WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/INF/76 
5 May 2004 
 (04-1993) 
  
   
INFORMATION NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL 
 
WTO Public Symposium – "Multilateralism at a Crossroads" 
 
25 to 27 May 2004  
  
 This year is an important year for the multila teral trading system. Our collective efforts to 
advance the Doha negotiations are crucial to all stakeholders. In order to stimulate discussion and 
further thinking on the challenges we face, the WT O Secretariat will hold a Public Symposium from 
25 to 27 May 2004 at Centre William Rappard. 
 
 The Symposium – "Multilateralism at a Cro ssroads" – will offer government officials, 
representatives from non-governmental organizations , business and members of academia and media 
the possibility to interact and debate key issues f acing the negotiations and multilateralism in general. 
  The programme of the Symposium will f eature WTO-organized sessions on agriculture, 
development, regionalism and multila teralism. There will also be parallel workshops organized by 
governments, intergovernmental organizations, business organizations and non-governmental 
organizations on topics of their choice. Past experi ence has shown that this approach adds greatly to 
the overall value of the Symposium.   
 I am attaching the latest version of the Sy mposium programme for your information. A final 
version will be circulated at a later stage but in  the meantime, updates will be posted on the WTO's 
website (www.wto.org). For further informati on about the Symposium, please contact WTO's 
External Relations Division (bernard.kuiten@wto.org; tel: 022 7395676).     The WTO's annual Public Symposium is now an important feature on the international 
calendar. As has been the case on previous occasions , the event in 2004 will benefit from the valuable 
input of member and observer governments. I very much look forward to your active participation. 
 
__________ 
 .....   WT/INF/76
 Page 3 
 
 
 
"MULTILATERALISM AT A CROSSROADS "
 
25 to 27 May 2004  
 
WTO Public Symposium  
Centre William Rappard 
154, rue de Lausanne 
1211 Geneva, Switzerland 
 
DRAFT PROGRAMME 
 
  WT/INF/76 
Page 4  
  
TUESDAY 25 MAY 2004 
 
 
 
 Room CR (Council Room) 
 
 
8.00 - 10.00 
 Registration and Badge Collection 
 
Lobby Council Room 
 
Centre William Rappard  
 
10.00 - 13.00 
 PLENARY OPENING SESSION  
 
Chairperson: 
 Dr.  Supachai Panitchpakdi – WTO Director-General 
 Speakers:    
 The Hon. Clement J. Rohee M.P. – Mi nister of Foreign Trade and Intern ational Co-operation, Guyana (tbc) 
 Niall FitzGerald – Chairman and CEO, Unilever 
 Dr. Joseph E. Stiglitz – Profe ssor, Columbia University (tbc) 
 Victoria Tauli-Corpuz – Executive Director, Tebtebba Foundation and member of the World Commission  on the Social Dimension of 
Globalization 
 Eveline Herfkens – UN Secretary-General's Executiv e Coordinator for the Mille nnium Development Goals 
 
 
13.00 - 15.00 
 BREAK   WT/INF/76
 Page 5 
 
 
 Room CR  Room W  Room D  Room A  
 
15.00 - 18.00 
  14.00 –  17.00  
 
(2) "A Fair Globalization" 
 
Organizers: Global Unions  
 
14.00 – 15.45  
 
"POLICY COHERENCE – The report of the World 
Commission on the Social 
Dimension of Globalisation"  
 Moderator: Philip Jennings – 
General Secretary, UNI1 
 
Speakers: 
* Guy Ryder – General 
Secretary, ICFTU2 
* Developing country repr. * Industrialised country repr.  
15.45 – 17.00 
 
"POLICY COHERENCE INITIATIVES: Growth, Trade and Employment-Sectoral 
Concerns"  
 Moderator: tba 
 Speakers:  
* John Evans – TUAC3 , OECD 
* Developing country repr.  14.00 -18.00  
 
(4) "What is Africa's role in the 
Multilateral Trading System?" 
 
Organizers: ICTSD4, AITIC5 
 
Roundtable I "Africa and the 
Trading System: Between 
Multilateralism, Bilateralism and 
Regionalism"  
 Roundtable II "Africa in the Trading 
System: Global Economic 
Integration and Differential Treatment"  
 
Roundtable III "Towards a Better 
Integration of Africa in the 
Multilateral Trading System"  
 
 
 (1) Agricultural session  
 Organizers: WTO 
 
Moderator: Larry Elliot – Guardian, 
Economic Editor  Speakers: 
* Franz Fischler – EU Commissioner for 
Agriculture 
* H.E. Miguel Santiago Campos – Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, Argentina * Jack Wilkinson – President, International Federation of 
Agricultural Producers 
* Joachim von Braun – Director-General, International Food Policy Research Institute, US * Ignasi Carreras – Executive Director, Intermon OXFAM  (3)
 "Capacity Building  – 
Innovative Ideas for Humane 
and Sustainable Development" 
 
Organizers: HSUS6 
 
Speakers: 
* H.E. Francisco Lima – Ambassador of El Salvador to 
the WTO 
* Mary Ryckman – Deputy Assistant USTR for Capacity Building * Patricia A. Forkan -  Executive Vice President, HSUS 
* African representative  
* Asian representative  
                                                      
1 Union Network International 
2 International Confederation of Free Trade Unions 
3 Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD 
4 International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development 
5 Agency for International Trad e Information and Cooperation 
6 Humane Society of the US  WT/INF/76 
Page 6  
 
18.00 - 20.00 
  
RECEPTION FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS IN  THE LOBBY OF THE COUNCIL ROOM 
 
 
  
   WT/INF/76
 Page 7 
 
WEDNESDAY 26 MAY 2004 
 
 
 
 Room CR I Room CR II Room W Room D Room E Room A 
 
10.00 - 13.00 
 (5) "WTO  
Agricultural 
Negotiations: 
Addressing farmers' 
needs" 
 
Organizers: 
International Farmers' Coalition for Fair and Equitable Agricultural Trade 
Rules at the WTO  
 Moderator: tba 
 Speakers: 
* Heidi Bravo – Swiss 
Farmers Union 
* Désiré Proqué – ROPPA * Robert Friessen – Canadian Federation of Agriculture 
* National Farmers 
Union, US * COPA-COGECA, EU * Raul Montemayor – Federated Free Farmers' Coop, the (6)
 "Regional Trade  
Agreements: 
Challenges and 
Opportunities" 
 Organizers: WTO  
 
Moderator: Guy de 
Jonquières - World 
Trade Editor, Financial Times  
Speakers: 
* H.E. Alejandro Jara 
– Ambassador of Chile to the WTO * Karl Falkenberg, Director, European 
Commission 
* Carlos Bulgheroni – CEO, Bridas Corporation, Argentina * Dr. James Mathis – 
University of 
Amsterdam * Carlos Primo Braga – Senior Adviser, International Trade Department, The (7)
 "South  – South Co-
operation" 
 
Organizers: CUTS – 
CITEE7  
 Moderator: Dr. Razeen 
Sally – LES  Speakers: 
* H.E. Luiz Felipe de Seixas Correa – 
Ambassador of Brazil to 
the WTO * H.E. Toufiq Ali – Ambassador of Bangladesh to the WTO  
 (8)
 "Environmental  
Requirements and 
Market Access: An 
update on policy and 
practice – inside and 
outside the WTO" 
 
Organizers: UNCTAD, 
STIC8, IISD9 
 Moderator: Richard 
Ballhorn – DFAIT10, 
Canada (tbc) 
 "Overview of the State of Play" * Tom Rotherham – IISD 
*Repr. of EurepGAP 
*Pat Mallet – ISEAL Alliance  "Gaps in the Policy Framework" 
* Ulrich Hoffmann – 
UNCTAD * Steven Porter – CIEL *Paulo Ferracioli – Head, INMETRO
11 
* Shashi Sareen – (9) "Does the WTO  
still enjoy priority?" 
 Organizers: UNICE
13, 
BDI14 
  (10)
 "Environmental  
Goods and Services: 
Towards a 
Meaningful Outcome 
for Sustainable 
Development" 
 
Organizers: ICTSD  
 
 
                                                      
7 CUTS Centre for International Trade, Economics & Environment 
8 Sustainable Trade and Innovation Centre 
9 International Institute for Sustainable Development 
10 Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade 
11 Brazilian National Institute of Metrology,  Standardization and Industrial Quality  WT/INF/76 
Page 8 Phillipines  
* Ichiya-Takuo – Ja 
Zenchu, Japan World Bank  
 Director, Indian 
Export Council * John Polak, Chair 
GEN
12 
 Summary * Ritu Kumar – Exec. Director, STIC 
 
 
13.00 – 15.00 
 BREAK 
 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
13 Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe 
14 Federation of German Industries 
12 Global Ecolabelling Network   WT/INF/76
 Page 9 
 
 
 
 Room CR I Room CR II Room W Room D Room E Room A 
 
15.00 - 18.00 
 (11) "Development  
Perspectives of the 
WTO's post-Cancun 
Agenda" 
 
Organizers: TWN15 (12) "Developing  
countries in a 
changing trading 
system – issues and 
challenges" 
 
Organizers: WTO 
 
Moderator: H.E. 
Ransford Smith - Ambassador of 
Jamaica 
 Speakers: 
* Dr. Nagesh Kumar – Director-General, Research and 
Information Systems, 
India * Dr. Razin Sally – Head, International Trade Policy Unit - London School of 
Economics 
* Dr. Matthew Slaughter – Ass. Professor, Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth University (13) "Agricultural
 
negotiations: Formula 
for Market Access, 
Special Products and a 
Special Safeguard 
Mechanism" 
 
Organizers: CIDSE16, 
Oxfam International  
 Moderator: Luisa Bernal – 
South Centre  
 Speakers: 
* Representative of G-33 * Representative of G-20 * Panos Konandreas – 
FAO (tbc) 
* Devinder Sharma – Forum on Biotechnology and Food Security, India (14)
 "Trade and  
Biodiversity – The 
Need to Find 
Common Ground" 
 
Organizers: IUCN17, 
CESP-GEETI18, CIEL19, 
RIIA20, ICTSD  
   
 (15)
 "CSR and the  
WTO: Towards a 
Fairer Globalization 
or 'Misguided 
Virtue'?" 
 
Organizers: Geneva 
Social Observatory  
    (16)
 "Multilateral  
Competition 
Framework: Where 
and how?" 
 
Organizers: CUTS –
CCIER21  
  Moderator: Pradeep 
Mehta - Secretary-General CUTS 
 
Speakers:  
* Philippe Brusick- UNCTAD * Frederic Jenny – Conseil de la 
Concurrence - France 
* Robert Anderson - WTO Secretariat * Phil Evans – Consumer Association, UK 
* Taimoon Stewart – 
University of West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago * Patrick Krauskopf – COMCO, Switzerland 
* Carlos Correa – 
University of Buenos Aires, Argentina 
 
                                                      
15 Third World Network 
16 Coopération International pour le Développement et Solidarité 
17 World Conservation Union 
18 IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy  - Working Group on Environment, Trade and Investment 
19 Center for International Environmental Law 
20 Royal Institute of International Affairs 
21 CUTS Centre for Competition, Investment & Economic Regulation  WT/INF/76 
Page 10  
THURSDAY 27 MAY 2004 
 
 
 
 Room CR I Room CR II Room W Room D Room E Room A 
 
10.00 - 13.00 
  
  
9.30 -11.00 
 
(18) "Trade, Tourism 
and progressive 
poverty alleviation" 
 
Organizers: World 
Tourism Organization  
 Moderator: Geoffrey 
Lipman, Special Adviser to SG of World Tourism Organization  Speakers: 
* Francesco Frangialli –
Secretary General, 
World Tourism Organization * Anil Kumarsingh Gayan – Minister of Tourism and Leisure, 
Mauritius 
* Ralf Gorsten – President, Berlin Messe Gmbh    
 
      
(17) "The future of  
multilateralism" 
 
Organizers: WTO 
 
Moderator: Herbert 
Oberhänsli, Nestlé SA 
 
Speakers: 
* Johan Norberg – author of "In Defence of Global Capitalism" * Paola Ghillani – CEO, 
Max Havelaar 
Foundation, Switzerland (tbc) * Brian Hocking - Professor of International 
Relations, Coventry 
University, UK  (20)
 "How to improve  
the functioning of 
the WTO in the short 
and in the longer 
term?" 
 Organizers: European 
Commission, BDI  
 * Dr. Guido Glania – BDI * Céline Charveriat – Oxfam International 
(tbc) 
* Kobsak Chutikul – National Parliament of Thailand (tbc) * Dr. Richard Senti – Professor, Institut für 
Wirtschaftsforschung 
ETH Zürich (tbc) * Representative of the European Commission (21) "Localisation
 
within Globalisation: 
Better Protecting 
Geographical 
Indications to favour 
Sustainable 
Development" 
 
Organizers: ORIGIN22  
"GIs contribution to 
Sustainable Development"  
* Representative of 
African GI producers *Representative of Comté cheese, France * Representative of Thai GI producers 
 
"The case for better GI protection in the DDA framework"  
 * Representative of 
the Parma Ham 
Consortium, Italy * Representative of Africa (22)
 "Agricultural  
Subsidies: What are 
we actually talking 
about?" 
 
Organizers: IATP23, 
ROPPA24, 
Coordination SUD, 
CSA25, IUF26 
  (23)
 "The IMF's role  
in supporting the 
Doha Development 
Agenda" 
 
Organizers: IMF27 
 
 
                                                      
22 Organisation for an International Geographical Indications Network 
23 Institute for Agricultural and Trade Policy 
24 West African Farmers Organization 
25 Coordination Strategie Alimentaire 
26 International Union of Foodworkers 
27 International Monetary Fund   WT/INF/76
 Page 11 
  
 
    
 
     *Representative of 
Napa Valley Vintners Association, US 
* Representative of 
Chinese producers  
11.00 –  13.00  
 
(19) "Freer Trade: 
What does it mean 
for developing 
countries?" 
 Organizers: OECD
28 
Moderator:  
Guy de Jonquières – 
Trade Editor, Financial 
Times  Speakers: 
* H.E. Adrian Macey – Ambassador of New 
Zealand to the OECD 
* Kenneth Heydon – Deputy Director, OECD Trade Directorate * Howard Chase – European Roundtable 
of Industrialists (tbc) 
* H.E. Alejandro Jara – Ambassador of Chile to the WTO  
 
                                                      
28 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development  WT/INF/76 
Page 12  
13.00 – 15.00 
 BREAK  
 
   WT/INF/76
 Page 13 
 
 
 
 Room CR I Room CR II Room W Room D Room E Room A 
 
15.00 - 18.00 
 (24) "The  
Development Agenda 
At Risk? Perspectives 
from the South" 
 
Organizers: Focus on 
the Global South 
 Moderator: Aileen 
Kwa – Focus on the Global South 
 
Speakers: * H.E. Nathan Irumba – Ambassador of Uganda (tbc) * Dr. Ajit Singh – 
Professor, University 
of Cambridge * Jacques-Chai Chomthongdi – Focus on the Global South  (24) "Multilateral
 
Trade Agreements 
and their impact on 
women 
entrepreneurs" 
 
Organizers: CBC29, 
GWIT30 
   (25)
 "The GMO dispute  – 
rules, risks and reality" 
 
Organizers: FOE 
International31 
 
Speakers: 
* Liana Stupples – Policy and Campaigns Director, FOE Int. and Bite Back Campaign 
*Vandana Shiva – 
Director, Research Foundation for Science and Technology, India * Alice Palmer – Programme Director, 
FIELD, UK 
* Martin Khor – Director, Third World Network (tbc) * Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziahber – Director 
General, Environmental 
Protection Authority, Ethiopia (tbc) * Lori Wallach – Public Citizen, US (tbc) (26)(title) 
 Organizers: 
International Policy Network  
 (27)
 "Environment  
and Governance – 
what role for the 
WTO?" 
 
Organizers: European 
Commission  (28) (title)  
 
 
 
______________ 
                                                      
29 Commonwealth Business Council 
30 Geneva Women in International Trade 
31 Friends of the Earth International