The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the European Parliament will be jointly holding the Annual Session of the Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 11 and 12 September 2008 at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG). Guest speakers include WTO Director-General, Mr. Pascal Lamy, who will share his views on the future of the Doha Round negotiations with legislators, on Thursday at 11.30 a.m.
The principal objective of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO is to enhance external transparency of the WTO and make this inter-governmental organization accountable to legislators as elected representatives of the people.
As on past occasions, this year's session is intended for parliamentarians who specialize in matters of international trade in their respective parliaments. The event, to be attended by over 400 delegates from over 80 countries, will provide an opportunity to obtain first-hand information on recent developments in WTO talks and consider ways of boosting the process. It will also provide a forum to exchange views and experiences with fellow parliamentarians, interact with government negotiators and WTO officials and engage in a dialogue with civil society representatives.
Themes to be discussed include the long-term consequences of a stalemate in WTO negotiations; trade and climate change; defusing the threat of conflicts over food and energy through trade; and trade in the era of the digital revolution. See full programme on IPU website.
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