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Latest Meetings Attended by ICDA Secretariat (2002-2004)
news ARCHIVE
2001 Secretariat News

2002 Secretariat News

2003 Secretariat News

Date Title Theme & Comments
2-3 April EU-LDC Network Annual Conference: Multilateralism & Risk Beyond Globalisation
18 March Trade Working Group (TWG)
4-5 March Remaking Global Trading System @ European Parliament
17 February DG Trade Civil Society Issue Group: WTO Institutional Reform @ Borschette
17 February DG Trade Civil Society Issue Group: Overview of Doha Development Agenda (DDA) @ Borschette
16 February First European Trade Network Meeting @ Broederlijk Delen, Brussels Update on EU Trade policy-making; Transparency in EU Trade Policy-making; Sustainability Impact Assessments; Cotonou-EPA negotiations; UNCTAD XI; WTO update;
30 January Global Marshall Plan, Brussels how can the Global Marshall Plan herald a new network of alliances that will include the US in fostering sustainable development?
2003 Meetings (please see below)
2 December Inaugural meeting of the "Trade Working Group" (formerly WTO Reference Group) @ APRODEV Secretariat, Brussels which NGO part of the group gets to focus on most important themes for 2004?
27-28 November Global Progressive Forum meeting @ European Parliament (session on: Regional Integration; UN Reform; Trade & Poverty) "three days to change the world", as slogan ran was well-nigh utopian, but nonetheless an interesting conference to bring together a bunch of people of the critical ilk to discuss, and ruminate over how to save the world in those three days. Unlikely, but a good and useful dream to cling onto if constructive change is to take effect for posterity.
25 November Update of Doha Development Agenda (DDA) post-Cancun @ Borschette, European Commission tri-monthly briefings from the European Commission--usually by John Clarke of DG Trade--who makes time to listen to usual objections to DDA, and who argues with same deadpan expression. Useful, even if to a small extent.
24 November (Fourth session of) European Trade Network Latest on TRIPs; Environment & SIAs; GATS; Agriculture; Special & Differential Treatment; NGO plans for UNCTAD XI; Intervention by Mr. Hassan Qaqaya of UNCTAD Secretariat who provided some detailed insights and inputs into and for UNCTAD XI.
14 October After Cancun- where next for development? International Conference Cancun collapse and its consequences for development; EU trade policy after Cancun
8 October Launch of UNFPA`s report: " State of World Population 2003, Making 1 billion count:investing in adolescents`health and rights" Adolescent's Reproductive Health rights
1 October IIED, WWF, "Southern Perspectives on the EU`s Sustainable Development Strategy", Draft Programme for Steering Committee Sustainable Development and sustainable trade; EU policy on trade in DCs; FDI and Corporate Social Responsibility
24 September STIC( Sustainable Trade and Innpovation Centre), European Regional consultation on the European Hub activities Sustainable Trade after Cancun; Presentation of STIC projects
15 July European Trade Network Third meeting @ 11.11.11 Latest on TRIPs; Environment & SIAs; GATS; Agriculture; Special & Differential Treatment; NGO plans for Cancun;
16 May Commonwealth Gender Workshop, Geneva, Switzerland Gender mainstreaming into development; gender strategisizing for Cancun & beyond--organised by UK's Commonwealth Secretariat
25 March General meeting with EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy, @ DG Trade Lamy's update on WTO & DDA Negotiations. As usual, sharp insights, with much evasiveness, and little time for comprehensive responses by NGOs
24 March WTO Reference Group, CIDSE Secretariat, Brussels Penultimate Discussion/meeting with CIDSE; WIDE; OXFAM International; SOLIDAR; regarding DG Civil Society Issue Groups; & development of other NGO matters, especially upcoming NGDO May Conference
7 March NGO Strategy Seminar @ European Parliament how NGOs can remain cohesive on road towards Cancun, especially with focus on WSSD and globalisation.
6 March Sustainable Trade & Innovation Centre European Hub--"The Role of STICs 'Buyers Project Group' ", Brussels N/A
6 March Public Hearing: 'The EU between Johannesburg follow-up and Cancun politics: How to set the right framework for investment rules', European Parliament water liberalisation; GATS discussions, with interventions from EU's Pascal Lamy; COE's Erik Wesselius; very insightful discussions on how the EU is fast selling out to multinationals, especially by way of GATS; intervention from South Africa's Mike Muller; interventions from Civil Society from South, such as Million Belay, and Alejandro Villamar.
25 February WTO Reference Group, SOLIDAR Secretariat, Brussels Discussion with CIDSE; WIDE; OXFAM Intenational; SOLIDAR; EURODAD regarding DG Civil Society Issue Groups; & development of other NGO matters.
6 February Seminar on WTO Agriculture Negotiations and External Effects of the CAP, European Parliament expectations of CAP reform; market-opening for both North & South; "decoupling" subsidies from production; involved participation of NGOs; PES Group & Other members; DG Trade representatives present, too.
5 February European Trade Network First Meeting 2003, Brussels Latest on TRIPs; Environment & SIAs; GATS; Agriculture; Special & Differential Treatment; NGO plans for Cancun; Presentation--very insightful--from Peter Brun of Committee133.
31 January WTO Reference Group, CIDSE Secretariat, Brussels Discussion with CIDSE, EUROSTEP; WIDE; OXFAM Intenational; SOLIDAR; EURODAD regarding DG Civil Society Issue Groups; & other NGO matters.
29 January DG Civil Society Issue Groups-- State of Play at the WTO, Centre Borschette, BRUSSELS first one since 2003--with circa 40 participants; more briefing than "dialogue"; where is EU at on different areas of Doha Round negotiations?
2002
Date Title Theme & Comments
27 November Meeting of Cotonou Monitoring Group--facilitation of "an exchange of what NGOs in the four ACP regions are working on" market access; regional trade; Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs); Cotonou Agreement
26 November Second International Conference on Globalisation, introduced by Belgian Premier Guy Verhofstad attended by over 200 people; international development; agriculture; market access; globalisation; multinationals (TNCs & MNCs)
25 November European Trade Network, Brussels Last meeting of 2002--More discussion on issues on WSSD; WTO; Gender; GATS; how to strategize for Cancun ministerial
24 October Gender, ICT, and Rural Development, King Baudouin Foundation, Brussels Gender, rural development
10 October EU Trade Policy: EBA or EPA: What's in it for developing countries? (Everything But Arms / Economic Partnership Agreements?), The Hague, the Netherlands Market Access; regional integration fror ACP countries; very informative exchange with orgs, such as SOMO; ECDPM; Dutch Foreign Ministry present.
9 October 'Save Our Food From Genetic Pollution' Trolley campaign organised by Friends of Earth Europe GM crops; food security;'lots of noise, colour, and dance'
7 October The Johannesburg Global Summit: Were Hopes being Raised Too High? WSSD; sustainable development; business sector participation, along with candid views from participants that made for a very informative meeting.
3 October NGO Seminar on Peace & Development in Sudan @ ACP Secretariat, Brussels High-level representation, including Ambassador of Sudan to Brussels. Meeting was actually chaired by him. European Commission (AIDCO) present; plus DG Development representative. Very candid views expressed on peace and development -- not trade -- for Sudan.
2 October Trade & Development Day @ Borschette, EU discussion on EC's Communication on Trade & Development, which, among many things, paid scant regard to issue of decline in commodity prices as result of under-development; presentations by NGOs, such as CIDSE on collective contributions over problematics of Communication.
30 September European Trade Network meeting @ 11.11.11, Brussels issues on WSSD; WTO; Gender; GATS; how to strategize for Cancun ministerial
17 September Meeting @ European Parliament on Global Investment Rules TNCs; Investment; new Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI); World Bank, we learnt, has NOT been lending new money because all the money they receive is from developing & LDCs re-paying spiralling debt.
4 July Eurostep AD-HOC meeting on ACP-EU Negotiations @ Borschette, EU regional integration; SIAs; Market Access. Very informative and frank exchanges. Commission position still ambiguous over its true intentions for ACP. Chaired by Inge Foistel
6 June PES Group Public Meeting Debate: Intellectual Property: A New North-South Divide? @ European Parliament issues on TRIPs
21 May CUTS-CITEE Seminar--Scoping Issues @ Dorint Hotel, Brussels seminar to identify research & networking needs on WTO issues.
16 May European Trade Network Meeting @ 11.11.11, Brussels issues on WSSD; WTO; Gender; GATS; World Food Summit
8 May "Can Johannesburg Summit Save the World and Can We Save the Summit? conference examining linkages/problems inherent in meetings from Monterrey (FfD) to Jo'Berg (WSSD).@ European Parliament

This was another successful European Parliament conference that was chaired by Dr.Caroline Lucas, green MEP; and included interventions from Dr.Vandana Shiva, and other prominent MEPs.

18-19 April Investment & Competition in the WTO -- Towards a Critical Response. Capaciy Building & Strategy Seminar @ 11.11.11, Brussels. This was a very informative seminar which happened also to take place in a very busy week for NGOs--as well as for ICDA--Green Week.
17 April Public Hearing From Rio via Doha to Johannesburg: Counterbalancing the WTO with strong environmental & social rules @ European Parliament Multilateral Environment Agreements (MEAs); corporate regulation; EU approach to sustainable trade: trade & investment.

The meeting was a bit technical, but was broken down for everyone thanks to incisive interventions by people like UNEP's Charles Arden-Clarke, and Dr.Martin Khor of Third World Network, Malaysia.

15 April Structural Adjustment, Economic Crisis & Poverty.Global Forum on Grassroots Assessments of World Bank Policies IMF; World Bank. Impact of Trade/Agriculture on manufacturing sector and small farms, inter alia.
21-25 March Resisting Capitalism With Capitalism Itself: Financial Activism & Beyond Amersfoort, the Netherlands Financial Activism & World Bank Boycott issues. Brilliant workshop on different case studies of impact of WB on communities in Poland; Latvia; US...
6 March Trade Information Exchange (TIE) second session of TIE, intended to be meeting of Brussels-based NGOs working on, or monitoring trade issues. Meeting's objective was to feed into ETN meeting.
20 February How to Ensure ACP-EU Trade Arrangements Contribute to the Campaign Against Poverty in the ACP: The Role of Civil Society Very informative exchange; ACP-EU Negotiations; regionalism; regional integration.
18 February Financing for Development Strategizing Financing for Development preparation for FfD Conference in Monterrey. Issues discussed were ODA; Debt.
6 February First Trade Information Exchange meeting exchange of monthly trade happenings in Brussels
8-10 January Agriculture: Beyond non-trade concerns?, Paris Market access; regional integration; ACP countries; included interventions by, inter alia,José Bové, and President of IATP Mark Ritchie

Last Updated: Wednesday 17 February 2004 @ 1.54am CET
*Please note that Page Updates are page-specific, which means that the whole site is not updated at once. You will therefore find that some pages have different dates of update.*



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