Bridges Weekly Trade News Digest • Volume • Number • 15th December 2004
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: 16-22 December
16 December, Washington DC, US: EMPOWERING RURAL PEOPLE FOR THEIR OWN DEVELOPMENT. This seminar, organised by the International Food PolicyResearch Institute, will feature Hans P. Binswanger, of the Agriculture Operations Division of the World Bank. In this seminar, he reflects on his 35 years of work in agricultural development to draw lessons for low-income countries in Africa and elsewhere that have experienced agricultural stagnation. Dr. Binswanger will focus on factors that determine performance in agricultural and rural development, including the institutional environment for rural development and policies and other factors which determine farm profits, such as distorted world prices, transport infrastructure, irrigation, and human capital (including HIV/AIDS), among others. Dr. Binswanger points out that most margins of profitability and most features of the institutional environment are beyond the control of farmers, and suggests holistic, multi-sectoral approaches to improve the institutional pillars of rural development and agricultural profitability. For more information, contact Laurie Goldberg, tel: 1-202-862-8107; email: L.Goldberg@cgiar.org; Internet: http://www.ifpri.org/
20 December, New York, US: BUREAU MEETING FOR THE THIRTEENTH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (CSD-13). The CSD was created in December 1992 to ensure an effective follow-up from the Rio de Janeiro Summit and to monitor and report on implementation of the agreements. It is a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and has 53 members. This meeting of the bureau for the CSD will prepare for the Intergovernmental Preparatory meeting and CSD-13 itself, which is scheduled for 11-22 April 2005. For more information, contact the UN Division for Sustainable Development, tel: 1-212-963-2803; fax: 1-212-963-4260; email: dsd@un.org; Internet: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev
WTO Events
An updated list of forthcoming WTO meetings is posted online. 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.
16 December: COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT
16 December: NEGOTIATING GROUP ON RULES - ANTIDUMPING/SUBSIDIES AND COUNTERVAILING MEASURES, INCLUDING FISHERIES SUBSIDIES
16 December: TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY - OVERVIEW OF DEVELOPMENTS IN THE INTERNATIONAL TRADING ENVIRONMENT
17 December: TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY - SWITZERLAND/LIECHTENSTEIN
17 December: DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BODY
17 December: COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE - SPECIAL SESSION
Other Upcoming Events
31 January - 5 February 2005, the Hague, the Netherlands: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WATER FOR FOOD AND ECOSYSTEMS. Organised by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Government of the Netherlands, this conference will provide a high-level platform to help governments identify management practices, share practical lessons learned and determine the enabling environment for harmonizing food production and ecosystem management with a view to implementing internationally-agreed commitments. The outcomes of this conference will provide direct input to CSD-13 and help implement the work programmes of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Ramsar Convention, as well as the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. For further information, contact Mathieu Pinkers, e-mail: m.j.h.p.pinkers@minlnv.nl; Internet: http://www.fao.org/ag/wfe2005/
24 January, New Delhi, India: SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION IN THE SOUTH AS A TOOL FOR ENHANCED MARKET ACCESS IN THE NORTH. Organised by Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS) International. This is the final meeting of the project of the same name. The meeting will present the findings of the leather project that attempts to understand the utility of ecolabels/environment measures for increasing India’s leather footwear exports. Policy makers, academics and environmentalists will attend this meeting. For further information, contact Mr. Rajeev Mathur, email: citee@cuts-international.org; Internet: http://www.cuts-international.org/forthcoming-events.htm#sustainable24jan