Geneva Trade and Development Symposium 2009
Venue: World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)
Date: 30 November 2009 to 2 December 2009
The Geneva Trade and Development Symposium (GTDS) will be held in conjunction with the Seventh Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation, in Geneva from the 29th November to 2nd December. This symposium will be open to the public – or all who wish to participate.
Details
The goal of the GTDS is to encourage innovative thinking and analysis on issues related to trade and development for stakeholders to translate them into inputs for future negotiations. The GTDS will bring together acclaimed academics, policy researchers and analysts, IGOs and NGOs with expertise and knowledge in development-related issues, businesses or the private sector, and parliamentarians as speakers on panels to stimulate the discussions.
The main topics for discussions will be centred around three themes: Strengthening the multilateral system – the place of the WTO; Perspectives for the Doha round; New issues, new challenges. Particular attention will be paid to how trade policies can help to meet the needs of sustainable human development, the Millennium Development Goals and Targets, and other public policy objectives and needs such as poverty eradication, equity as well as education, health and nutrition.
The specific objectives of the GTDS are to:
- Build greater understanding of the positive and negative development-related impacts and concerns of trade policies/rules and the current agenda;
- Promote the need for ‘policy coherence’ for sustainable development in relation to trade negotiations;
- Provide informed and constructive recommendations on development-related policies to key actors in the Doha Round negotiations and in regional and bilateral agreements;
- Build new networks and strengthen existing ones among the trade and development communities.
Speakers
Our invited guest speakers are composed of a distinguished group of business leaders, key policymakers in governmental and intergovernmental organizations, experts from academia and research institutes, and vocal activists from civil society organizations. Together they offer a comprehensive view on issues at stake with fresh perspectives from China, Europe, the U.S., as well as other developing countries.
Organisers
The GTDS will bring together acclaimed academics, policy researchers and analysts, IGOs and NGOs with expertise and knowledge in development-related issues, businesses or the private sector, and parliamentarians as speakers on panels to stimulate the discussions. Below is a list of the organisations that will be organising sessions.
Programme
Please click on the days below for details of individual sessions or download a concise PDF version (updated) or full PDF programme. Click on 'details' to access speaker and organiser information and download presentations and documents.
Practical Information
The GTDS opens in Geneva, on the 30th November and closes on the 2nd December 2009. Find everything you need to know about how to attend the conference here.