In the last 12 months, the reform of fossil-fuel subsidies has been high on international agendas: the G-20 and APEC have committed to phase out inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies and the ‘Friends of Fossil-Fuel Subsidy Reform’ group of countries was established, to encourage and support the G-20 initiative.

Despite these ongoing developments, little is known about the strategies, progress or timelines of different national governments and international fora. To facilitate a deeper understanding of the issues, activities and opportunities for international collaboration, the Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) and the United Nations Environment Progamme (UNEP) are holding a two-day conference, Increasing the Momentum of Fossil‐Fuel Subsidy Reform: Developments and Opportunities, in order to bring together country delegates and experts from international organizations, NGOs, universities and the industrial sector.

The event will feature representatives from international organizations such as the OECD, UNEP, World Bank, WTO and OPEC, as well as international fora such as G-20, APEC and the Friends group, who will share and review their perspectives and activities. It will discuss not only the scale and impacts of consumer and producer subsidies, but especially focus on international developments, reform strategies and opportunities for enhanced international cooperation.

The conference will take place at the WTO in Geneva on the 14th and 15th of October 2010 and is open to the public.

The agenda and registration form can be downloaded from: http://www.globalsubsidies.org/research/gsi-unep-conference-increasing-momentum-fossil-fuel-subsidy-reform-developments-and-opportu