Attendance is by invitation only.

In response to many requests, the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) is pleased to make available an information note which summarizes the key findings of its recent book “Intellectual Property and Sustainable Development: Development Agendas in a Changing World,” which was launched on 27th April 2010, at a side event during the last session of WIPO Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP).

The book, edited by Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz and Pedro Roffe, was inspired by the dialogues and events sponsored by ICTSD globally since 2001, many of which were held in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in the context of their joint project on intellectual property rights and sustainable development.

It brings together a selected number of papers by recognized experts in the field of IP and development initially produced for these dialogues, as well as those authored by rising scholars and policy-makers. The book’s ability to unite a diverse range of voices on issues that occupy a central space in today’s global policy debates is part of what sets it apart as a unique contribution to this field.

From a development perspective, a number of new and emerging IP issues are examined in this book as well. Case studies and experiences from Africa, Asia, and Latin America analyse the impact of IP on the pharmaceutical sector, the protection of life forms and traditional knowledge, geographical indications, access to knowledge, and the role of competition policy. Challenges developing countries face in the TRIPS-plus world are also addressed. The experiences revealed, as well as cyclical attitudes toward IP, show that there is ultimately no universal model of IP protection.

The objective of this informal dialogue is to support understanding of the possible environmental, trade and developmental implications of the WTO negotiations on environmental goods and services (EGS) by analysing the case of climate-related single-use environmental goods (EGs). This meeting will analyze both pragmatic and substantive issues involved in the identification of predominantly single-use EGs linked with climate-related technologies, in particular in existing tariff classifications. It also analyses, to the extent possible, corresponding trade flows, tariffs and NTBs. The purpose of this meeting is not to propose a specific subset of climate-related EGs or any specific negotiating approaches in the context of the EGS negotiations, but rather to offer an open space for discussing relevant issues related to products that are predominantly used to address climate change. Key issues addressed in the note presented at this meeting include the following:

• Which climate-related single-use EGs can be identified in tariff classifications, in particular the 6-digit HS? What single-use EGs (that are relevant from an international-trade perspective) could be identified as “ex-out” items?
• What are the principal market drivers of climate-related single-use EGs and what are the implications for international trade flows?
• What are the tariff and non-tariff obstacles to trade?
• What are the possible drawbacks of focusing trade liberalisation on finished products?
• Could trade liberalisation of climate-related single-use EGs contribute to a more balanced outcome of EGS the negotiations?

This brownbag lunch meeting is taking place conveniently alongside the WTO’s Committee on Trade and Environment Regular and Special Session meetings on 1 July.

This Roundtable will take place at the WTO, Room W (subject to change, please keep update through the electronic message boards). We would be grateful if you could confirm your participation to <ncubilla@ictsd.ch>. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or comments. We hope you are able to join us and look forward to welcoming you.

Agenda

13h00 – 13h30: Welcome with brownbag lunch

13h30 – 13h45: Introductory remarks by the organizers

13h45 – 14h30:

· Identifying single end-use products, Ronald Steenblik, OECD
· Trade flows and barriers affecting single end-use climate friendly goods, Rene Vossenaar, ICTSD consultant
14h30 – 15h00: Open discussion

15h00: Close

This brownbag lunch meeting is taking place conveniently alongside the WTO’s Committee on Trade and Environment Regular and Special Session meetings on 1 July.

This Roundtable will take place at the WTO, Room W (subject to change, please stay updated through the electronic message boards). We would be grateful if you could confirm your participation to <jmonkelbaan@ictsd.ch>. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or comments. We hope you are able to join us and look forward to welcoming you.

Recent years have witnessed a proliferation of fora dealing with IP issues. From food security to climate change and access to medicines, IP has become a cross cutting issue with important public policy implications. As a result global IP negotiations have significantly gained in complexity. Countries, particularly developing ones, are faced with numerous challenges such as coalition building, articulating coherent national positions to address complex issues and coordinating these positions across different fora. How do countries achieve this? What are the practical difficulties facing country negotiators in global IP negotiations?
On the other hand, academics and experts play and can play an important role in providing empirical research and inputs to better inform global IP negotiations. From the debate on patents and public health to the WIPO Development Agenda, contributions by leading IP academics have played an important role in advancing international discussions on these issues. In this context, how can IP teachers, particularly from developing countries,  contribute towards addressing the most salient issues and challenges facing global IP negotiations and the achievement of more balanced and development friendly global IP system?
These are some of the questions that are to be raised in this dialogue which brings together a group of IP teachers, mainly  from developing countries, with a group of Geneva based IP negotiators.  

Programme
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12h15    Welcome Remarks and Introduction, Pedro Roffe - Senior Fellow, ICTSD
 
12h20    Dynamics of IP negotiations in Geneva                
Mohamed Gad- Permanent Mission of Egypt 

12h35    Coordination and Coherence in Global IP Negotiations 

a) The experience of the European Union

           Sergio Balibrea – EU Delegation     
        
b) The experience of Brazil

            Jose Estanislau do Amaral – Permanent Mission of Brazil
 
13h00   Challenges facing Small Size Delegations in Global IP negotiations    
          
Makiese kinkela Augusto – Permanent Mission of Angola

Edouard Bizumuremyi – Permanent Mission of Rwanda

13h15    Open Discussion and Exchange of Views

13h40    Concluding Remarks - Ahmed Abdel Latif, IP Programme Manager- ICTSD
                                                         ________

For more information, please visit http://www.leaderssummit2010.org/.

For more information, please visit the USITC website at http://www.usitc.gov.

Please note: the date of this event has changed from the original June 23 date listed in Bridges Weekly.

For more information, please visit http://www.wiltonpark.org.uk/themes/climate/conference.aspx?confref=WP1036.

The panel will include speakers from Forum for the Future and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) World Service Trust. For more information, or to register, please see http://www.odi.org.uk/events/details.asp?id=2393&title=communicating-climate-change-africa-challenge-opportunity#details.