask how the international community can create an effective approach to containing the dangers facing it, in a world which in his view lacks effective institutions of global governance and where the public in many countries is unconvinced of the urgency of the situation. For further information, please visit http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/1460/ or contact: tel.: +44 (0)20 7314 3636.
WTO Events
An updated list of forthcoming WTO meetings is posted at http://www.wto.org/meets_public/meets_e.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.
3 March: Committee on Government Procurement
4 March: WTO Introduction Day
4 March: Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights - Special Session
5 March: Working Party on the Accession of Serbia
8 + 12 March: Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation (followed by Inf.)
10 March: Committee on Agriculture
Other upcoming events
15-17 March, Amsterdam, Netherlands. WORLD BIOFUELS MARKETS. Over 230 leaders of the biofuels industry will share their expertise on all aspects of the biofuels value chain during three days of interactive conference sessions. In addition, time will be provided for networking. Sessions will be held on: Biofuels and Developing Countries; Biofuels Standards; Biofuels, Downstream and Trading; and Biofuels Adoption, among other topics. Keynote speakers will include Gro Harlem Bruntland, former Prime Minister of Norway and UN Special Envoy for Climate Change; Philip New, CEO of BP Biofuels; and Nobua Tanuko, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency. For more information, please see http://www.worldbiofuelsmarkets.com/index.html.
18 March, London, UK. GLOBAL FINANCIAL SERVICES: THE IMPACT OF REGULATION ON COMPETITIVENESS. As the global financial crisis shows early signs of receding, this is a key moment to ask what will be the likely future shape and structure of financial services firms. If moves to regulate the industry more tightly are successful, what impact will this have on financial firms’ ability to do business? At this event sponsored by Chatham House, policymakers and financial services industry leaders from the major economies will discuss the role, structure and regulation of the financial services industry, and which forums, mechanisms and institutions will be effective in restoring confidence in its activities. For more information, please see http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/gfs/.
13 April, Washington DC, US. THE 2010 CONGRESSIONAL TRADE AGENDA. At this annual event hosted by the Washington International Trade Association, prominent US Congressional trade leaders will share their views on trade issues. This is an off-the-record discussion of the trade issues which Congress may address in the upcoming year. Speakers will include Viji Rangaswami, Staff Director, Trade Subcommittee (Majority), House Ways and Means Committee; Angela Ellard, Chief Trade Counsel (Republican), House Ways and Means Committee; Amber Cottle, International Trade Counsel (Majority), Senate Finance Committee; and Stephen Schaefer, Chief International Trade Counsel (Republican), Senate Finance Committee. For further information, please visit http://www.wita.org/ht/display/EventDetails/i/41264/pid/317 or contact: tel.: +1 202 312 1600 or email: events@wita.org.
26 April, New York City, US. GLOBAL FINANCIAL FORUM: BUILDING A NEW FINANCIAL ORDER. Hosted by Chatham House, BritishAmerican Business and the Foreign Policy Association, this forum examines what is necessary to create a new, more stable global financial order. This conference will examine the impact of the proposed regulatory measures on the financial markets, consider the outlook for the global economy, discuss if new financial regulatory rules will contain excessive risk-taking, and debate the extent to which it is possible to prevent future financial crises. The conference will take place in three sessions: Rebalancing the Global Economy, Restructuring the Financial Sector, and Restoring Financial Stability. For more information, please see http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/NY2010/ or contact Chatham House at: email conferences@chathamhouse.org.uk; tel. +44 (0)20 7957 5753; or fax +44 (0)20 7321 2045.
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