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 : 10 November - 16 November
14-18 November, Antalya, Turkey: FIFTH UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE TO REVIEW ALL ASPECTS OF THE SET OF MULTILATERALLY AGREED EQUITABLE PRINCIPLES AND RULES FOR THE CONTROL OF RESTRICTIVE BUSINESS PRACTICES. This UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Fifth Review Conference will focus on assessing the application and implementation of the UN "Set of Multilaterally Agreed Equitable Principles and Rules for the Control of Restrictive Business Practices" on competition in its 25 years of existence, and discuss proposals for its improvement. This event is open to all UNCTAD member states as well as selected civil society and private sector representatives. For further information contact Karma Tenzing, tel: (+41) 22-917-5636; fax: (+41) 22-917-0056; e-mail: correspondence@unctad.org.
16-18 November, Tunis, Tunisia: THE WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY (WSIS) - PHASE TWO. This event, organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), is the second phase of a two-part summit endorsed by the UN General Assembly in December 2001 to create a global discussion on the digital revolution and the ever-widening ‘digital divide’ and related development gap between rich and poor. Phase Two in Tunis will allow working groups to build upon the achievements of the December 2003 Phase One in Geneva, Switzerland and take measures to bridge the digital divide and hasten the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. For further information contact the World Summit on the Information Society Executive Secretariat, tel: (+41) 22-730-6317; fax: (+41) 22-730-6393.
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.
10 November: COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS
10 November: DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BODY
11 November: GENERAL COUNCIL
11 November: WORKING GROUP ON TRADE AND TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY
14 - 18 November: GENEVA WEEK
16 November: COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT - DEDICATED SESSION
Other Upcoming
1-2 December, Beirut, Lebanon: REGIONAL SEMINAR ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND COMPETITIVENESS OF THE AGRO-FOOD SECTOR. Some topics addressed at this UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia seminar include strategies for overcoming obstacles that are hindering the growth of the agro-food sector, ways of enhancing competitiveness, safety and technical regulations, and labelling and marketing. For further information contact Issa Toubbeh, tel: (+ 961) 1-978117; fax: (+ 961) 1-981501; e-mail: toubbehi@un.org.
6 December 2005, Washington, DC: RESOURCES FOR GLOBAL GROWTH: LINKING AGRICULTURE, ENERGY AND TRADE FOR THE FUTURE. This conference, organised by the Center for American Progress, will discuss investing in the potential of American agriculture to produce energy, to ensure that trade benefits producers in the US and abroad, creates jobs and increases farm incomes and grows more self-reliant by developing safe, clean and affordable energy. For further information contact the Center for American Progress, tel: (+1) 202-741-6246; e-mail: events@americanprogress.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.
14 December, Hong Kong, China: EMPOWERING RESEARCH AND TRAINING COMMUNITIES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. This Ministerial Conference side event will discuss the University Professor Training Programme on the WTO and Sustainable Development, a project developed by the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) and the WTO Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation. The Training Programme aims to build institutional capacity by increasing the number of courses focussing on the WTO, trade and sustainable development at universities in developing countries. Venue: Plaza V, Novotel Century Hotel, Hong Kong, Time: Side event 5-6.30pm, cocktail reception 6.30-8pm. For further information please contact Rebecca Carter, tel: (+81) 45-221-2335; fax: (+81) 45-221-2302; email: carter@ias.unu.edu.
14 December, Hong Kong, China: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT IN THE WTO DOHA ROUND: AN INTERNATIONAL LAW EXPERTS PANEL EVENT. This Experts Panel Event, organised by the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) in partnership with Foreign Affairs Canada, will provide a space for discussants from the trade law and policy community to debate the conclusions of a new legal paper that addresses topics related to the role of sustainable development in the Doha Round negotiations. A report will be produced detailing the conclusions of the event. For further information contact Marie Bourdeau, Communications Officer, tel: (+1) 514-398-8918; fax: (+1) 514-398-8197; e-mail: mbourdeau@cisdl.org.