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.
Upcoming : 9 February - 15 February
9 February, Washington, DC: ECONOMIC POLICY REFORMS: GOING FOR GROWTH. This Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) breakfast meeting will discuss the release of two new OECD reports that focus on labour, product, and financial markets, reducing barriers to trade, and the role of innovation in generating economic growth. Free online registration is required for this event. For further information contact the OECD, tel: (+1) 202-785-6323; fax: (+1) 202-785-0350; e-mail: washington.contact@oecd.org; internet: http://www.oecdwash.org/NEWS/EVENTS/EVENTS2006/feb09-2006.htm.
10 February, Washington, DC: THE OECD ASSESSMENT OF THE HONG KONG TALKS. This Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) breakfast meeting will feature a presentation by Jean-Marie Metzger, Director of the OECD Trade Directorate, on the consequences of the WTO’s December Ministerial Conference. Free online registration is required for this event. For further information contact the OECD, tel: (+1) 202-785-6323; fax: (+1) 202-785-0350; e-mail: washington.contact@oecd.org; internet: http://www.oecdwash.org/NEWS/EVENTS/EVENTS2006/feb10-2006.htm.
13-14 February, Dead Sea, Jordan: MENA INVESTMENT MINISTERIAL MEETING: MAKING REFORMS WORK. This Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) meeting will bring together ministers from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and their OECD counterparts to discuss how to create a more attractive environment for private enterprise. This event is open to the media. For further information contact Haifa Al-Khraisha, tel: (+962) 6-560-84-00 ext. 402; fax: (+962) 6-5608427; e-mail: haifa@jib.com.jo or Patrice Dubus, tel: (+33) 1-45-24-97-30; fax: (+33) 1-44-30-61-35; e-mail: patrice.dubus@oecd.org; internet: http://www.oecd.org/document/52/0,2340,en_2649_201185_35925172_1_1_1_1,00.html.
14 February, Washington DC, USA: PANIC ATTACK: THE NEW PRECAUTIONARY CULTURE, THE POLITICS OF FEAR, AND THE RISKS TO INNOVATION. Organised by the American Enterprise Institute. Jon Entine, editor of ‘Let Them Eat Precaution: How Politics Is Undermining the Genetic Revolution in Agriculture’ will be hosting an event looking at the WTO biotech verdict and the precautionary principle. This conference, organised in cooperation with the UK Institute of Ideas, will discuss risk-aversion and contemporary life. This symposium suggests that only by challenging the wider risk-averse culture can contemporary society hope to rediscover a sense of purpose about progress and a desire to experiment with new ways of doing things. For further information contact Lauren Campbell, tel: (+202) 862-4878; fax: 862-4875; email: LCampbell@aei.org; Internet: http://www.aei.org/events/type.upcoming,eventID.1246,filter.all/event_detail.asp.
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.
9 February: COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES
10 February: WORKING PARTY ON GATS RULES
13-14 February: WORKSHOP ON RULES OF ORIGIN
13 February: COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES - SPECIAL SESSION
14 February: TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY - ANGOLA
14 February: COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT - DEDICATED SESSION
15 February: COMMITTEE ON RULES OF ORIGIN
15-16 February: NEGOTIATING GROUP ON TRADE FACILITATION
Other Upcoming
21-24 February, Geneva, Switzerland: COMMISSION ON ENTERPRISE, BUSINESS FACILITATION AND DEVELOPMENT, 10TH SESSION. This commission, organised by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), will focus on improving the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through enhancing productive capacity, efficient transport and trade facilitation, in order to improve the participation of developing countries in international trade, e-business for development. For further information contact UNCTAD secretariat, fax: (+ 41) 0-22-917-0056; e-mail: correspondence@unctad.org; internet: http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Meeting.asp?intItemID=1942&lang=1&m=11148&year=2006&month=2.
27 February - 1 March, Ha Noi, Vietnam: APEC WORKSHOP ON BEST PRACTICES IN TRADE POLICY FOR RTAs/FTAs. This workshop, organised by Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), will provide a forum for APEC participants to examine policy issues related to regional trade agreements and other free trade agreements, and how they can contribute to the goal of trade expansion in APEC and the multilateral negotiations on rules in the WTO. For further information contact Hong Duong Bui or Hoang Thuy Nguyen, tel: (+84-4) 8262522 (1144); fax: (+84-4)8264696; e-mail: bduong@mot.gov.vn or nhthuy@mot.gov.vn; internet: http://www.apec.org/etc/medialib/apec_media_library/downloads/otherfora_initiatives/fta_rta/pubs/2006.Par.0001.File.tmp/06_ftarta_BestPractTradePolicyWkshp.pdf.
1-5 April, Algiers, Algeria: 10TH AFRICAN OIL AND GAS, TRADE AND FINANCE CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION. This conference, organised by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Algerian Ministry of Energy and Mines, and Sonatrach Group, will focus on the interface of finance with hydrocarbons. It will also provide a forum for debating topical issues in the industry, such as volatile oil prices, foreign investment and the environmental and social effects of development. For further information contact Lamon Rutten or Claudine Sigam, tel: (+41) 22-917-5770/5766; fax: (+41) 22-917-0509; e-mail: lamon.rutten@unctad.org or claudine.sigam@unctad.org; internet: http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Meeting.asp?intItemID=2068&lang=1&m=11260&year=2006&month=2.