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: 24 February - 2 March
28 February - 4 March, Cape Town, South Africa: CODEX COMMITTEE ON FISH AND FISHERY PRODUCTS (27TH SESSION). The session is organised by the Codex Alimentarius Secretariat. For further information contact: the Codex Secretariat, tel: (+39 06) 5705 2287; fax: 5705 3369; email: codex@fao.org.
28 February - 5 March, Colombo, Sri Lanka: 17TH COMMONWEALTH FORESTRY CONFERENCE: FORESTRY’S CONTRIBUTION TO POVERTY REDUCTION. Organised by the Commonwealth Forestry Association, this conference will focus on four topics: the changing world and the challenge of poverty reduction; governance for optimising forestry’s contribution to poverty reduction; forest goods and services for securing what is needed for poverty reduction; and stakeholders developing vision and working together for poverty reduction. For further information contact conference organizers, tel: +94 11 230 0589; fax: +94 11 233 1816; email: info@commonwealthforestry.org; Internet: http://www.commonwealthforestry.org.
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.
24-25 February: COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT - SPECIAL SESSION.
25 February: COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES - SPECIAL SESSION.
25, 28 February: DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BODY.
28 February: DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BODY - SPECIAL SESSION.
28 February: GENERAL COUNCIL.
Other Upcoming
3-4 March, St. Louis, USA: INTRODUCTORY SEMINAR ON THE CARTAGENA PROTOCOL ON BIOSAFETY. This seminar is organised by the Public Research Sector Initiative, a project that aims to involve the public research sector in the development and implementation of biotechnology regulations. The seminar will inform scientists from public research institutions from both developing and developed countries about the background, content, and implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, as well as about the ongoing discussions in the Meetings of the Parties. For further information contact Kathleen MacKey, tel: +1 314 587 1203; email: kmackey@danforthcenter.org; Internet: http://pubresreg.org/Members/Kim/Danforth/Danforthmeeting.
6-8 March, Helsinki, Finland: THE ENFORCEMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: LESSONS OF THE ERA POST TRIPS. Organised by the Finnish group of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI). For further information contact AIPPI, Internet: http://www.aippi.org/meetings1.htm.
7 March, Copenhagen, Denmark: EU, TRADE AND AFRICA: ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT NEGOTIATIONS. This seminar is organised by the ‘WTO, Trade & Development’ network, an initiative based at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS). It will include presentations from an African representative involved in EPA negotiations, Martin Jess Pilegaard of DIIS and Paul Goodison of the European Research Office. The meeting is part of the DIIS’ monthly ‘Trade Mondays’ seminar series. For further information, contact Michael Friis Jensen, tel: +45 3269 8787; fax: +45 3269 8700; email: mje@diis.dk; Internet: http://www.diis.dk/sw239.asp.
31 March, Cape Town, South Africa: WTO DISPUTE SETTLEMENT — AN AFRICAN VIEW. Organised by the Trade Law Centre for Southern Africa (TRALAC). The event will examine the role and participation of African Countries in WTO dispute settlement proceedings. It will also look at Africa’s limited participation in the WTO dispute settlement system to date and ways in which Africa might engage the dispute settlement system to its advantage. Participation in the event will be of benefit to trade policy formulators, government officials, the business community, lawyers and academics from across the African continent. For further information contact Ann Cloete, tel: +27 21 883 2208; fax: +27 21 883 8292; email: anncloete@tralac.org; Internet: http://www.tralac.org/scripts/content.php?id=3267.