Events Around WTO Seattle Ministerial Conference (30 November-3 December)
To submit an event or correction to this list, please contact hcameron at ictsd.ch ICTSD will be using this space in the forthcoming months to announce events that will take place around the WTO's Ministerial Conference in Seattle, Washington, from 30 November to 3 December. The list will cover the three-week period from 16 November to 10 December and will include events from all areas, including government, inter-governmental organisations, civil society, the business community and academia. Please bear in mind that there are also many other events taking place in the coming months that will address Ministerial issues; these will be listed on our regular calendar.
27 November, Seattle: THE INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON GLOBALIZATION (IFG) TEACH-IN ON THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION. The event will take place at the 2,500-seat Benaroya Seattle Symphony Hall. It will focus on the problems of economic globalisation and, specifically, on the activities of the WTO and other international agreements and institutions. For information contact the International Forum on Globalization, 1555 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94109, tel: (1- 415) 771-3394, fax: 771-1121, web: http://www.ifg.org
28-29 November, Seattle: 1999 PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY/MARCH-RALLY AGAINST WTO/GLOBALIZATION IN SEATTLE. Main convenor is Sentenaryo ng Bayan, a Filipino organisation in Seattle. The conference will be held on and will culminate in a rally on 30 November. Both events will serve as counterpoint and alternative to the WTO 3rd Ministerial Meeting. A special half-day session is being planned to focus on the WTO's Agreement on Agriculture, peasants and rural women. Invited are organizations, groups and individuals, whether within or outside of the Peoples' Campaign Against Imperialist Globalisation (PCAIG) network, who have been active in resisting TNCs/MNCs, APEC, NAFTA, WTO-IMF-WB, globalisation and monopoly capitalism. It is expected that BAYAN networks in the US and Canada will participate. For information contact CAOA Secretariat, Bayan/Amihan/KMP, fax: c/o Gabriela (63-2) 374-4423, email: tpl at cheerful.com
29 November-3 December, Seattle: CITIZEN'S TRADE CAMPAIGN EVENTS. The CTC will host a Citizens’ Summit in the United Methodist Church, located in downtown Seattle. Each day of the week will be devoted to a different set of related issues and will include symposia, plenaries, panels, skills-sharing, strategy sessions and dramatic press events. See below.
29 November, 11:30-13:30, Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Seattle: TIME TO TALK: FORUMS ON RACE SERIES. TOPIC: "BUILDING GLOBAL RELATIONSHIPS FOR LOCAL BUSINESS SUCCESS." Sponsored by the Urban Enterprise Center and Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Roundtable discussion with luncheon speaker, Q & A. For registration or information contact Herman McKinney, GSCC, (1-206) 389-7231, email: hermanm at seattlechamber.com
29 November-3 December, 11:30-13:30, Seattle Space Needle: EUROPEAN UNION TRADE FORUM. TOPIC: "EUROPEAN-U.S. TRADE ISSUES AND WTO." Sponsored by the Council of European Chambers. Daily WTO briefings and luncheon for businesses, chambers, and public. A panel discussion, "Managing Issues Under WTO Rules: Genetically Modified Products," on 1 December with moderator Barry Mitzman. For registration or information contact Malte Kleutz, CEC, tel: (1-206) 352-9020, email: northwest at wtravelers.com
29 November; 1 December, Seattle University, Seattle: AFRICAN DAY BUSINESS FORUM. The forum will address the "Africa Trade Bill and WTO Impacts". Sponsored by the African Chamber of Commerce. Evening reception on 29 November; Business Forum on 1 December. Speakers include Heads of State, Ambassadors, US Government and US Trade Representative officials. For information contact Therese Kunzi-Clark, King County Office of Trade, tel: (1-206) 296-7421.
30 November, Seattle: AFL-CIO RALLY AND MARCH AT THE WTO. Worldwide Fair Trade networks will be marching with them.
2 December 10:00-20:00, Seattle: THE AMERICAS, REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS AND THE WTO. To be held at the Seattle Center. Sponsored inter alia by the US-Mexico Chambers of Commerce, Consuls of Canada, Bolivia, Peru, Chile and Uruguay. Includes a day-long Trade Education Exhibition, a Reverse Trade Mission, panel discussions, and an evening reception with WTO briefing. For information contact Therese Kunzi-Clark, King County Office of Trade, tel: (1-206) 296-7421.
2 December, 18:30-22:00, University Plaza Hotel, Seattle: INDIA, TRADE OPPORTUNITIES, AND WTO. Reception and dinner with guest speakers Ambassador Naresh Chandra (invited) and Congressman Jim McDermott (invited). Sponsored by the Indo-American Friendship Forum. For information contact: Jagdish Sharma, IAFF, tel: (1-425) 489-0510, email: jagdish.p.sharma at boeing.com
3 December, 10:00-20:00, Westin Hotel or Sheraton Hotel, Seattle: A SALUTE TO SMALL BUSINESS & ASIAN PACIFIC TRADE. Sponsored by the Coalition of Chambers for Asian Pacific Trade including over 20 chambers throughout the Greater Seattle/King County area. Evening reception with speakers from US Government, Seattle Host Organization, USTR (invited), and local officials Governor Locke and King County Executive Ron Sims (invited). Topic: "WTO Week-In-Review." Business outreach and trade education panels earlier in afternoon. Grand finale to WTO Week business outreach events. For information contact Damian Cordova, tel: (1-206) 553-7170, email: damian.cordova at mail.house.gov
The Council of Canadians are planning to mobilise in Vancouver for a conference immediately prior to the Summit and then descend on Seattle. For information contact Council of Canadians, tel: (1-604) 688-8846, web: http://www.canadians.org
Date/location TBA: WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT ON COMMUNITY, TRADE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. STATEWIDE ROUND-TABLES OF SMALL BUSINESS CEOs. Topics: "What is the WTO?" and "How Can the WTO Help Small Business?" Event may include sponsorship of a Reverse Trade Mission as follow-up to the Governor's August 1999 100-member trade mission to Mexico. For registration or information contact John Anderson or Elsa Trail, WSCTED, tel: (1-206) 956-3131, email: elsat at cted.wa.gov
Citizens Trade Campaign Events
29 November, 08:30-17:15, United Methodist Church, Seattle: SESSION ON ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH. Conveners: Dan Seligman (Environment), Sierra Club, email: dan.seligman at sierraclub.org, web: http://www.sierraclub.org; and Mary Bottari (Health), Public Citizen, email: mbottari at citizen.org, web: http://www.tradewatch.org
30 November, 08:30-17:15, United Methodist Church, Seattle: SESSION ON LIVELIHOODS, LABOUR RIGHTS, AND STANDARD OF LIVING. Convenors: Dave Foster, United Steelworkers of America, Dist. 11 or Medea Benjamin, Global Exchange, tel: (1-510) 548-0370, web: http://www.globalexchange.org. SESSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS. Convenor: Marianne Mollman, Public Citizen, email: marianne at citizen.org, web: http://www.tradewatch.org
1 December, 08:30-17:30, United Methodist Church, Seattle: SESSION ON WOMEN / DEMOCRACY / SOVEREIGNTY / DEVELOPMENT. Convenors: Alexandra Spieldoch, Center of Concern, email: aspieldoch at coc.org; SESSION ON "NO PATENTS ON LIFE: BIOTECH IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY." (held at Plymouth Congregational Church) Convenor: Phil Bereano, tel: (1-206) 543-9037, email: phil at uwtc.washington.edu
2 December, United Methodist Church, Seattle: SESSION ON FOOD & AGRICULTURE: FOOD SAFETY AND SECURITY. Convenor: Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, tel: (1-612) 870-0453, email: rvanstaveren at iatp.org, web: http://www.iatp.org
3 December, 08:30-12:30, Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Seattle: SESSION ON CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILTY: WHO RULES? Convenor: David Korten, People-Centered Development Forum, email: pcfd at econet.org, web: http://iisd.ca/pcdf