The Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference

Read a summary of IISD's participation at the The Fifth World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference (176 kb).

The Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference was held in Cancun, Mexico, from the 10th to 14th of September 2003. The main task was to take stock of progress in negotiations and other work under the Doha Development Agenda. Prior to and during the official conference, there were a number of activities taking place in Cancun and in Cozumel. The following is a calendar of events organized by, or involving, IISD's Trade and Investment team.

For an in-depth assessment of the results of Cancun, see the IISD commentary.

Friday, September 5 to Sunday, September 7

Global Biodiversity Forum

Time: See agenda
Venue: Hotel Gran Melia

• Mark Halle and Konrad von Moltke addressed the issue of trade and sustainable development at the Global Biodiversity Forum, in the session on Sustainable Trade and Rural Livelihoods. This workshop reviewed and discussed the linkages between trade policy/trade rules and sustainable livelihoods as well as the potential of sustainable trade initiatives as tools for poverty alleviation and environmental conservation. The conceptual framework of the sustainable commodity chain was discussed and case studies on specific commodities (such as sugar, wine, coffee, cacao, cotton) were presented. Participants explored, discussed and brought forward actual experiences and case studies linking sustainable trade with biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation. The workshop sought to collectively derive policy recommendations and strategic opportunities for action, to the WTO and relevant MEAs.

• Go to the event Web site.

Tuesday, September 9

Impact of Subsidies on Trade and Environment

Time: 9:00 – 10:10
Venue: Cozumel

• David Runnalls (President of IISD) and Konrad von Moltke participated in the Cozumel event, organized by the Mexican Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources in collaboration with key players from the trade and environment community. IISD contributed a research paper on Subsidies and Trade.

• See the event agenda (108 kb).

• See the research paper (135 kb).

Thursday, September 11

The Trade Knowledge Network: Case Studies of Developing Country Issues

Time: 2:30 – 6:00 pm
Venue: Hotel Gran Melia

• The TKN is a group of researchers from eight developing countries—a network coordinated by IISD and ICTSD that aims to foster long-term capacity to address complex issues of trade and sustainable development in developing countries. Researchers from Chile, Costa Rica and Pakistan presented their case study research.

• See the event agenda (131 kb).

• See the Trade Knowledge Network Web site.

Friday, September 12

Investment as if Sustainable Development Really Mattered

Time: 9:00 – 1:30
Venue: Hotel Gran Melia

• IISD organized this session—part of the ICTSD's Cancun Trade and Development Symposium—in collaboration with:

• • Royal Institute of International Affairs

  • Center for International Environmental Law

  • Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts

  • International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development

  • Research and Information Service for Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries

  • World Resources Institute

There were presentations and discussion starting with the linkages between FDI and development, through the lessons from existing agreements and sectors, and finally to an effort to think about making investment work for sustainable development. IISD and RIIA will be basing their work on a joint project that comprised a Chatham House experts' meeting and briefing sessions in Geneva and Brussels.

• See the agenda and background papers (112 kb).

• See the overall background paper.

Friday, September 12

Fair Trade in the Americas Strategy Forum: The Case of Coffee

Time: 11:45 AM
Venue: Hotel Casa Maya

• Jason Potts of IISD participated in the Fair Trade in the Americas Strategy Forum organized by the Institute of Agriculture and Trade Policy, Equiterre and Comercio Justo Mexico. The Fair Trade Forum brought together farmer and artisan groups, NGOs, certification organizations, and government and multilateral agency representatives in various sessions to examine the current state of Fair Trade globally, key challenges for the Fair Trade system, and successful strategies for expanding Fair Trade markets.

• Go to the event Web site.

Saturday, September 13

MEAs and the WTO

Time: 9:00 – 11:00
Venue: NGO Centre

• IISD and the Royal Institute of International Affairs convened a workshop on the relationship between WTO rules and the MEAs. The event built on an earlier experts' workshop at Chatham House in London, and briefing sessions in Brussels and Geneva.

• See the agenda (83 kb).

• See the background paper (2433 kb).

Saturday, September 13

Book Launch The State of Trade and Environment Law 2003: Implications for Doha and Beyond

Time: 5:00 – 6:00
Venue: NGO Centre

• IISD and the Center for International Environmental Law launched this book, authored collaboratively by the two institutions. The book explores four key issues, tracking their progress from the pre-WTO rulings to the latest decisions, asking in each case what it means from an environmental perspective, and what are the implications for the Doha negotiations. The issues, which the authors find have fundamentally changed over the last decade, are: PPMs and extraterritoriality; WTO-MEAs; science and precaution; and TRIPS-CBD.