Bridges Weekly Trade News Digest • Volume 9 • Number 5 • 16th February 2005
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: 17 - 23 February
21 February, Geneva, Switzerland: UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE (UNECE) SPRING SEMINAR 2005. The Economic Analysis Division Spring Seminar takes place once a year and provides an important forum for policy debate on a selected topic of interest to economic policymaking in the ECE region. The upcoming 2005 Spring Seminar will be about "Financing for Development in the ECE Region - Promoting Growth in Low-income Transition Economies. Sessions of the conference include strategies for development and growth, economic integration and trade, and financial management and sustainable growth in resource-rich economies. For further information contact Alison Mangin, tel: +41 (0)22 917 12 34; fax: +41 (0)22 917 0036; email: alison.mangin@unece.org; Internet: http://www.unece.org/ead/ead_sprin_sem_new.htm.
23-25 February, Edinburgh, United Kingdom: EVOLUTION OF THE LIFE SCIENCE INDUSTRIES CONFERENCE. This conference, hosted by the Centre for Social and Economic Research on Innovation in Genomics (Innogen), will bring together speakers who will give their views on the evolution of life science industries in developing countries, policies for promotion of the life sciences, and the impact of ethical and stakeholder pressure on innovation. Several sessions will be held addressing topics such as the regulation of the life sciences in agriculture and food-related industry sectors, the international evolution of the agro-biotechnology industry, and globalisation and the international governance of life sciences. For further information contact Innogen, tel: +44 (0)131 651 1180; fax: +44 (0)651 1746; email: innogen2005@ed.ac.uk; Internet: http://www.innogen.ac.uk/conference.
WTO Events
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.
17 - 18 February: COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS.
17 February: DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BODY.
18 February: COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES.
18 February: WORKING PARTY ON THE ACCESSION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.
21 February: TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY - QATAR.
21 - 22 February: COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES - SPECIAL SESSION.
21 - 23 February: NEGOTIATING GROUP ON RULES.
21 February: COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT - DEDICATED SESSION.
22 February: COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT.
22 February: COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT.
23 February: TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY - QATAR.
23 February: COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES.
Other Upcoming Events
24-25 February, Mumbai, India: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ECONOMIC REFORMS IN INDIA AND CHINA — EMERGING ISSUES AND CHALLENGES. Organised by the the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India, along with the China Development Institute, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China. The conference aims to address the issue of reforms in India and China. Focal themes of the conference include: agriculture and WTO, poverty, water, health, education, urbanisation, institutions and governance, and more. For more information, contact Dr. B.Sudhakara Reddy at sreddy@igidr.ac.in; Internet: http://www.igidr.ac.in/whatsnew/conf-econr.htm.
24-25 February, Brussels, Belgium: PUBLIC POLICY AND WTO LAW: REGULATING GLOBALISATION. This conference is organised by the Institut d’Etudes Juridiques Européennes (IEJE) and the Institute for International Law. It will highlight the respective role of the WTO and national governments in social regulation. It will also provide a critical assessment of the role of the WTO, while addressing the question of its legitimacy and constitutional structure. Two major areas of discussion are domestic regulatory policies, which include competition policy, industrial policy, and cultural policy, as well as international regulatory policies, including international policy-making, international organisations and legitimacy, and dispute settlement. For further information contact IEJE, University of Liège, Faculty of Law, tel: +32 4 366 30 58; fax: +32 4 366 21 55; email: ieje@ulg.ac.be; Internet:http://www.law.kuleuven.ac.be/iir/nl/activiteiten/WTO2005.pdf.
6-8 March, Helsinki, Finland: THE ENFORCEMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: LESSONS OF THE ERA POST TRIPS. Organised by the Finnish group of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI). For further information contact AIPPI, Internet: http://www.aippi.org/meetings1.htm.
14 - 15 April, Aalborg, Denmark: 4TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE. This conference is organised by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. The achievements and results of partnerships for sustainable development will be discussed at the event. The themes of the workshop sessions are: Climate Change and Sustainable Energy, Mobility, Water, Health, Corporate Social Responsibility, Biodiversity and Agriculture, Resources, and Consumption. For further information contact Else Herfort, tel: +45 9935 5555; fax: +45 9935 5533; email: ehe@akkc.dk; Internet: http://www.euro-environment.dk/page410.aspx.