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 : 27 October - 2 November
28 October, Paris, France. TRADE FOR DEVELOPMENT: THE FUTURE OF SPECIAL AND DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. This international conference is jointly organised by the trade policy unit of the Institut Français des Relations Internationales (IFRI) and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD). The conference will focus on two key topics: the future of non-reciprocal trade preferences and differentiation among developing countries under Special and Differential Treatment rules. Discussions will be in both English and French and are expected to contribute to public debate on the Doha Agenda in the months before the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference. For further information contact Anne-Sophie Novel, tel: (+33) (0)1-40-61-72-88; fax: (+33) (0)1-40-61-60-60; e-mail: novel@ifri.org.
28 October, Bangkok, Thailand. FEMINISTS TALK TRADE: HOW TO GET THE BIG BOYS TO LISTEN. In this Skills Building Workshop, representatives from the International Gender and Trade Network (IGTN) will train participants on how best to speak out on substantive feminist issues in trade talks. This workshop is organised as a component of the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) International Forum on Women’s Rights and Development (27-30 October). For further information contact AWID, tel: (+1) 416-594-3773; fax: (+1) 416-594-0330; e-mail: awidforum@awid.org.
31 October-2 November, Cape Town, South Africa. AFRICAN REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON WTO DISPUTE SETTLEMENT IN AGRICULTURE. This workshop, co-organised by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) the Trade Law Centre for Southern Africa (TRALAC), targets government officials, academics, practising lawyers, industry advisers and all others whose knowledge of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism on agriculture could contribute to meeting development targets. For further information contact Chitra Radhakishun, tel: (+41) 22-917-5695; fax: (+41) 22-917-0247; e-mail: chitra.radhakishun@unctad.org.
31 October, Hanoi, Vietnam. INTERNATIONAL FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL TRADE POLICY COUNCIL SEMINAR. The seminar will be split into two main themes: issues in agricultural trade and the progression of multilateral negotiations, with specific attention to Vietnam’s accession to the WTO; and domestic issues including rural development, building local competitiveness into global value chains, and environmental concerns. The meeting will also highlight projects on sustainable agricultural production. There is a fee to attend this event. For further information contact Kyle Chapman, tel: (+1) 202-328-5117; fax: (+1) 202-328-5133; e-mail: agritrade@agritrade.org.
31 October - 2 November, Geneva, Switzerland. EXPERT MEETING ON POSITIVE CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF HOST DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. This UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) expert meeting will discuss corporate contributions to developing countries in relation to investment, the provision of goods and services, employment creation, the enhancement of skill levels of the local workforce, technology transfer, ethical business behaviour, contributions to public revenue generation, and minimising the negative effects of business restructuring. This meeting is not open to the public. For further information contact UNCTAD, tel: (+41) 22-917-5809; fax: (+41) 22-917-0051; e-mail: info@unctad.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.
27 October: COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT - SPECIAL SESSION
27-28 October: COUNCIL FOR TRADE-RELATED ASPECTS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS - SPECIAL SESSION
27 October: COMMITTEE ON SUBSIDIES AND COUNTERVAILING MEASURES - SPECIAL MEETING
27-28 October: COMMITTEE ON SUBSIDIES AND COUNTERVAILING MEASURES
28 October: SERVICES - WORKING PARTY ON DOMESTIC REGULATION
28 October: SUB-COMMITTEE ON COTTON
28 October: WORKING PARTY ON THE ACCESSION OF SAUDI ARABIA
31 October: COMMITTEE ON ANTI-DUMPING PRACTICES - WORKING GROUP ON IMPLEMENTATION
31 October: COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES - SPECIAL SESSION
31 October : COMMITTEE ON ANTI-DUMPING PRACTICES
1 November: TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY - BOLIVIA
1 November: NEGOTIATING GROUP ON RULES - REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS
1 November: COMMITTEE ON ANTI-DUMPING PRACTICES
2 November: COMMITTEE ON TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE
Other Upcoming
3 November, Washington, DC: CATO INSTITUTE 23RD ANNUAL MONETARY CONFERENCE: MONETARY INSTITUTIONS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. This conference, co-sponsored by the Cato Institute and The Economist, will discuss issues related to monetary institutions’ role in poverty reduction. Topics will include suggestions for the most effective monetary institutions for emerging market economies to achieve sustainable development. For further information contact the Cato Institute, tel: (+1) (202) 218-4633; fax: (+1) 202-371-0841; e-mail: monetary@cato.org.
12 December, Hong Kong, China. SEMINAR ON COMMODITIES AND DEVELOPMENT. The purpose of this seminar, organised by the South Centre, is to raise awareness about problems related to commodity dependency in the South and the related implications for the trade and development of commodity-dependent developing countries. Simultaneous language interpretation in English, Spanish and French will be available. For further information contact Luisa Rodriguez, tel: (+41) 22-791-8050; fax: (+41) 22-798-8531; e-mail: rodriguez@southcentre.org.
13-17 December, Hong Kong, China: HONG KONG TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT SYMPOSIUM. The goal of this symposium, co-convened by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) and the University of Hong Kong in collaboration with the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), is to encourage innovative thinking on issues related to trade and development that could be subsequently be translated into constructive inputs for the ongoing Doha Round negotiations. The main topics for discussions will be drawn from key development-related issues in the trade policy and trade rules arena. For further information contact Patrick Lunt, e-mail: plunt@ictsd.ch.