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: 18-24 November
17-18 November, Santiago, Chile: ANNUAL APEC MINISTERIAL MEETING. At this annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) event participants will consider, among others, trade and investment issues including regional trade agreements and free trade arrangements, trade facilitation policies and APEC support for the WTO. For further information visit http://www.apec2004.cl/
17-21 November 2004, Geneva, Switzerland: FIRST CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE ROTTERDAM CONVENTION (COP-1). COP-1 of the Convention on Prior Informed Consent (PIC), preceded by a last meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee in September, is tentatively scheduled for November 2004. For more information contact the Joint Interim Secretariat: Niek van der Graaff, FAO; tel: +39-6- 5705-3441; fax: +39-6-5705-6347; e-mail; or Jim Willis, UNEP Chemicals; tel: +41-22-917-8111; fax: +41-22-797-3460; e-mail; Internet.
17-25 November, Bangkok, Thailand: THE 3RD IUCN WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS: "PEOPLE AND NATURE, MAKING THE DIFFERENCE". Organised by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The Congress will consist of a three-day World Conservation Forum and a four-day Members’ Business Assembly. During the Forum, IUCN members, partners and interested stakeholders will debate options that safeguard the ecosystems upon which future prosperity depends. During the Assembly, IUCN members - governments and NGOs - will approve the 2005-2008 Programme Framework and Financial Plan, elect officers, consider resolutions and recommendations, and set the membership dues. For further information, contact: IUCN, tel: (+41 22) 999-0232; fax: (+41 22) 999-0020; email; Internet.
17-26 November, Prague, Czech Republic:16TH MEETING OF THE PARTIES TO THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL. Delegates attending MOP-16 will continue their negotiations to phase out the use of various ozone-depleting substances such as hydrochlorofluorocarbons and methyl bromide. For further information contact the Ozone Secretariat, UNEP, tel: +254-2-62-3850; fax: +254-2-62-3601; email; Internet.
19-21 November, New Delhi, India: OECD GLOBAL FORUM ON INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT: INVESTMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT - FORGING PARTNERSHIPS. This event will explore how governments can enhance their business environments and maximise the benefits of investments. Sessions will focus on three areas: the OECD initiative on a Policy Framework for Investment as an operational took to promote investment for development; promoting corporate responsibility; and maximising official development assistance. For further information visit Internet.
20-21 November, Santiago, Chile: ANNUAL APEC ECONOMIC LEADERS MEETING. This annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) event will follow a number of meetings among APEC officials and business representatives. Participants will consider, among others, trade and investment issues including regional trade agreements and free trade arrangements, trade facilitation policies and APEC support for the WTO. For further information visit internet.
22-23 November, Brussels, Belgium: ISSUES OF INTERNATIONAL LEGAL TRADE POLICY AND IMPLEMENTATION: CHALLENGES FOR THE WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION. Organised by Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Hull University, this colloqium will include sessions on a variety of topics related to the WTO such as domestic regulation within the context of GATS, the impact on national environmental policy of TBT-rules, and the question of the sufficiency of the WTO regime to provide for sustained economic development for developing countries. For further information, contact Shirley De Meue at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, tel: +32 (0)2 629 2638; fax: +32 (0)2 / 629 3698; email; Internet.
WTO
An updated list of forthcoming WTO meetings is posted Online. 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.
18 November: WTO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE.
18 November: WTO TEXTILES MONITORING BODY.
18 November: WTO WORKING PARTY ON THE ACCESSION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.
19 November: WTO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE - SPECIAL SESSION.
22 November: WTO COMMITTEE ON BUDGET, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION.
22 November: WTO WORKING PARTY ON DOMESTIC REGULATION.
22-23 November: WTO NEGOTIATING GROUP ON TRADE FACILITATION.
23 November: WTO COMMITTEE ON TRADE IN FINANCIAL SERVICES.
23 November: WTO COMMITTEE ON SAFEGUARDS.
24 November: WTO WORKING PARTY ON GATS RULES.
24 November: WTO DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BODY.
Other Upcoming
29-30 November, Vienna, Austria: NEW FOUNDATIONS FOR EUROPEAN AND GLOBAL GOVERNANCE? THE ACHIEVEEMTNS OF EUROPE’S CONSTITUTIONALISATION. This international conference is going to discuss the impact of the "Constitutional Treaty for Europe". Are there European concepts of global governance? Will the constitutional treaty strengthen Europe’s position as a global player in international fora? In what way are the interfaces between European and global governance affected by the constitution, especially regarding the WTO? For more information and registration, visit Internet.
24-25 January 2005, Porto Alegre, Brazil: TRADE UNIONS, GLOBALISATION AND DEVELOPMENT- STRENGTHENING RIGHTS AND CAPABILITIES OF WORKERS. The Global Union Research Network (GURN) will organise a workshop immediately before the World Social Forum (WSF) in Porto Alegre in the hopes of creating important synergy effects with the participants of the WSF. Special attention will be focused on the following themes: trade unions and bilateral and regional trade agreements; trade unions, poverty reduction strategy papers, and international financial institutions; social and labour impact of multinationals; the role of trade unions on economic alternatives and poverty eradication; trade unions and migration; and determinants of a worker friendly corporate governance regime in a developing or transition country. GRUN has also launched a call for papers to incite research on trade unions, globalisation and development for the above conference in Brazil. The focus of all papers should be on the impact of the issues on labour and trade unions. For further information and to submit proposals contact Verena Schmidt, Global Union Research Network Publication, Information and Research Unit; tel: +41 22 799 74 48; fax: +41 22 799 65 70; email; Internet.
26-31 January 2005, Porto Alegre, Brazil: WORLD SOCIAL FORUM 2005. The World Social Forum is an open meeting place where groups and movements of civil society opposed to neo-liberalism and a world dominated by capital or imperialism, engaged in building a planetary society centred on the human person, come together to pursue their thinking, to debate ideas democratically, for formulate proposals, share their experiences freely and network for effective action. The WSF is set to debate alternative means to building globalisation in solidarity, respecting universal human rights and those of all men and women of all nations and the environment, and is grounded in democratic international systems and institutions at the service of social justice, equality and the sovereignty of peoples. Over 1900 events have already been registered for the WSF 2005. For further information see Internet.