17.00–18.00   WTO Dispute Settlement Body Developments in 2009

AMBASSADOR JOHN GERO, Canadian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO, Chair of the DSB

Presentation on the 2009 Annual Report of the Appellate Body

PROF. DAVID UNTERHALTER, Chairman of the Appellate Body

18.00–19.00   Roundtable discussion on WTO Dispute Settlement in 2009

SHUAIHUA CHENG, Strategic Analysis and China Programme Officer, ICTSD

PETROS MAVROIDIS, Professor, Neuchatel & Columbia University

STEPHEN ORAVA, Partner, King & Spalding, Washington DC

FRIEDER ROESSLER, Executive Director, Advisory Centre on WTO Law

JASPER WAUTERS, Associate, White & Case

Moderator

JOOST PAUWELYN, Professor of International Law, Graduate Institute

Date: Tuesday 2 March 2010, 17.00 to 19.00

Venue: Auditorium Jacques-Freymond, 132 rue de Lausanne, 1202 Geneva

For the details about the conference, you can also directly visit the website of Graduate Institute : http://graduateinstitute.ch/ctei/home/forthcoming_events/annual_disp_setl3.html

The objective of the workshop is to see the inputs and views of the relevant national stakeholders dealing with IP issues in order to prepare an assessment of IP technical cooperation needs for Cambodia as well as a development dimension of intellectual property report (DDIP).

In its decision of 29 November 2005 extending the transition period for least-developed countries (LDCs) to implement the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement), the World Trade Organization (WTO) Council for TRIPS also invited LDC Members to provide as much information as possible to the Council on their individual priority needs for technical and financial co-operation in order to assist them in taking steps necessary for the future implementation of the Agreement.

In this context, ICTSD received a request from Cambodia’s Ministry of Trade to provide assistance to conduct a technical and financial cooperation needs assessment in order to respond to the TRIPS Council decision. At the same time, UNCTAD also received a request from the Ministry for Trade to provide assistance in the elaboration of a development dimension of intellectual property report (DDIP). UNCTAD and ICTSD have agreed to pool resources to carry out these activities.

The workshop of February 3rd will be followed by interviews with key stakeholders.

The workshop is designed to improve the understanding of the provisions of the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) as they relate to measures for the protection of public health and their implications for local production of pharmaceuticals. The workshop targets local pharmaceutical producers, government officials (ministries of health, trade and industry, intellectual property offices, drug registration authorities and investment promotion agencies), civil society and academia.

La rencontre se tiendra le Mercredi 2 Décembre 2009 a l’Hôtel Intercontinental de Genève, de 8h a 10h, sous forme d’un buffet petit déjeuner.

Ce Dialogue se déroulera de manière ouverte et informelle. Il rassemblera toutes les délégations francophones, les conseillers auprès des missions diplomatiques, les ONG, la presse et tous les acteurs intéressés a l’évolution des négociations commerciales. Les présentations seront réduites au minimum de sorte a laisser suffisamment de temps pour une discussion franche et ouverte.

Garantizar la coherencia entre los objetivos y las disposiciones de la Convención sobre la Diversidad Biológica (CDB), como las relacionadas con el acceso a los recursos genéticos y la distribución de beneficios, y las normas sobre patentes y variedades vegetales previstas en el Acuerdo sobre los ADPIC, han llevado a repetidos llamamientos para la reforma.

Los países ricos en biodiversidad han sido los principales solicitantes de una reforma que incorpore una serie de garantías en el régimen de patentes contra el acceso ilegal y el uso  de los recursos genéticos y conocimientos tradicionales asociados. Estas solicitudes se han presentado en diversos foros, incluyendo la OMC, la OMPI, la CDB, y más recientemente en los acuerdos comerciales regionales y bilaterales.

Algunos avances  se han podido concretar en esta materia. Por ejemplo, las negociaciones en la OMC se impulsaron luego de que en julio de 2008 una propuesta para modificar el Acuerdo sobre los ADPIC e incorporar la divulgación del origen, y potencialmente evidencia de la existencia de consentimiento fundamentado previo (CFP) y el acceso y participación en los beneficios (APB) fuera apoyada por más de 110 países.  Sin embargo  el debate no ha avanzado considerablemente en otros foros a pesar de varios años sucesivos de intensas discusiones.

Es en este contexto que ICTSD, BMZ, GTZ y entidades locales emprenden una serie de diálogos a nivel regional para brindar un apoyo más profundo que permita crear sinergias entre la propiedad intelectual y la biodiversidad. Los objetivos de estos diálogos son precisamente:

1.      Proporcionar una plataforma para que los diferentes interesados examinen las preocupaciones regionales, el conocimiento necesario y las áreas prioritarias para la acción en los ámbitos político y técnico respecto a la relación entre los derechos de propiedad intelectual y el uso sostenible de los recursos biológicos.

2.      Identificar a corto y largo plazo las necesidades de asistencia técnica sobre esta materia que prevalecen a nivel regional.

El primer diálogo de esta serie se titula “Medidas Relacionadas con la Biodiversidad y el Sistema de Propiedad Intelectual” y tendrá lugar en Heredia, Costa Rica, del 17 al 19 de noviembre de 2009. El diálogo reunirá a funcionarios y personas clave con el objetivo de definir los parámetros de  eventuales diálogos de seguimiento, así como actividades de asistencia técnica.

El programa de este primer diálogo está disponible en: Programa

The objective of the discussion was to brainstorm on key issues surrounding sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards and effective market access in LDCs. Approximately 18 experts and mission representatives attended the meeting. Key conclusions will be included in the report on improving effective market access for the exports of the poorest countries, which the CGD’s Global Trade Preference Reform Working Group (the group includes ICTSD, CUTS, and other organisations) will publish early next year.

The International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) and Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), in association with African Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET), jointly  organized this international Dialogue entitled “The New Coupling between China & Africa: Trade, Growth and Sustainable Development” in 23-34 November 2009 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
 
This two-day conference explored the rapidly expanding commercial relationship between China and Africa in context of sustainable development. It brought together knowledgeable and influential business actors, government officials, academics and stakeholders to deliberate the China-Africa relationship through a number of panel sessions including:

- China’s vision for development in Africa 
- Deepening the China-Africa relationship: Evaluating the outcomes from the Forum on China-Africa co-operation 
- China and Africa in the context of the Doha Multilateral Trade Round 
- Agricultural trade and technology transfer between China and Africa 
- Trade growth and its impact on industrial manufacturing in Africa 
- Chinese financing for development in Africa
- Key learning from the conference and the way forward.

Background:

The meeting will feature Mr. Grant Aldonas, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and Mr. Richard Samans, of the World Economic Forum (WEF).   Both Mr. Aldonas and Mr. Samans will offer their insights on current political developments in Washington and their implications for the success of the Doha Round and the broader effort to encourage greater developing country participation in the global trading system. Both have been intimately involved in U.S. foreign economic policy in the Bush and Clinton Administration.

This briefing is intended to take advantage of the many trade and development experts in town for the WTO Public Forum to brainstorm the trade aspects of the U.S. Political Context.