[asia-apec 1113] meeting on WTO and agriculture

[Sophia Murphy]

For those following the trade and agriculture debates:


**************************
2nd INITIAL NOTICE

date:   3 May 1999


To:   People from NGOs interested in the Agricultural Negotiations of the WTO
and to the Participants of the international NGO Workshop on "Agriculture,
Trade and the WTO in Geneva, May 15-20, 1998


Dear friends,

One of the results of last year's  workshop in Geneva was that we promised
to meet again in a year's time. The follow-up of that workshop is now
scheduled.

On behalf of the IATP / Minneapolis (Sophia Murphy) and of the World
Council of Churches I would like to invite you to the

WORKSHOP ON  "AGRICULTURE, TRADE AND THE WTO",  JUNE 21-23, 1999
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(starting in the morning)
At the "Centre OecumOnique" (CE) - World Council of Churches, Rue de Ferney

The programme is currently being prepared. We have foreseen the following
structure:

Monday 21 June: afternoon: 
Introduction/ review of key issues related to the WTO Agreement on
Agriculture 


Tuesday 22 
meeting the Negotiators from the various groups of countries at the Centre
OecumOnique (CE).


Wednesday 23

1) Conceptualising an NGO strategy for the Agricultural Negotiations of the
Millennium Round

2) Getting prepared for the WTO Ministerial Conference in Seattle / USA, 28
Nov. - 4 Dec.

3) Discussion over the draft NGO position paper.

The workshop will finish on Wednesday at 5 p.m.


We have reserved a number of inexpensive beds at the "Magnet
International".  The cost for participants from the South is 19 Swiss
francs a night for bed and breakfast (approximately US $13). Those of you
who are attending and need a bed, please confirm this per e-mail or fax to:

Protestant Farmers' Association
Rudi Buntzel-Cano
Hohebuch
D- 74638 Waldenburg

Phone: + 49 7942 10776
fax:  + 49 7942  10777
e-mail: ABP at ebw.imosnet.de

Unfortunately, we do not have funds available for sponsoring anyone's
travel expenses or the cost of participation. Please look for your own
funding.

The Workshop takes place right after the World Summit of the G 7, which is
taking place in Cologne/Germany.  We hope that those of you coming to
Europe for that occasion can stay on for our meeting.

If you cannot participate but would like to stay in touch and receive the
documents and information about the proceedings, just drop me a line.

We are very happy to hear that the WCC has agreed to host our meeting and
to be co-organisers for the first day by inviting the negotiators. Thanks
to the high credibility that the WCC enjoys, we will be certain of the
participation of many governmental delegations. Some of us are already
working in order to  be well prepared for the discussions we may have, for
example vis-a-vis the Cairns Group, the EU, Japan, South Korea, the USA of
the Net-Food Importing Developing Countries.

We will be sending a more-detailed programme early in May to those
interested.  I hope that you can make it to the workshop.

With best regards

Rudi Buntzel-Cano
ABP at ebw.imosnet.de

Sophia Murphy
<smurphy at iatp.org>