WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/INF/34
21 May 2001
(01-2581)
INVITATION TO WTO MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE IN A WTO SYMPOSIUM ON
CURRENT ISSUES FACING THE WORLD TRADING SYSTEM
I would like to invite you to participate in a symposium which will be held in Geneva on 6
and 7 July 2001. This event will focus on some of the challenges confronting the world trading
system. It will include representatives from governments, non-governmental organizations, the media
and members of the academic community. It is my hope that this symposium will further discussion
and thinking about how to tackle some difficult issues.
The symposium, which will begin and end with plenary sessions, will feature separate work
sessions during the two days. The work sessions wi ll focus on trade in agriculture, food safety and
sanitary and phytosantiary standards, intellectual property rights (the TRIPS Agreement),
development and environment issues and trade in services (the GATS). A fifth working session will
address the relationship between the WTO and civil society.
Member governments are encouraged to participate in the five work sessions and are invited
to complete the attached registration form. I believe your participation will make an invaluable
contribution to furthering the debate.
Mike MooreWT/INF/34
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SYMPOSIUM ON ISSUES CONFRONTING THE WORLD TRADING SYSTEM
World Trade Organization – Geneva, Switzerland
The World Trade Organization will be the venue of a symposium
on critical issues confronting the world trading system on 6 and 7 July 2001.
Representatives from governments, non- governmental organizations, the media
and members of the academic community are invited to participate.
The Symposium – Aim and Structure
The aim of the two-day symposium on the state of the world trading system is to provide as
much time as possible for both general and specific, issues-based discussion. An opening plenary onthe morning of the first day of the symposium will be followed by five separate work sessions, each
with a moderator and several discussants. Specific subjects under each general heading will be
addressed by the discussants and ample time will be allotted during each session for comments,
questions and debate. The work sessions will start in the afternoon of the first day of the symposium
and continue the next morning. A draft programme will be made available on the WTO's website as
soon as possible.
The closing plenary session will be held on the afternoon of 7 July. At that time, the
chairpersons of the five work sessions will make oral summaries in a personal capacity of key points
raised during their respective sessions. Reports providing a short and factual summary of all
interventions made during each work session will be issued a few days after the symposium.
Special work sessions during the two-day symposium will focus on trade in agriculture, food
safety and sanitary and phytosantiary standards, intellectual property rights (the TRIPS Agreement),
development and environment issues and trade in services (the GATS). A fifth working session will
address the relationship between the WTO and civil society.
Due to the limited seats available for the different workshops, which will be conducted
simultaneously, not all participants will be able to attend the work session of their choice. Therefore,
participants are requested to select in preferential order the session they are interested in attending.
The final list of organizations and member governments and corresponding work sessions will be
posted on the WTO's website.
Registration forms can be downloaded from the WTO's website at www.wto.org. Given space
constraints, the number of participants will be limited to the first 700 registration forms received.
Individual organizations can register a maximu m of three participants for the symposium.
To facilitate discussions and preparations for the five separate working sessions, on-line
forums on the subject areas will be launched on the WTO's website as of mid-June. Participants are
encouraged to familiarize themselves not only with the issues, but with the views and concerns
expressed by others.WT/INF/34
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SYMPOSIUM ON ISSUES CONFRONTING THE WORLD TRADING SYSTEM
World Trade Organization – Geneva, Switzerland
Friday, 6 July
8:00 – 10:00 Registration, badge distribution10:00 Plenary opening
Welcome – Mike Moore – WTO Director-General
Introduction by Chairperson (20 minutes)Followed by three speakers
12-12.30 Chairperson announces work sessions and arrangements for moderators, discussants,
venues and reporting procedures for final plenary session
2:30-5:30 pm    Work sessions:
I: Agriculture
II: TRIPS – Access to Essential Medicines
III: Trade and EnvironmentIV: Services
V: WTO & Civil Society
I: Agriculture – Issues and Negotiations
Issues to be covered:   agricultural reform – negotiations
developing country concerns
non-trade concerns
Program:   Introduction by Moderator (10 minutes)
Presentations by Discussants (10 minutes each)
Open discussion
Summary by Moderator (15 minutes max.)
II: TRIPS - Access to Essential Medicines
Issues to be covered:   The  relationship between the TRIPS Agreement and the generation of and
access to pharmaceuticalsWT/INF/34
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Program:   Introduction by moderator (10 minutes)
Presentations by discussants (10 minutes each)
Open discussion
Summary by moderator (15 minutes max.)
III: Trade and Environment
Issues to be covered: Market access - Agriculture and Fisheries
MEAs and WTO rulesPPMs and labelling / GMOs
Program:   Introduction by moderator (10 minutes)
Presentations by discussants (10 minutes each)
Open discussionSummary by Moderator (15 minutes max.)
IV: Services
Issues to be covered: 1) Regulation and liberalization under GATS
2) Status of public services
Program:   Introduction by moderator (10 minutes)
Presentations by discussants (15 minutes each)
Open discussion
Summary by Moderator (15 minutes max.)
V: WTO & Civil Society
Issues to be covered: 1) What role for NGOs in capacity building
2) WTO institutional reform
Program:   Introduction by moderator (10 minutes)
Presentations by discussants (10 minutes each)Open discussion
Summary by Moderator (15 minutes max.)
Saturday, 7 July
10:00-1:00 pm                Work sessions:
I: Food Safety and the SPS AgreementII: TRIPS – Bio-technology / Bio-diversity
III: Trade and Development
IV: Services
V: WTO & Civil SocietyWT/INF/34
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I: Food Safety and the SPS Agreement
Issues to be covered : precaution
GMOs
developing country concerns
Program: Introduction by moderator (10 minutes)
Presentations by discussants (10 minutes each)
Open discussion
Summary by moderator (15 minutes max.)
II: TRIPS – Bio-technology / Bio-diversity
Issues to be covered: Patenting of biotechnological inventions, protection of traditional knowledge
and genetic resources; relationship between the TRIPS agreement and the
CBD
Program:   Introduction by moderator (10 minutes)
Presentations by discussants (10 minutes each)
Open discussion
Summary by moderator (15 minutes max.)
III: Trade & Development
Issues to be covered: Contribution of trade to development and poverty alleviation
Importance of market access and equitable rules for developing countries
Capacity building needs and mainstreaming of trade into development
policies
Trade liberalization, development and the environment - towards sustainable
development
Program:   Introduction by moderator (10 minutes)
Presentations by discussants (10 minutes each)
Open discussion
Summary by moderator (15 minutes max.)
IV: Services
Issues to be covered: Participation of developing countries
Negotiating issues for the current services round
Program:   Introduction by moderator (10 minutes)
Presentations by discussants (15 minutes each)
Open discussion
Summary by moderator (15 minutes max.)
V: WTO & Civil Society
Issues to be covered: WTO institutional reforms (continued)
Program:   Introduction by moderator (10 minutes)WT/INF/34
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Presentations by discussants (10 minutes each)
Open discussion
Summary by moderator (15 minutes max.)
3:00 – 5:00 p.m.            Afternoon – Final Plenary Session
Moderators report on sessions (15 minutes each)
Wrap-up by Chairperson of the SymposiumFinal commentsWT/INF/34
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REGISTRATION FORM
SYMPOSIUM ON ISSUES CONFRONTING THE WORLD TRADING SYSTEM
6 & 7 JULY 2001 – GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
__________________________________________________________________________________
Name of organization/Member government/other:
Name of participant: Main contact address:
Tel: /Fax:
e-mail:website:
I wish to attend the working session on _________________________________________
(please indicate order of priority for all subjec ts from 1 to 5 with 1 being your first choice)
Friday afternoon work sessions
14:30 – 17:30Saturday morning work sessions
10:00 to 13:00
Agriculture Food Safety & the SPS Agreement
TRIPS – Access to essential medicine s TRIPS – Bio-technol ogy / Bio-diversity
Trade & Environment Trade & Development
Services (The GATS) Services (The GATS)
WTO & Civil Society WTO & Civil Society
NOTE: Please send the completed form to symposium@wto.org or to fax number:
 00 41 22 731 42 06
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