/linkages/journal/ Volume 5 Number 3 27 March 2000 Published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) The PDF (formatted and printable with wall calendar) version is available at http://enb.iisd.org/journal/link0503e.pdf 1) EDITOR'S NOTE A message from Linkages Journal's Editor. FULL-STEAM AHEAD FOR NEGOTIATIONS As you'll notice from the amount of information packed into this issue of Linkages Journal, it's been a busy month in the field of international environment and development negotiations. Looking at the calendar, it's clear this is just the start of what seems set to be a hectic year. Climate change negotiations are reaching a major milestone, the five year reviews of the Social Summit (Copenhagen+5) and Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing+5) are due mid-year, and the World Trade Organization is taking steps to reinvigorate international trade talks. Yet these are just a few of the processes that are likely to see a great deal of activity. To ensure that Linkages Journal provides the most useful information during this busy year, we'll be sending a questionnaire asking for your views on the new sections and other changes we've introduced here in recent months. The questionnaire is user-friendly and will take only a minute or two to fill out. We'll be posting it to our electronic mailing list on Friday, 31 March. We look forward to receiving your views. Sincerely, Chris Spence Editor, Linkages Journal 2) SPECIAL NOTICE OBITUARY - ARTHUR H. CAMPEAU The International Institute for Sustainable Development notes with deep regret the passing away of Arthur Henry Campeau Q.C. on Friday, 10 March 2000. He was 57. Arthur Campeau practiced law in Canada for many years and was appointed to the Queen's Counsel in 1986. During the following 15 years, he co-founded the Harmony Foundation, which develops environmental education programmes, and served in a number of senior positions within the Canadian government, culminating with his appointment as Canada's first Ambassador of Environment and Sustainable Development. He was also appointed to the board of the International Institute for Sustainable Development, in 1990. 3) RECENT MEETINGS Information on recent conferences, workshops and symposia in the field of environment and development negotiations. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SECOND WORLD WATER FORUM AND MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE: The Second World Water Forum and Ministerial Conference were held in The Hague, the Netherlands, from 17-22 March 2000. The Forum and Ministerial Conference aimed to consider the challenges of water resources management and mobilize political support for addressing global water issues. Four and a half thousand people from 150 countries participated, including senior politicians, government officials, water experts and representatives from non-governmental organizations, youth organizations, academic institutions and the private sector. Key issues raised included: actions at the global, regional, national and local levels to address the challenges of water management; water security; the costs and benefits of dams; the pricing of water services; rights to access; sanitation and hygiene education; participation; and privatization. Participants at the Forum considered a Framework for Action that sets targets to ensure safe and adequate fresh water worldwide and a Vision document for water management prepared by the World Water Council. The Ministerial Conference resulted in a Ministerial Declaration of The Hague on Water Security in the 21st Century, which establishes the goal of achieving water security in the 21st Century. The Declaration outlines the major challenges in terms of achieving water security and sustainable water resources management, as well as measures to address these challenges. While some participants expressed support for the Framework for Action, Vision document and Ministerial Declaration as valuable steps forward, others, including representatives of non-governmental organizations and trade unions, called for stronger language to reflect the urgency of global water problems and for a greater commitment to action, particularly to address the needs of people in developing countries. During the Forum, the Global Environment Facility announced that it would be doubling to US$500 million the funds it makes available to support water- related projects. The Third World Water Forum is scheduled to take place in Japan in 2003. For more information contact: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, P.O Box 20061, 2500 EB The Hague, the Netherlands; tel: +31-70-348-5402; fax: +31-70-348-6792; e-mail: secretariat@worldwaterforum.org; Internet: http://www.worldwaterforum.org/ FIRST SESSION OF THE AD HOC INTERGOVERNMENTAL GROUP OF EXPERTS ON ENERGY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: The Ad Hoc Open-Ended Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Energy and Sustainable Development, established by the UN General Assembly to prepare input for the ninth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-9), met in New York from 6-10 March 2000. The Expert Group considered Reports of the UN Secretary-General on Energy and Sustainable Development: Key Issues, and on National Submissions, and produced a Co-Chairs' Summary of the discussions. Delegates also agreed on an intersessional programme of work and a provisional agenda for their next session, prior to CSD-9. Even though the mood and pace at the meeting was less than energetic, delegates left with a clearer sense of what was expected of the Expert Group. Factors that colored the week's deliberations included the low level expert representation, resistance to consider heavily politicized issues and tensions over the status of inputs. The Earth Negotiations Bulletin report outlining these discussions in detail can be found at: http://enb.iisd.org/csd/enrexpert1/index.html INTERNATIONAL LANDCARE 2000 CONFERENCE: The International Landcare 2000 Conference took place from 2-5 March 2000 in Melbourne, Australia. More than 1200 delegates from Australia and overseas attended, including representatives of governments, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector. Participants heard presentations and discussed key issues relating to the landcare movement, including: the value of sharing responsibility through planning management at the catchment and regional levels; the need for governments to support landcare and provide links to policy makers; the importance of networking within the local, regional and international community to enhance communication within the landcare movement; and the crucial role of facilitation and technical support. The outcomes of this conference will be presented in a report to the UN later this year and will highlight Australia's recommendations for sustainable land and water management and practice. Other outcomes from the conference included: a forum to allow indigenous communities to showcase their land management practices and skills to the broader landcare community; and the creation of a task force to build on conference outcomes and enhance key partnerships. For more information contact: Joanne Safstrom; tel: +61-3- 9412-4382; fax: +61-3-9412-4442; e-mail: j.safstrom@dce.vic.gov.au; Internet: http://www.nre.vic.gov.au/conf/landcare2000/Round%20Up%20Re port.doc CSD INTERSESSIONAL WORKING GROUP ON INTEGRATED PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT OF LAND RESOURCES & SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT: The Commission on Sustainable Development's (CSD) Intersessional Ad Hoc Working Group on Integrated Planning and Management of Land Resources & Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development, serving as a preparatory meeting for CSD-8, met from 28 February - 3 March 2000 at UN Headquarters in New York. The Working Group produced Co-Chairs' summaries of discussions on the two clusters of issues, land resources and sustainable agriculture, and two documents outlining possible elements for action-oriented decisions at CSD-8. The Co-Chairs' summaries and elements papers were attached to their Report of the Meeting of the Working Group. There was a consensus at the Working Group that delegates had taken the advice of CSD-8 Chair Juan Mayr (Colombia) and held back from embarking on full negotiations on some of the difficult issues surrounding the linkages between land resources, agriculture and trade. Nevertheless, a number of "hot spots" emerged, including: the multifunctional character of agriculture and land, women and equal access to land tenure rights, application of the precautionary principle in the context of biotechnology, good governance, responses to trade liberalization, and financing Agenda 21 implementation. The Earth Negotiations Bulletin report outlining these discussions in detail can be found at: http://enb.iisd.org/csd/csdint8/index.html CSD INTERSESSIONAL WORKING GROUP ON FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND MECHANISMS & ECONOMIC GROWTH, TRADE AND INVESTMENT: The Commission on Sustainable Development's (CSD) Intersessional Ad Hoc Working Group on Financial Resources and Mechanisms & Economic Growth, Trade and Investment, serving as a preparatory meeting for CSD-8, met from 22-25 February 2000 at UN Headquarters in New York. The Working Group produced Co-Chairs' summaries of discussions on the finance and trade clusters and two documents outlining possible elements for action-oriented decisions at CSD-8. The Co-Chairs' documents were attached to their Report of the Working Group. At the outset of discussions, CSD-8 Chair Juan Mayr (Colombia) noted the major conflicts of the past year on the issues of finance, trade, agriculture and the environment. He urged delegations to come up with the key building blocks for agreements to be implemented by other forums rather than attempt to find definitive solutions. The Earth Negotiations Bulletin report outlining these discussions in detail can be found at: http://enb.iisd.org/csd/csdint8/index.html WORLD COMMISSION ON DAMS - REGIONAL CONSULTATION FOR EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA: The World Commission on Dams held its regional consultation for East and Southeast Asia from 26- 27 February 2000 in Hanoi, Vietnam. The meeting aimed to consider experiences and lessons learned relating to dams, water and energy development across the region. Participants heard more than 30 presentations and discussed how to balance the benefits, costs and impacts of large dams. The importance of sharing benefits and ensuring more informed, open discussion during the consultative process was raised, as was the need to incorporate social and environmental considerations in decision-making. This meeting was the last of four regional consultations to reflect on regions' experiences and practices with regards to large dams and related water and energy management issues. The Commission will prepare a report drawing from a knowledge base developed during the last two years, including information from the four regional consultations. For more information contact: Saneeya Hussain, World Commission on Dams, 5th Floor Hycastle House, 58, Loop Street, PO Box 16002, Vlaeberg 8018, Cape Town, South Africa; tel: +27-21-426-4000; fax: +27-21-426-0036; e-mail: shussain@dams.org; Internet: http://www.dams.org/default.asp BIODIVERSITY CONFERENCE ON GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD SAFETY: FACTS, UNCERTAINTIES AND ASSESSMENT: This conference took place from 28 February - 1 March 2000 in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was organized by the OECD and attended by 400 participants from more than 40 countries representing governments, industry and civil society groups, including non- governmental organizations. The meeting aimed to seek common ground on whether and in what ways technologies relating to genetically modified (GM) food and crops serve society's needs. Many participants endorsed the need for a more transparent and inclusive debate and policy process. On many issues, however, participants expressed differing views. Contentious issues included the question of whether individual countries should be permitted to develop GM technology for food production to meet their own needs, or whether there should be a global moratorium on GM crops. Participants also diverged on the issue of mandatory labeling of GM foods and the process of assessing consumer concerns. The conference concluded with a call from conference Chair Sir John Krebs, Professor of Zoology at Oxford University, for the creation of an international consultative panel to address all views in the debate and continue international dialogue. Conclusions from the conference will serve as an input into an OECD report to be submitted at the Group of Eight industrial countries summit scheduled for July 2000 in Okinawa, Japan. For more information visit: http://www.oecd.org/news_and_events/release/nw00-23a.htm CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT FOURTH MEETING OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE ON PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS (POPS-4): The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) for an International Legally Binding Instrument for Implementing International Action on Certain Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) met from 20-25 March 2000, in Bonn, Germany. Approximately 500 representatives from 121 countries, international organizations and non- governmental organizations participated in INC-4, and continued preparation of an international legally binding instrument on POPs grouped into three categories: 1) pesticides: aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, mirex and toxaphene; 2) industrial chemicals: hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); and 3) unintended byproducts: dioxins and furans. Contentious issues at the center of debate at INC-4 were measures to reduce or eliminate releases, technical assistance, and financial resources and mechanisms. While INC-4 succeeded in drafting articles on technical assistance and financial resources and mechanisms, these texts are heavily bracketed and positions between developing and developed countries on these topics continue to diverge. INC-4 also addressed and made progress on articles relating to: national implementation plans; listing of substances; information exchange; public information, awareness and education; and research, development and monitoring. Participants agreed to establish an intersessional working group on finance that will meet in June. INC-4 was unable to allow adequate time for discussion on the preamble, objective and definitions, leaving these articles to INC-5. The Earth Negotiations Bulletin report outlining these discussions in detail will be available from 28 March 2000 at: http://enb.iisd.org/chemical/pops4/ CLIMATE CHANGE WORKSHOPS ON FCCC ARTICLE 4.8 AND 4.9: ADVERSE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE IMPACT OF IMPLEMENTATION OF RESPONSE MEASURES: Two workshops on Article 4.8 and 4.9 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) were held from 9-11 and 13-15 March 2000 at the Internationales Kongresszentrum Bundehaus in Bonn, Germany. The FCCC Secretariat and the Chairs of the FCCC subsidiary bodies organized these workshops. Approximately 85 participants attended each workshop, including representatives of governments, intergovernmental organizations, non- governmental organizations and academic institutions. The first workshop was held from 9-11 March to consider initial actions to meet the specific needs and concerns of developing country Parties and the specific needs and special situations of the least developed countries (LDCs) arising from the adverse effects of climate change. Participants heard presentations and engaged in discussions on the adverse effects of climate change on food security, water resources, economic activities, coastal zones and human health. They also considered initial actions related to funding, insurance and the transfer of technology to meet the needs and circumstances of developing countries. Other issues addressed included actions to: enhance capacity for monitoring, systematic observation and vulnerability assessment in developing countries; build capacity in environmental management and integrated assessment; and identify adaptation options and facilitate appropriate adaptation. The second workshop was held from 13-15 March to consider the impact of the implementation of response measures to climate change. Participants heard presentations and engaged in discussions on methodological approaches and what actions are necessary under the FCCC relating to the impact of implementation of response measures on, inter alia, terms of trade, international capital flows and developmental efforts, in accordance with FCCC Article 4.8 and 4.9 and in the light of matters related to Kyoto Protocol Article 3.14 (adverse effects). Participants also considered the nature, content and sources of information required in relation to this issue, procedures and modalities for the provision of information, and what actions are needed, including those relating to funding, insurance and the transfer of technology. The specific needs and special situations of LDCs were considered. The outcome of these workshops will be a report from the Chairs of the FCCC subsidiary bodies that will provide an input for discussions on these issues at the twelfth and thirteenth sessions of the subsidiary bodies (SB-12 and SB- 13), to be held in June and September 2000 respectively. Negotiations at SB-12 and SB-13 will lead to a decision at the Sixth Conference of the Parties to the FCCC (COP-6), to be held in The Hague in from 13-24 November 2000. The Earth Negotiations Bulletin report outlining these discussions in detail can be found at: http://enb.iisd.org/climate/cop6/tech_ws/4.8&4.9/index.html WORKSHOP ON COMPLIANCE UNDER THE KYOTO PROTOCOL: The Workshop on Compliance under the Kyoto Protocol to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) was held from 1-3 March 2000 at the Wissenschaftszentrum, Bonn, Germany. The Workshop was designed to assist in the development of elements of procedures and mechanisms relating to a compliance system for in-depth consideration at forthcoming meetings of the Joint Working Group on Compliance (JWG). The workshop was organized by the FCCC Secretariat and the Co-Chairs of the JWG. Eighty-one participants attended the workshop, including representatives of governments, inter- governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations. Participants heard presentations and discussed various issues related to the creation of a compliance system under the Protocol, including: linkages between Articles 5 (methodological issues), 7 (communication of information) and 8 (review of information) and the compliance system; institutional design; outcomes or consequences of non-compliance or potential non-compliance; general provisions; and a framework. On the basis of discussions during the workshop as well as their working paper resulting from the consultations held in Montreux in February, the Co-Chairs will endeavor to develop a text that could form the basis for negotiations at the twelfth session of the subsidiary bodies (SB-12). The Earth Negotiations Bulletin report outlining these discussions in detail can be found at: http://enb.iisd.org/climate/cop6/tech_ws/compliance/index.ht ml DESERTIFICATION SECOND AFRICA-LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN FORUM ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE UN CONVENTION TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION: This meeting took place from 6-8 March 2000 in Bamako, Mali. Attended by over 60 representatives of 30 countries, the meeting saw the launch of a programme of technical and scientific exchanges between Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. Under the programme, experts will participate in cross-regional training courses and exchanges on issues relevant to desertification. In addition, participants called on bilateral and multilateral institutions to strengthen their support for the needs of countries affected by desertification. Participants also adopted a Declaration of Principles and Commitments for consideration at the Summit of the G-77/China, which will take place in Cuba in April 2000. The role of traditional knowledge in sustainable resource management was also considered. For more information contact: Sonia Filippazzi, UNCCD Secretariat; tel: +49-228-815-2807; Internet: http://www.unccd.de/publicinfo/press/press%2008%2003%2000%2 0E.html OCEANS AND COASTS SHARK CONFERENCE 2000: This conference took place from 21- 24 February 2000 in Honolulu, Hawaii. It brought together representatives of the fishing industry, scientific community, governments and conservation groups from 14 countries to consider shark management and conservation issues and to present research results. Meeting in both plenary sessions and workshops, those in attendance highlighted the significant declines in many shark populations due to over-fishing, excessive bycatch, environmental factors, and finning. They also noted a decline in the quantity and quality of data collected. Participants called for the creation of a global strategic plan to conserve and manage sharks, skates and rays within the framework of the UN International Plan of Acton for Sharks. This proposed strategic plan would include, inter alia: an operational plan to improve stock assessments and data collection that would contribute to decision-making processes; a programme to assist developing countries; the development of artificial bait to discourage shark bycatch; a media-based education campaign to raise awareness of threats to sharks, as well as to reduce bycatch and demand for shark fins; the establishment of international criteria for vessel monitoring systems; and the development of a biodiversity initiative to further research and protect the 1200 species of sharks, skates and rays. For more information contact: Carol Stimson, 1113 Hui Street, Kailua, Hawaii, HI 96734; tel/fax: +1-808-262-0789; e-mail: stimson@aloha.net; Internet: http://www.westpacfisheries.net/sharkcon/summary.html SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 38TH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: This meeting was held at UN Headquarters in New York during February and March 2000. The Commission focused on a review and appraisal of implementation of commitments made at the World Summit for Social Development (WSSD) held in Copenhagen in 1995. The Commission's work on this issue will feed into the Copenhagen+5 Special Session of the General Assembly, due to take place in Geneva in late June 2000. Originally scheduled for 8-17 February, the Commission's 38th Session was extended to include additional sessions in March, as delegates sought to reach agreement on a draft resolution transmitting the Committees conclusions on progress and obstacles in implementing the commitments made at the WSSD. One area of dispute with regards to the conclusions related to a paragraph stating that some countries' social development is adversely affected by unilateral measures not in accordance with international law and the UN Charter, which, inter alia, impede social and economic development and hinder people's well-being. Disagreement also surfaced over proposed text relating to mobilization of resources for social development. The Committee finally agreed on text and concluded its work on 17 March 2000. The agreed conclusions are contained in a seven chapter document. The document notes that, although efforts have been made to achieve WSSD goals, progress has been uneven and further attention is required. The conclusions address issues relating to: poverty eradication; full employment; social integration; Africa and the least developed countries; mobilization of resources; and capacity building. For more information contact: the Secretariat of the United Nations Commission for Social Development; tel: +1-212-963 7763; e-mail: theunissen@un.org; Internet: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/geneva2000/events/csd/index.ht ml TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT MEETING OF THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION'S COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT: The World Trade Organization's Committee on Trade and Environment met from 29 February - 1 March 2000 in Geneva, Switzerland. The Committee addressed the issue of market access, in particular, the benefits of removing subsidies in the fisheries sector in terms of trade, development and the environment. Delegates considered, inter alia: market access for exports from developing countries; environmental reviews of trade agreements at the national level; the Biosafety Protocol; and the relationship between the Biodiversity Convention and the TRIPS Agreement. The Committee agreed to hold two information sessions with the secretariats of ten multilateral environmental agreements around the time of the Committee's meetings scheduled for 5-6 July and 24-25 October 2000. Delegates also expressed support for a second round of regional seminars on trade and environment with developing country government officials, to be held during 2000. For more information visit: http://www.wto.org/wto/new/webenv.htm WOMEN 44TH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN: The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) held its 44th session at UN Headquarters in New York from 28 February - 17 March 2000. The Commission's session was divided into two parts: in the first (28 February-2 March), the Commission followed up on the Fourth World Conference on Women (FWCW), and in the second (3-17 March), the Commission acted as the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the Beijing+5 Special Session of the General Assembly entitled "Women 2000: Gender equality, development and peace for the 21st century." The session was attended by over 2000 participants, including high-level government officials, UN agency representatives, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and the media. Delegates had before them the task of negotiating the proposed outcome document for the Special Session (E/CN.6/2000/PC/L.1/ Rev.1), which includes an introduction and three sections on: achievements and obstacles in the implementation of the 12 critical areas of the Platform for Action (PFA); current challenges affecting the full implementation of the Beijing Declaration and the PFA; and actions and initiatives to overcome obstacles and to achieve the full and accelerated implementation of the PFA. Delegates also discussed the draft provisional agenda and organizational matters (E/CN.6/2000/PC.8) and the list of speakers (E/CN.6/2000/PC.9) for the Special Session. After a slow start, delegates negotiated their way through a limited portion of the text during the last week of the PrepCom and only succeeded in lifting brackets from a few paragraphs in each section of the outcome document. In the end, despite many efforts in Working Groups and among group consultations to finish an initial reading of the entire heavily bracketed text, many issues remain unresolved. The Earth Negotiations Bulletin report outlining these discussions in detail can be found at: http://enb.iisd.org/4wcw/csw44/index.html 4) MEDIA REPORTS The latest news from the field of international environment and development negotiations, with links to relevant media coverage and press releases SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WORLD WATER FORUM CONCLUDES WITH MINISTERIAL DECLARATION The Second World Water Forum and Ministerial Conference drew to a close on 22 March with agreement on a Ministerial Declaration establishing the goal of water security in the 21st Century. However, while some participants have praised the Declaration and other key documents as a valuable step forward, others have expressed concern that they are inadequate. Forum participants considered a Framework for Action that sets targets to ensure safe and adequate fresh water worldwide and a Vision document for water management prepared by the World Water Council. The Ministerial Conference - held in parallel to the Forum - resulted in a Ministerial Declaration, which establishes the goal of achieving water security in the 21st Century. In responding to these documents, representatives of some non- governmental organizations and trade unions called for stronger language to reflect the urgency of global water problems and for a greater commitment to action, particularly to address the needs of people in developing countries. It was also noted the Declaration referred to water security as a goal rather than a right. WWF, the conservation group, said the Forum's Framework for Action was flawed, and called for a review of the document by August 2000 to ensure that the targets adequately address sustainable development considerations. Links to further information Second World Water Forum press releases, March 2000 http://www.worldwaterforum.com/journalist/frameset.html BBC news report, 22 March 2000 http://news2.thls.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid% 5F686000/686091.stm WWF press release, 22 March 2000 http://www.panda.org/news/press/news.cfm?id=1897 GEF DOUBLES FUNDING FOR GLOBAL WATER ISSUES The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is set to double its funding for addressing global water and related land degradation issues. It will programme US$500 million over the next five years for international waters projects in developing countries and countries with economies-in- transition. The announcement - which coincided with the Second World Water Forum held in The Hague - reflects a growing recognition that water and land degradation present one of the major barriers to sustainable development. GEF's Chairman and CEO, Mohamed El-Ashry, urged governments to step-up efforts to generate revenues and attract private investment for better provision of urban water, sanitation, and irrigation services. He also called for better water pricing policies. Links to further information GEF press release, 21 March 2000 http://www.gefweb.org/PUBLIC/water%20forum%20draft%20releas e.htm PLAN TO STRENGTHEN WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT LAUNCHED The United Nations Development Programme and the International Institute for Infrastructural, Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering have launched a joint initiative to build developing countries' capacities in water resources management. The International Network for Capacity Building for Integrated Water Management (CAPNET) was announced on 17 March at the Second World Water Forum and Ministerial Conference held in The Hague. CAPNET will focus on global networking training programmes and will target developing country professionals working in water management, decision makers active in related fields, and future managers of water resources, including post-graduate students. It will also address the lack of women professionals active in water resources management. The initiative will operate initially in southeast Asia, Latin America and southern Africa using funding provided by UNDP and the Dutch Government. Additional donor support is being sought to expand the programme to other regions. Links to further information UNDP press release, 17 March 2000 http://www.undp.org/dpa/pressrelease/index.html SUSTAINABLE TOURISM INITIATIVE ANNOUNCED An initiative for tour operators to improve their environmental performance has been announced. The Tour Operators' Initiative for Sustainable Tourism Development is a cooperative arrangement between the UN Environment Programme, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the World Tourism Organization. Under the initiative, participating tour operators will be able to share information about best practices in environmental management, conduct audits to cut harmful environmental impacts, and collaborate with other stakeholders in developing sustainable tourism. The initiative is a voluntary and non-profit scheme open to all tour operators. Links to further information UNEP press release, 12 March 2000 http://www.unep.org/unep/per/ipa/pressrel/r03-1300.001 BIODIVERSITY FAO OUTLINES POSITION ON BIOTECHNOLOGY, GMOS The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has come out in favor of biotechnology and genetic engineering, noting the potential to increase production and productivity in relation to agriculture, forestry and fisheries. However, it has also noted the controversy over genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and called for caution to reduce risks to human and animal health and to the environment. The FAO said it supported a "science-based evaluation system that would objectively determine the benefits and risks of each individual GMO." It noted that this would require a cautious case-by-case approach to address legitimate concerns prior to a product's release. Careful post-release monitoring would be essential to ensure continued safety to humans, animals and the environment. The FAO also called for increased public funding for biotechnological research, which is currently concentrated in the private sector. Links to further information FAO press release, March 2000 http://www.fao.org/biotech/state.htm CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL ON HAZARDOUS WASTE ACCIDENT LIABILITY OPENS FOR SIGNATURE The Protocol on Liability and Compensation for Damage resulting from the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal opened for signature earlier this month. Adopted on 10 December 1999 by the Fifth Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, the Protocol provides a regime for determining liability and ensuring compensation from damages resulting from these activities. The agreement at the December meeting marked the culmination of negotiations that began in 1993. Links to further information UNEP press release, 6 March 2000 http://www.unep.org/unep/per/ipa/pressrel/r03-0600.001 Above: Delegates attending COP-5 to the Basel Convention celebrating the adoption of the Protocol on Liability and Compensation, 10 December 1999 Photograph by Kenneth Tong, IISD CLIMATE AND ATMOSPHERE OCEANS HAVE WARMED SIGNIFICANTLY DURING LAST 40 YEARS, SAYS STUDY A study by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) suggests that the world ocean has warmed significantly during the past 40 years. The largest increase took place in the upper 300 meters of ocean, which increased by an average of 0.56 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the studies also show temperature increases at far greater depths. The study measured temperatures from the surface to depths of 3000 meters in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific ocean basins. It concluded that global ocean warming is likely to be due to "a combination of natural variability...and human-induced effects." Links to further information NOAA press release, 23 March 2000 http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/s399.htm GM AND TEXACO LEAVE GLOBAL CLIMATE COALITION General Motors and Texaco - a US oil company - have both announced that they are leaving the Global Climate Coalition, an industry lobby group that has cast doubt on evidence for global warming and on the usefulness of the Kyoto Protocol. Other departures from the Coalition include Daimler Chrysler, Ford, Shell and BP Amoco. Links to further information Ozone Action press releases, 14 March and 28 February 2000 http://www.ozone.org/mr031400.html http://www.ozone.org/mr022800.html Texaco announcement, 25 February 2000 http://www.texaco.com/shared/position/docs/gc_coalition.htm l UK UNVEILS BLUEPRINT FOR MEETING KYOTO EMISSIONS TARGETS UK Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has announced the UK's blueprint for meeting Kyoto Protocol emissions targets, while also urging the European Union to agree on ratifying the Protocol as soon as possible. The UK's programme will aim to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 21.5%, which is above the 12.5% target set at Kyoto. The programme contains a number of specific measures aimed at cutting emissions in all sectors. Links to further information UK Government press release, 9 March 2000 http://www.press.detr.gov.uk/0003/0169.htm BBC news report, 9 March 2000 http://news2.thls.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid%5F67 1000/671677.stm EC SETS OUT VIEWS ON EMISSIONS TRADING The European Commission has outlined its support for the establishment of an international emissions trading system. In a recent Green Paper, the Commission stated that, together with other policies and measures, emissions trading will be an "integral and major part of the (European) Community's implementation strategy." The Green Paper makes clear the Commission's view that the European Community will need to use all the tools at its disposal in respect to meeting its international commitments. Links to further information European Commission Green Paper, March 2000 http://www2.unimaas.nl/~jlefever/docs/0087_en.pdf GLOBAL ICE MELTING ACCELERATES, SAYS REPORT The world's ice cover is melting more quickly and in more places than at any other time on record, according to a report compiled by the Worldwatch Institute. The report notes the suspicion within the scientific community that ice cover melting is one of the first observable signs of human-induced global warming. The report warns that ice cover loss will raise sea levels and cause regional flooding. It also notes that the Arctic Sea ice shrank by 6 percent between 1978 and 1996 - losing on average an area larger than the Netherlands each year. In addition, the thickness of the ice reduced. The report states that Antarctica's ice mass is also melting, although experts have yet to agree on how quickly this is taking place. Links to further information Worldwatch Institute press release, 6 March 2000 http://www.worldwatch.org/alerts/000306.html DESERTIFICATION SOUTH SOUTH COOPERATION PROGRAMME APPROVED A programme of technical and scientific exchanges between Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean to combat desertification has been launched. Under the programme, more than 60 experts will participate during 2000-2001 in cross-regional training courses and exchanges on water management, soil conservation, reforestation, and other issues relevant to desertification. The programme was approved by regional representatives at the Second Africa/Latin America and the Caribbean Forum on implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, which took place from 6-8 March in Bamako, Mali. The Government of Venezuela has pledged US$1 million for South-South cooperation to combat desertification. Links to further information UNCCD press release, 8 March 2000 http://www.unccd.de/publicinfo/press/press%2008%2003%2000%2 0E.html INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS REPORT CLAIMS IMF POLICIES CAN HURT ENVIRONMENT The model of development being used by the International Monetary Fund and some other international financial institutions is unsustainable and can negatively impact the environment, according to a recent report released by the Friends of the Earth environmental group. The report, written by a team of environmentalists and economists, assessed IMF lending programmes and their effect on eight countries. It concluded that the IMF's approach seeks economic growth without factoring in ecological limits, which can have negative environmental consequences. The report called on the IMF to: refocus on its original mandate of short-term stabilization and leave longer-term economic adjustment to other institutions; commission Environmental Impact Assessments as part of its structural adjustment programme (SAP) agreements; include environmental ministers in negotiations on IMF programmes; consult more widely with civil society; and publish environmental spending figures in a clear, disaggregated manner. The recommendations follow other recent proposals for changes to be made to IMF's policies and approach. Links to further information Friends of the Earth report, March 2000 http://www.foe.org/imf/ POPULATION ACTION URGED TO COMBAT "GLOBAL THREAT" OF TUBERCULOSIS Action is needed to combat tuberculosis worldwide, according to representatives of 20 countries attending a Ministerial Conference on TB and Sustainable Development. Participants at the conference, held on 24 March - World TB Day - endorsed a declaration calling for action to stop TB worldwide. The declaration states that global access to effective TB treatment is a human right. It also announces the 20 participating countries' intention to ensure availability of anti-TB drugs, unhindered access to treatment, affordable medicines for those who have developed drug-resistant TB, and the development of stronger drugs and an effective vaccine. The declaration announces that a global partnership agreement to stop TB will be established, along with a global fund to mobilize new and additional resources. The 20 participating countries made a commitment to expand coverage of the WHO- recommended anti-TB strategy, known as DOTS, to provide for at least 70% detection of all infectious cases by 2005. Endorsing this initiative, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) called TB a "global threat" that causes two million deaths each year, including 250,000 children. TB is the world's leading infectious killer of young people and adults. Two billion people worldwide are infected with TB, although only a relatively small percentage develop the disease. Links to further information News conference summary, 24 March 2000 http://www.stoptb.org/conference/summary.news.conference.ht ml UNICEF press release, 23 March 2000 http://www.unicef.org/newsline/00pr24.htm ACTION URGED TO SAVE ONE BILLION CHILDREN FROM MALNUTRITION Urgent action is needed to prevent the health of one billion children being permanently damaged by malnutrition over the next 20 years, according to a report from the Commission on the Nutrition Challenges of the 21st Century. The Commission - which was set up by the United Nations three years ago - says existing efforts to address ongoing malnutrition are inadequate. Its report, Ending Malnutrition by 2020: an Agenda for Change in the Millennium, proposes new initiatives to resolve what it says is a preventable problem, including: adoption of a code of conduct on the right to adequate food; the setting of a new goal to end malnutrition by 2020; steps to strengthen the UN's nutrition sub-committee; the establishment of regional task forces involving the UN, non-governmental organizations, agencies and governments; and creation of national nutrition councils. The report proposes a key role for the UN in mobilizing nutrition action worldwide. Links to further information Commission press release and report, 20 March 2000 http://www.iotf.org/php/ SIGNIFICANT IMMIGRATION NEEDED TO MAINTAIN POPULATION LEVELS IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, SAYS UN'S POPULATION DIVISION Substantial levels of immigration will be needed to maintain population levels in many developed countries during the next half century, according to a report by the UN's Population Division. The report, Replacement Migration: Is it a Solution to Declining and Aging Populations?, considers the international migration needed to prevent population decline and aging resulting from low fertility and mortality rates. It suggests that populations in Japan and most of Europe are likely to drop by as much as one third in some cases, although the population in the US is expected to rise by almost one quarter. It also finds that populations will age significantly; in Italy, the median age could rise from 41 in 2000 to 53 in 2050. The report notes that an aging population has significant implications in terms of the ratio of those of working age to those in retirement. It concludes that population decline is inevitable without replacement migration. It also notes that that the levels of migration needed to prevent population aging are far greater than those required to prevent population decline. The report says these challenges will require a comprehensive reassessment of many established policies and programmes, and a long- term perspective. Issues that will need to be considered include: the retirement age; the extent and type of retirement and health care benefits for the elderly; contributions needed from workers and employers to support retirement and health care benefits; and policies relating to international migration. Links to further information UN press release, 17 March 2000 http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2000/20000317.dev2234.doc .html UN Population Division report, 17 March 2000 http://www.un.org/esa/population/migration.htm BBC news report, 21 March, 2000 http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_684000 /684803.stm 5) READINGS New and recent book titles, articles and other literature on environment and development. Compiled by Peter Doran Humanities Department, University of Ulster at Magee College, Derry, Northern Ireland Suggested readings may be sent to: peter@iisd.org JOURNALS /Climate Change "Activities Implemented Jointly: another look at the facts." Ecological Economics, 2000, Vol.32, No.2, pp.255- 267. R. Schwarze (California) revisits the pilot phase of Activities Implemented Jointly (AIJ), established in 1995 by the First Conference of Parties (COP-1) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC). Schwarze notes that the pilot phase was extended in 1998 by COP-4 for an undetermined period beyond 2000. This paper is an empirical study of AIJ experience in the first five years (1995-1999) based on 96 AIJ projects listed on the FCCC website, and a separate study on seven AIJ projects involving Japan. The main results are: (1) AIJ investment shows a pattern of regional specificity with divergent regional investment portfolios in the United States, Japan and Europe. This pattern can be traced back to differences in the national AIJ programmes of investors and hosts, on the one hand, and to specific ways of minimizing transaction costs on the other, for instance by attaching AIJ to established institutional links with development co-operation or by 'trading in the neighborhood'; and (2) AIJs are overwhelmingly no regret measures with almost zero or negative cost. Transaction costs of reporting have been minimized by applying simple and straightforward methods of baseline determination. The exception to this is the verification procedure where expensive external verification prevails. "Advanced bottom-up modeling for national and regional energy planning in response to climate change." International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 1999, Vol.12, No.2-3, pp.191-216. A. Kanudia and R. Loulou (Canada) describe an advanced bottom-up approach for modeling the energy-environment sector to study greenhouse gas abatement. Three new features are described that give significant new capabilities to this class of models. These are: endogenization of end-use demands, which allows computation of partial equilibria in energy markets; modeling future uncertainties using multi-stage stochastic programming; and combining several bottom-up models as a multi-region model to explore issues of cooperation and burden-sharing. Each of these new features is illustrated by results taken from large-scale extended MARKAL models based on data from Quebec and Ontario. The authors believe that a very promising avenue of research lies in exploring the role of multiple advanced bottom-up models in the integrated assessment of climate change. /Trade, Business and Environment "Do codes make a difference?: The case of bank lending and the environment." Journal of Business Ethics, 2000, Vol.24, No.2, pp.165-178. C.J. Cowton and P. Thompson (England) explore the doubts raised about the efficacy of business codes of conduct in ensuring high standards of behavior. The paper seeks to make a contribution to a sparse body of empirical literature by studying the policies and procedures of a sample of banks, which have signed a statement on banking and the environment as promulgated by the United Nations Development Programme. While some differences are found when compared with a sample of banks that have not signed the statement, the differences are not extensive. The implications of the findings for codes of conduct and for future empirical studies are discussed in detail. "International trade and environmental quality: a survey." Ecological Economics, 2000, Vol.32, No.2, pp.175-194. R. Jayadevappa and S. Chhatre (Philadelphia) note that international trade has been incorporating various aspects of environmental issues since 1970. The extent to which environmental problems might affect facets of trade, or vice versa, has been the subject of considerable debate during this period. In this article, the authors attempt to establish some of the links between international trade and environmental quality by performing a comprehensive literature review. They discuss issues such as the direct and indirect effects of international trade on environmental quality, the effects of trade on economic development, environmental quality, and energy, and how they relate to each other. Finally, they discuss the role of governments and international organizations in this context. Their studies reveal some linkages using conventional trade theory. However, the authors believe that interactions between international trade and types of pollution, their sink and assimilative capacity need to be analyzed using a general equilibrium approach. They conclude that, for the moment, very little knowledge and agreement exists on the nature of interactions between trade theories, development process and environmental quality. Existing studies show that the structure of environmental regulations should be modified to reflect the existence of trade under imperfect competition. Further research is, therefore, required on the interaction between new trade theory and environmental regulation. The authors go on to identify additional research gaps. /Sustainable Tourism "Tourism and the Environment - a social movements perspective." Annals of Tourism Research, 2000, Vol.27, No.2, pp.468-489. M. Kousis (Greece) provides evidence of local environmental mobilizations against tourism activities in Greece, Spain, and Portugal from the early 1970s to the mid 1990s. The article sets out to introduce a social movements approach to the sociology of tourism and environment. The paper focuses on active host community environmental groups and the groups they challenge. The authors also examine the environmental groups' approaches and actions, their impact on tourism, local ecosystems, and sustainable development. The paper further highlights the determining factors of such conflicts and their deeper implications for the socio-environmental aspects of Southern European societies. /Forests "The Changing Regime: Forest property and Reformasi in Indonesia." Development and Change, 2000, Vol.31, No.1, pp.91-129. J.F. McCarthy (Australia) explores the dominant explanations of the failure of forest management in Indonesia within the public discourse of the late New Order period. Drawing on a review of salient literature and relevant case studies, the article focuses on the underlying historical, institutional and political causes of the failure of the state property regime. It observes that, by taking a narrow view of the issues, public discourse during the New Order period (1966-98) avoided discussion of the structure of property relations and the power relations that supported them. However, the forest fires of 1997-98 and the ensuing crisis have revealed that the forest policy that allocated property rights over vast areas of the nation's forests to well-connected conglomerates and politico-business families was inequitable and lacked legitimacy. While new legislative initiatives open up possibilities for co-management, the reforms so far barely engage with the underlying structure of property rights, according to the author. These issues will need to be more thoroughly addressed if Indonesia is to tackle the bitter legacy of the Suharto era. "Sticks and Stones: environmental narratives and discursive regulation in the forestry and mining sectors." Antipode, 2000, Vol.32, No.1, p.10. G. Bridge and P. McManus (United States and Australia). The authors note that forestry and mining continue to be successful and profitable despite a significant increase in environmental awareness and activism in the latter half of the twentieth century. To understand the relative stability and growth of the sectors in the face of overt contradictions arising from their use of the environment, the authors revisit the work of regulation theorists who posed similar questions about the persistence and maintenance of capitalism in general. Two case studies are presented: forestry in British Columbia and gold mining in California and Nevada. These demonstrate how the political economy of forestry and mining is subject to contradictions arising out of the technological and organizational mechanisms through which nature is appropriated during production. Analysis of the case studies demonstrates that the regulation of these contradictions is increasingly achieved through the deployment and co-option of sustainability narratives. The case studies juxtapose the recent proliferation of sustainability narratives within the forestry and mining sectors with the sectors' persistent challenges to concepts of sustainable development. "Development and discourses and peasant-forest relations." Development and Change, 2000, Vol. 31, No.1, pp.11-34. A. Nygren (Finland) examines the changing role of forests and the practices of peasants in a Costa Rican rural community. The study underlines the complex articulation of local processes and global forces in tropical forest struggles. Deforestation is seen as a process of development and power involving multiple social actors, from politicians and development experts to a heterogeneous group of local peasants. The local people are not passive victims of global challenges, but are directly involved in the changes concerning their production systems and livelihood strategies. The article underlines the multiplicity of the causes of tropical deforestation, and the intricate link between global discourses on the environment and development and local forest relations. /Fisheries "Science arrangements for the regional management of tuna." Marine Policy, 2000, Vol.24, No.2, pp.93-108. P. Ward, B. Kearney, and N. Tsirbas (Australia) note that Pacific, metropolitan and distant-water fishing nations are negotiating a regional regime for managing the western and central Pacific tuna fishery. The regime will require an arrangement that delivers high-quality scientific advice. The authors observe that regional science arrangements have often developed without the benefit of planning and without close attention to management requirements. They use the western and central Pacific fishery to highlight the types of science functions and attributes required for effective regional fishery management. In establishing science arrangements, the authors argue, nations will need to balance national interests, such as participation in stock assessments, against the wider interests of resource management which requires unbiased scientific advice. /Biotechnology "The Contrasting Roles of Government in the Development of Biotechnology Industry in the United States and Germany." Research Policy, 2000, Vol.29, No.2, pp.205-223. S. Giesecke (Austria) notes that, during the last thirty years, biotechnology development has taken different paths in the US and Germany. The article compares the two national science and technology policies and analyzes the political, economic and social factors that determine the different paths. The paper concludes that an indirect science and technology policy that tries to spread the factors, thereby enabling a preferable "economic ecology" for biotech development, is more successful than an interventionist policy. Political action, however, is limited and can only enhance science and technology development if the policies mesh with the social and economic dispositions. WHAT'S NEW ONLINE In October 1999, the Institute for Economy and the Environment at the University of St.Gallen (IWOe-HSG), Switzerland, organized two international seminars on the Kyoto Protocol Mechanisms and Business Opportunities. The first seminar dealt with aspects and the second with verification and certification of JI/CDM projects. The presentations are now available at the Institute's web site: www.iwoe.unisg.ch/kyoto The Inventory of United States Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (1990-1998) is now available at the US Environmental Protection Agency's website: www.epa.gov/globalwarming/publications/emissions/ A reprint of Peter Gleick's article, "The Human Right to Water", published originally in Water Policy, 1(5), 1999, is now available at the website of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment and Security: www.pacinst.org/gleickrw.pdf BP Amoco has launched a new climate change website with details about the company's positions and actions, including its emissions trading system. Access the site at: www.bpamoco.com/climatechange/ 6) COMINGS AND GOINGS Information on key appointments, departures and vacancies at United Nations agencies, international organizations, government departments and non-governmental organizations active in the field of international environment and development negotiations. APPOINTMENTS NEW IMF MANAGING DIRECTOR APPOINTED The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) unanimously agreed on 23 March to select Horst Köhler of Germany as its Managing Director and Chairman. Köhler is currently President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Previously, he was President of the German Savings Bank Association, and has also served as Germany's Deputy Minister of Finance. At the IMF he will succeed Michel Camdessus, who resigned last month. Köhler's nomination follows a six-month high-level political process and some intense lobbying by member countries on who should be appointed. Köhler's appointment continues a precedent of Europeans heading the IMF, while a US citizen traditionally runs the World Bank. For more information visit: http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2000/PR0021.HTM WORLD BANK APPOINTS NEW CHIEF ECONOMIST Nicholas Stern of the United Kingdom has been appointed Senior Vice President, Development Economics and Chief Economist of the World Bank. He replaces Joseph Stiglitz, who served as the Bank's Chief Economist from 1996 - February 2000. Stern was most recently School Professor at the London School of Economics and Chair of the London Economics consultancy. He has also worked at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and has experience in policy advisory work in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. He will take up his position in late Spring 2000. Stern's brother, Richard Stern, is also employed by the Bank as its Vice President for Human Resources. For more information visit: http://wbln0018.worldbank.org/news/pressrelease.nsf/ (press release 2000/24l/S, dated 8 March 2000) VACANCIES GREENPEACE SEEKS POLITICAL, SCIENCE DIRECTOR Greenpeace International is looking for a Political, Science Director to supervise the work of its Political, Science, and European Units. This is a senior management position based at Greenpeace International Headquarters in Amsterdam. The closing date for applications is 31 March. Application forms should be submitted by e-mail to: PSD.Recruit@diala.gl3. More information is available online at: http://www.greenpeace.org/jobs.shtml UNAIDS ANNOUNCES VACANCIES The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) recently announced four new vacancies, all designated as P- 5 United Nations positions. The posts are: - Policy Analyst and Speechwriter in the Executive Director's Office in Geneva, Switzerland (closing date for applications is 10 April); - Manager of Finance and Administration in the Programme Support Department in Geneva (closing date for applications is 20 April); - Programme Officer, South Asia Programme Development and Management, based in Dhaka, Bangladesh (closing date for applications is 20 April); and - Country Programme Adviser in the Department of Country Planning and Programme Development, based in Port-au- Prince, Haiti (closing date for applications is 20 April). More information on all four positions is available online at: http://www.unaids.org/about/jobs/index.html UNIDO SEEKS SENIOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICER The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is seeking a Senior Industrial Development Officer for the Quality, Standardization and Metrology Branch of its Investment Promotion and Institutional Capacity- Building Division. The post is designated as a P-5 United Nations position and is based in Vienna, Austria. The closing date for applications is 12 April. More information is available online at: http://www.unido.org/doc/330916.htmls VACANCIES AT THE INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY The International Seabed Authority, an organization established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, is seeking a Chief for the Office of Administration and Management. The post is designated as a P-5 United Nations position. The organization is also seeking a Webmaster (a P-3 position), a Budget and Internal Oversight Officer (P- 4), and a Marine Biologist (P-4). The positions are based in Kingston, Jamaica. The deadline for these applications is 15 April 2000. More information is available online at: http://www.isa.org.jm/en/vacancy/default.asp ESCAP SEEKS HEAD OF PACIFIC OPERATIONS CENTER The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is seeking a Head of its Pacific Operations Center. The post is designated as a D-1 United Nations position and is based in Port Vila, Vanuatu. The closing date for applications is 6 May 2000. More information is available online at: http://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/eescx051.htm 7) UPCOMING MEETINGS Information on upcoming conferences, workshops and symposia in the field of international environment and development negotiations. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WORLD COMMISSION ON DAMS (WCD) MEETINGS: The WCD Forum will meet from 7-8 April in Cape Town, South Africa. The Forum is a consultative mechanism that acts as a vehicle for involving the widest possible range of key actors in the WCD process. It will prepare a global initiative and strategy for dissemination of WCD recommendations and final report by June 2000. The Seventh WCD Commission Meeting will be held from 8-9 April 2000 in Cape Town, South Africa. The Eighth WCD Commission Meeting will be held from 7-9 July 2000 and the Ninth will be held from 25-27 August 2000, both at locations yet to be determined. For more information on these meetings contact: Ms. Saneeya Hussain, World Commission on Dams, 5th floor, Hycastle House, 58 Loop Street, PO Box 16002, Vlaeberg, Cape Town, South Africa; tel: +27-21-426-4000; fax: +27-21-426-0036; e-mail: shussain@dams.org; Internet: www.dams.org INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT: This meeting is scheduled for 9-12 April 2000 in Davis, California, USA. Issues to be addressed include: water resources policy; innovative water resources management; hydrologic extremes and related social issues; water science and its role in water management; integrated river basin planning; and integrated management of water quality and quantity with ecosystem protection. For more information contact: Miguel A. Marino, 139 Veihmeyer Hall (LAWR), University of California, Davis, CA. 95616-8628, USA; tel: +1-530-752-0684; e-mail: mamarino@ucdavis.edu; Internet: http://www- cwwr.ucdavis.edu/hydrology/symposium.html SIXTH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH CONFERENCE: This conference will take place on 13-14 April 2000 at the University of Leeds in Yorkshire, England. Sponsored by ERP Environment, the conference will bring together an international interdisciplinary audience to consider ways to develop policies and practices consistent with sustainable development. Participants will share experiences and begin to identify the necessary steps to achieve a sustainable future. For more information contact: Elaine White, ERP Environment, PO Box 75, Shipley, West Yorkshire BD17 6EZ, United Kingdom; tel: +44-1274-530408; fax: 44-1274-530409; e-mail: elaine@erpenv.demon.co.uk; Internet: http://www.erpenvironment.org/cfrence/sd.htm Eighth African Ministerial Conference on the Environment: This meeting is tentatively scheduled to take place in April 2000 in Cairo, Egypt. For more information contact: C. O. Sow, UNEP Regional Office for Africa; tel: +254-2-62- 4285; fax: +254-2-62-3928; e-mail: cheikh.sow@unep.org EIGHTH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: CSD-8 will meet in New York from 24 April - 5 May 2000 to consider integrated planning and management of land resources, agriculture, and financial resources/trade and investment/economic growth. The CSD Ad Hoc Intersessional Working Groups met in New York from 22 February - 3 March 2000. For more information contact: Andrey Vasilyev, Division for Sustainable Development; tel: +1-212-963-5949; e-mail: vasilyev@un.org; Internet: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/csd8/csd8_2000.htm For major groups information contact: Zehra Aydin-Sipos, Major Groups Focal Point, Division for Sustainable Development; tel: +1- 212-963-8811; fax: +1-212-963-1267; e-mail: aydin@un.org CONFERENCE ON LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT - Tools for Sustainability: This international conference will be held from 25-27 April 2000, in Arlington, Virginia. It will bring together practitioners and decision-makers to discuss how Life Cycle Assessment can be used to: create marketing advantages; improve environmental decision-making; save organizations money; organize environmental management systems; measure environmental performance; and communicate within and outside organizations. For more information contact: InLCA Conference; tel: +1-206-463-7431; fax: +1- 206-463-7432; Internet: http://www.epa.gov/ttbnrmrl/inlca.htm OECD MILESTONE CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT AND STRATEGIES: This conference will be held from 3-5 May 2000 in Vienna, Austria. It will mark the culmination of the OECD project on Environmentally Sustainable Transport and serve as a forum to consider how OECD Member Countries can implement the necessary changes in their transport systems in order to achieve more sustainable development patterns. For more information contact: Peter Wiederkehr, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD Environment Directorate, 2, rue Andre Pascal, 75775 Paris Cedex 16, France; tel. +33-1-45-24-78-92; e-mail: peter.wiederkehr@oecd.org; Internet: http://www.oecd.org/env/ccst/est/curract/vienna2000/viennai ndex.htm INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE FUTURE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN RURAL ENVIRONMENT: PROSPECTS FOR SUSTAINABLE LAND USE AND MANAGEMENT: This conference will be held in Menemen, Turkey from 8-11 May 2000. The conference will bring together socio-economic experts, scientific researchers and government policy makers, with a view to having a full and informed discussion on the future and sustainable development of Mediterranean rural areas. For more information visit: http://www.silsoe.cranfield.ac.uk/ForthcomingEvents/turkish _conference.htm PLANETWORK CONFERENCE ON GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: This conference will be held from 12-14 May 2000 in San Francisco, USA. It is being organized by PlaNetwork, which is a project of the Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs, a California-based non-profit organization. This multidisciplinary conference will explore ways that information technology - including the Internet - can help create a sustainable future. For more information contact: PlaNetwork, 1230 Market Street, Suite 517, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA; tel: +1-415-436-0123; e- mail: info@planetworkers.com; Internet: http://www.planetworkers.org/planet.html International Seminar on Sustainability of Tourism in the Islands of the Mediterranean: This meeting will be held from 17-20 May 2000 in Capri, Italy. It is being organized by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) and hosted jointly with UNEP and Blue Plan. The Seminar is intended as a regional Mediterranean follow-up to the 1998 WTO/UNEP Conference on Sustainable Tourism in Small Island Developing States and Other Islands. It will focus on the growing relationship between tourism competitiveness and sustainability. For more information contact: World Tourism Organization, Capitán Haya, 42, 28020 Madrid, Spain; tel: +34-91-567-8100; fax +34-91-567-8218; e-mail: omtweb@world- tourism.org; Internet: http://www.world-tourism.org/ International Conference on Environmental Management Information Systems: This conference will be held from 21- 24 May 2000, in Anchorage, Alaska and is being organized by the Information Resources Management Association (IRMA). It will address the need to help companies take environmental issues into account in strategic decisions, as well as in operations. Topics to be covered include: eco-controlling and eco-balances; environmental reporting; material flow management; life cycle management; decision support; meta- information systems; recycling and remanufacturing; waste management and environmental accounting. For more information contact: Mehdi Khosrowpour, Programme Chair, 2000 IRMA International Conference; e-mail: mehdi@irma- international.org; Internet: http://www.irma- international.org/call2000.htm FIFTH INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF FRANCOPHONE PROFESSIONALS IN IMPACT ASSESSMENT: This meeting will be held from 22-24 May 2000 in Paris, France. It is being organized by the Francophone Secretariat of the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) and the Ministere de l'Aménagement du Territoire et de l'Environnement of France. The main theme of the meeting will be strategic environmental assessments (SEA). For more information contact: Francophone Secretariat of IAIA, 380, Saint- Antoine Street West, suite 3200, Montreal (Quebec) H2Y 3X7, Canada; tel: +1-514-288-2663; fax: +1-514-987-1567; e-mail: iaia@secretariatfranco.org Millennium International Children's Conference on the Environment: This conference will be held in Eastbourne, UK, from 23-24 May 2000. It is being jointly organized by UNEP and other agencies. For more information contact: Millennium Conference Secretariat, Eastbourne. UK; tel: +44-1323-415431; fax: +44-1323-430093; e-mail: ebournepr@pavilion.co.uk Workshop for the Application of Sustainable Tourism Indicators in Asia: This meeting will be held in Beruwala, Sri Lanka, from 4-11 June 2000, and will coincide with the 39th Meeting of the World Tourism Organization's Commission for South Asia, to be held from 4-6 June in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The workshop is open only to qualified officials from Asian states members of the World Tourism Organization. For more information contact: World Tourism Organization, Capitán Haya, 42, 28020 Madrid, Spain; tel: +34-91-567-8100; fax +34-91-567-8218; e-mail: omtweb@world- tourism.org; Internet: http://www.world-tourism.org/ NINTH ANNUAL CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP SEMINAR: This seminar will be held from 4-15 June 2000 at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. For more information contact: Michelle Portlock, Programme Coordinator, The Corporate Environmental Leadership Seminar, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies; tel: +1-203-432-6953; fax +1-203-432-5556; e-mail: michelle.portlock@yale.edu; Internet: http://www.yale.edu/cels ASIA DEVELOPMENT FORUM MEETING: The ADF will meet in Singapore from 5-8 June 2000. The theme for this event will be "From Crisis to Opportunity: The Way Forward for East Asia." This meeting will address three issues: the relationship of national economies with the regional and global economy; governments' relationships with the corporate sector; and the implicit social contract between citizens and their governments. For more information contact: World Bank Institute, Economic Policy for Poverty Reduction Division; tel: +1-202-458-2498; fax: +1 -202-676- 9810; e-mail: wbipubs@worldbank.org; Internet: http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/wbiep/asia.html SIXTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH: HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS - THE LOCAL CHALLENGE: The International Federation for Environment and Health will hold its Sixth World Conference from 5-9 June 2000 in Oslo, Norway. For more information contact: the Norwegian Forum for Environment and Health; tel: +47-67-569-012; e-mail: chaskim@online.no; Internet: http://www.fmh.no/ifeh/English/hovedframe.htm International Conference on Groundwater Research: This conference will be held from 6 - 8 June 2000, in Copenhagen, Denmark. It will provide an interdisciplinary forum for the presentation and exchange of the most recent advances in groundwater research. For more information contact: The Conference Secretariat, MiaCon, Meeting and Conference Services, Helsingevej 23, DK-2830 Virum, Denmark; tel: +45-45-85-97-27; fax: +45-45-83-97-27; e- mail: gw2000@isva.dtu.dk or mia@miacon.dk; Internet: http://www.isva.dtu.dk/grc/gw2000/ SIXTH CIRCUMPOLAR SYMPOSIUM ON REMOTE SENSING OF POLAR ENVIRONMENTS: This symposium will be held from 12-14 June 2000, in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. It will provide an international forum for the discussion of work currently being carried out on remote sensing in the circumpolar regions of the world in the following areas: forestry and fire management; environmental monitoring; wildlife management and habitat protection; mineral and oil and gas exploration; oceanography; pollution control; archaeology; data processing; and geographic information systems. For more information contact: the NWT Center for Remote Sensing, Department of Resources, Wildlife & Economic Development, Government of the Northwest Territories, 600, 5102 - 50th Avenue, Yellowknife NT, X1A 3S8; Canada; tel: +1-867-920-3329; fax: +1-867-873-0221; e- mail: circumpolar2000@gov.nt.ca; Internet: http://www.gov.nt.ca/RWED/rs/circumpolar2000/ INES 2000 Conference on Global Responsibility: The annual conference of the International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility (INES) will be held from 14-18 June 2000, in Stockholm, Sweden. Plenary lectures and workshops will address four themes: developing the culture of science and engineering; engineering and science for a finite world; humanizing the economy in a global context; and taking steps towards comprehensive security and lasting peace. For more information contact: INES Conference Secretariat, Gutenbergstr. 31, 44139 Dortmund, Germany; tel: +49-231-575202/05; fax: +49-231- 575210; e-mail: INES2000@t-online.de; Internet: http://www.ines2000.org/ EcoEfficiency 2000 -Towards Sustainable Economic Growth: This conference and exhibition will be held in Malmo, Sweden, from 19-21 June 2000. EcoEfficiency 2000 will present strategies for attaining sustainable economic growth on the societal, company and product level, and will explore how profit can be increased and environmental impact reduced by applying the EcoEfficiency concept to infrastructure, corporate strategy, product development, and use of materials and energy. For more information contact: Anette Blomstrand or Petra Kvist, Conference & Congress Planning, BokningsBolaget, Torstenssonsgatan 3, 114 56 Stockholm, Sweden; tel: +46-8-660-8595; fax: +46-8- 663-1745; e-mail: congress@bokningsbolaget.se; Internet: http://www.nutek.se/information/ecoefficiency2000/index.htm l Fifth International Conference on Health, Safety and the Environment in Oil and Gas Exploration and Production: This meeting is being organized by UNEP's Production and Consumption Unit and will be held in Stavanger, Norway, from 26-28 June 2000. For more information contact: Fritz Balkau, UNEP TIE-P&C, Paris, France; tel: +33-1-44-37-14- 50; fax: +33-3-44-37-14-74; e-mail: unepie@unep.fr GLOBAL CITIES21: The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) World Congress of Local Governments will take place in Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany, from 28 June - 2 July 2000. For more information contact: Congress Secretariat; tel: +49-761-368-9220; fax: +49-761- 368-9229; e-mail: world.congress@iclei.org; Internet: http://www2.iclei.org/gc21/ NEW TRENDS IN WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING FOR SAFETY AND LIFE: ECO-COMPATIBLE SOLUTIONS FOR AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS: This meeting will be held from 3-7 July 2000 in Naples, Italy. For more information contact: Rossella Monti, Terra Dipartimento IIAR, Sezione Idraulica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milan, Italy; tel: +39-02-2399-6293; fax: +39-02-2399-6298; e-mail: terra@marina.iar.polimi.it URBAN 21 - GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON THE URBAN FUTURE: This conference will be held from 4-6 July 2000 in Berlin, Germany. It is one of the key elements of the Global Initiative on Sustainable Development, sponsored by Brazil, Germany, Singapore and South Africa. For more information contact: Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning, Am Michaelshof 8, D - 53177 Bonn, Germany; fax: +49-1888- 401-2315; e-mail: info@urban21.de; Internet: http://www.urban21.de/english/index.html SHAPING THE SUSTAINABLE MILLENNIUM, COLLABORATIVE APPROACHES: This meeting will be held from 5-7 July 2000 in Brisbane, Australia. Themes to be discussed include: sustainable communities in the built environment; industrial and construction ecology; green design and architecture; and information, communication and education. For more information contact: Jodie Doolan, Conference Secretariat, Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia; tel: +61-7- 3864-1764; e-mail: cibconference@qut.edu.au; Internet: http://olt.qut.edu.au/int/selby/events/Conference/default.h tm ISEE 2000: People and Nature - Operationalizing Ecological Economics: The International Society for Ecological Economics will hold its annual conference from 5-8 July 2000 in Canberra, Australia. The conference will focus on operational applications and achievements of ecological economics, dealing with major conceptual challenges and practical problems. For more information contact: Beth Stoodley, Centre for Continuing Education, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia; tel: +61-2-6249-3806; fax: +61-2-6279-8066; e-mail: Beth.Stoodley@anu.edu.au; Internet: http://www.anu.edu.au/cce/isee/ ELECTRONIC CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS, THE ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABILITY: This conference will be held in Canberra, Australia from 5-8 July 2000. For more information contact: e-mail: bes@green-innovations.asn.au; Internet: http://www.green-innovations.asn.au/isee2000-bes.htm. To subscribe to the free announcement e-mail list, send a blank e-mail message to: isee2000-bes-involve- subscribe@onelist.com SEMINAR ON SUSTAINABLE USE OF WATER: QUALITY AND QUANTITY: This seminar will be held from 16-21 July 2000 in Guildford, England. For more information contact: the Information Manager, International Networking Events, The British Council, 1, Beaumont Place, Oxford, OX1 2PJ, UK; tel: +44-1865-316-636; fax: +44-1865-557-368 or 516-590; e- mail: network.events@britishcouncil.org; Internet: http://www.britishcouncil.org/networkevents (and click on the Calendar of Events). Fourth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development in Asia and the Pacific: This conference will be held in Kitakyushu, Japan, from 31 August - 5 September 2000. For more information contact: Mr. Nirmal Andrews, Director UN Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP); tel: +66-2-288-1870-4; fax: +66-2-280-3829; e-mail: andrewsni@un.org Sixth International High-level Seminar on Cleaner Production: This seminar will be held in Montreal, Canada, from 16-17 October 2000. It is being organized by UNEP's Consumption and Production Unit. For more information contact: Fritz Balkau, UNEP TIE-P&C, Paris, France; tel: +33-1-44-37-14-50; fax: +33-1-44-37-14-74; e-mail: unepie@unep.fr ISLANDS OF THE WORLD SIXTH CONFERENCE - "SMALL ISLANDS IN THE THIRD MILLENNIUM: SHARING SOLUTIONS TO COMMON PROBLEMS": This international conference will be held from 16-20 October 2000 on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. It is being organized by the International Small Islands Studies Association (ISISA). Conference sessions will focus on political issues, economic affairs, cultural matters, community development, biodiversity and protected areas, renewable energy, waste minimization, coastal zone and fisheries management, sustainable tourism, and health care. For more information contact: Graeme Robertson, Secretary for the ISLANDS VI Conference; tel: +44-1478-612-898; e- mail: graeme@islandstudies.org; Internet: http://www.islandstudies.org SECOND ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE ON INDUSTRY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE - EURO ENVIRONMENT 2000: This conference will be held in Aalborg, Denmark, from 18-20 October 2000. For more information contact: Else Herfort or Steffen L. Thomsen, Euro Environment Secretariat, PO Box 149 DK-9100 Aalborg; tel: +45-99-355-555; fax: + 45-99-355- 580; e-mail: euro@akkc.dk; Internet: http://www.akkc.dk/uk/euro/envire/ BIODIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY IN ARID REGIONS: This conference is being held from 27-29 March 2000 in Kuwait. For more information contact: Mohammad Al-Sarawi, Chairman, PO Box 24395, Safat, Kuwait 13104; tel: +965-565-0554; fax: +965-565-3328; e- mail: muna@epa.org.kw AD HOC WORKING GROUP ON CBD ARTICLE 8(J): The Ad Hoc Working Group on Article 8(j) is meeting from 27-31 March 2000 in Sevilla, Spain. For more information contact: CBD Secretariat; World Trade Center, 393 Jacques St., Suite 300, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 1N9; tel: +1-514-288- 2220; fax: +1-514-288-6588; e- mail: secretariat@biodiv.org; Internet: http://www.biodiv.org/indig/Wg8j1/index.html WORKSHOP ON BIOSAFETY - SCIENCE AND POLICY IN RISK ASSESSMENT OF TRANSGENIC ORGANISMS: This meeting is being convened by the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology and is being held from 27-31 March 2000 in Trieste, Italy. The workshop will evaluate biosafety issues using a case study approach. For more information contact: Giovanni Ferraiolo, ICGEB, Trieste, Italy; tel: +39-40-375-7364; e-mail: ferraiol@icgeb.trieste.it; Internet: http://www.icgeb.trieste.it/crs00biosafe1.htm BIODIVERSITY AND BUSINESS - PUTTING PRINCIPLES INTO ACTION: This meeting will be held from 3-4 April 2000 in London, England, and will be hosted by the Royal Institute of International Affairs and Flora and Fauna International. For more information contact: Georgina Wright, RIIA, London, England; tel: +44-171-957-574; fax: +44-171-321- 2045; e-mail: gwright@riia.org WORKSHOP ON BIOSAFETY - ADVANCED RESEARCH AND PROCEDURES: This meeting will be held from 3-8 April 2000 in Florence, Italy. It is being co-organized by Istituto Agronomico Oltremare of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology. Designated experts and officers in relevant government agencies will attend. The workshop will consider biosafety and risk assessment for the environmental release of genetically modified organisms, as well as impact assessment procedures and regulatory frameworks. For more information contact: Marcello Broggio, Head of Biotechnology, Istituto Agronomico Oltremare of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; e-mail: broggio@iao.florence.it; Internet: http://www.icgeb.trieste.it/biosafety/bsfnews.htm#1099bsf1 CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY: The fifth Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biodiversity will be held from 15-26 May 2000 in Nairobi, Kenya. For more information contact: CBD Secretariat, World Trade Center, 393 St.- Jacques W., Suite 300, Montreal, Quebec, H2Y 1N9, Canada; tel: +1-514-288-2220; fax: +1-514-288-6588; e-mail: chm@biodiv.org; Internet: http://www.biodiv.org INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN THE NEXT MILLENNIUM - THE IMPACT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY ON DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: This conference will be held from 29-31 May 2000 in Brussels, Belgium. It is being organized by Friends of the Earth, Oxfam Solidarity Belgium and the Dag Hammerskjöld Foundation, with support from the European Commission. The meeting aims to bring together policy makers, scientists and other experts involved in the rural development and environment field. Participants will examine the potential contribution modern biotechnology may offer developing countries and will compare it with other technologies and development approaches. For more information contact: Olivier Christ, Friends of the Earth Europe, 29, rue Blanche, B-1060 Brussels, Belgium; fax: +32-2-537-55-96; e-mail: Olivier.Christ@foeeurope.org NAFTA CEC meeting on Biodiversity Conservation: From 1-2 June 2000, in Mexico, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation of the North American Free Trade Agreement will hold its Priority Regions Workshop for the CEC Biodiversity Conservation Strategic Plan. The meeting is open only to invited participants. For more information contact: Hans Herrmann, Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 393 St.-Jacques W., Suite 200, Montreal, Quebec, H2Y 1N9, Canada; tel: +1-514-350-4340; fax: +1-514-350-4314; e-mail: hherrman@ccemtl.org; Internet: www.cec.org The third Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference (ABIC 2000): This conference will be held from 5-8 June 2000 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. More than 1,000 participants are expected from business, academia, government and international organizations. Under the theme, Agbiotech: The Science of a New Century, participants will consider the opportunities agricultural biotechnology can offer. For more information contact: Sharon Murray, ABIC Conference Coordinator, The Signature Group Inc., 489 Second Avenue North, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7K 2C1; tel: +1-877-925-2242 (North America) or +1-306- 934-1772; fax: +1-877-333-2242 (North America) or +1-306- 664-6615; e-mail: siggroup@sk.sympatico.ca; Internet: http://www.abic.net/ INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR MANAGING PLANT GENETIC DIVERSITY IN THE 21ST CENTURY: The conference will be held from 12-16 June 2000 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For more information contact: Patti Sands, Assistant to the Deputy Director, IPGRI, Rome, Italy; fax: +39-6-575-0309; e-mail: p.sands@cgiar.org; Internet: http://www.cgiar.org/ipgri/sosindex.htm WORLD BOTANIC GARDENS CONGRESS AND SIXTH INTERNATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS CONSERVATION CONGRESS: These meetings are scheduled to be held from 26-30 June 2000 in Asheville, North Carolina, USA. For more information contact: Nan Guthrie, Congress Coordinator, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC 28806-9315, USA; tel: +1-828-665-2492; fax: +1-828-665-2371. IFOAM 2000: This meeting of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) will be held in Basel, Switzerland from 25 August - 2 September 2000. IFOAM 2000 will include the: 13th International IFOAM Scientific Conference; Third IFOAM Organic World Exhibition/Bio Marché; Second International Seminar on "Organics in the Supermarket"; and the Sixth International Congress on Organic Viticulture; and First International Seminar on "Organic Food Processing." For more information contact: IFOAM 2000, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Ackerstrasse, CH-5070 Frick, Switzerland; tel: +41-62-865- 7297; e-mail: ifoam2000@fibl.ch; Internet: http://www.ifoam2000.ch/ BIOTECHNOLOGY 2000 - 11TH INTERNATIONAL BIOTECHNOLOGY SYMPOSIUM: This meeting will be held from 3-8 September 2000 in Berlin, Germany. For more information contact: DECHEMA eV, German Society of Chemical Apparatus, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Theodor-Heuss-Allee 25, D- 60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; tel: +49-69-7564-235; e- mail: biotechnology2000@dechema.de; Internet: http://www.dechema.de/englisch/veransta/ibs11/pags/ibs11_1. htm WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS (IUCN): This meeting will be held from 4-11 October 2000 in Amman, Jordan. For more conservation contact: Ursula HiltBrunner, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland; tel: +41-22-999-0001; fax: +41-22-999-0002; Internet: http://www.iucn.org THIrd APEC Agricultural Technical Cooperation Workshop on Conservation and Utilization of Animals and Plants' Genetic Resources: This Experts Meeting is to be held in October 2000 in Taipei, Chinese Taipei. For more information contact: Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat, 438 Alexandra Road, #14-00, Alexandra Point, Singapore 119958; tel: +65-276-1880; fax: +65-276-1775; e- mail: info@mail.apecsec.org.sg; Internet: http://www.dpie.gov.au/dpie/apec/atc/ PARTNERSHIPS FOR PEOPLE & PLANTS - FIRST EUROPEAN BOTANIC GARDEN EDUCATION CONGRESS: This meeting will be held in Birmingham, UK, from 13-17 October 2000. For more information contact: BGCI, Descanso House, 199 Kew Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3BW, UK; tel: + 44-020-8332-5953/4; fax: +44-020-8322-5956; e-mail: bgci@rbgkew.org.uk DESERT FISHES COUNCIL: The Desert Fishes Council, an organization dedicated to preserving the biological integrity of desert aquatic ecosystems and their associated life forms, will hold its 32nd Annual General Meeting in Death Valley National Park, California, USA, from 16-19 November 2000. Its 33rd AGM is scheduled for 15-18 November 2001 in Alpine, Texas, USA. For more information contact: Phil Pister, Executive Secretary; tel/fax: +1-760-872-8751; e-mail: phildesfish@telis.org; Internet: http://www.utexas.edu/depts/tnhc/.www/fish/dfc/ (visit the "Meetings" section). CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT HEALTHY AGRICULTURE FOR HEALTHY FOOD: This conference, organized by the Pesticide Action Network, will take place in Dakar, Senegal, from 18-21 May 2000. For more information contact: Pesticide Action Network Africa, tel: +221-825-4914; fax: +21-825-1343; e-mail: panafrica@telecomplus.sn PANEL OF EXPERTS ON PESTICIDE SPECIFICATIONS, REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS, APPLICATION STANDARDS AND PRIOR INFORMED CONSENT: The 16th Session of this Panel of Experts will convene from 29-30 May 2000 in Granada, Spain. At this session, FAO specifications under the new procedure for a range of individual pesticides will be considered. The 17th session is scheduled for 3-6 June 2000 in Rome and will consult on progress made on updating the International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides. It will also prepare recommendations for updating the Code. The 18th Session is scheduled to meet from 5-9 March 2001 in Rome. Participants will consider new provisions of the Code of Conduct and update various guidelines in support of the Code. The 19th Session will be held from 27-29 October 2002 in Rome and will recommend procedures for the preparation and revision of guidelines and manuals and for updating the Code of Conduct. For more information contact: Gero Vaagt, FAO; tel: +39-6-5705-5757; e-mail: Gero.Vaagt@fao.org; Internet: http://www.fao.org/waicent/FaoInfo/Agricult/AGP/AGPP/Pestic id/Events/c.htm JOINT FAO-WHO MEETING ON PESTICIDES RESIDUES: The 25th Session of the Joint Meeting of the FAO Panel of Experts on Pesticide Residues in Food and the Environment and the WHO Expert Group on Pesticide Residues will be held from 20-29 September 2000 in Geneva, Switzerland. The 26th Session will take place from 10-28 September 2001 in Rome. The 27th Session is scheduled for 20-29 September 2002 in Rome. These meetings are expected to produce reports and monographs summarizing the assessments of certain pesticides. For more information contact: Amelia Tejada, FAO; tel: +39-6-5705-4010; fax: +39-6-5705-6347; e-mail: Amelia.Tejada@fao.org; Internet: http://www.fao.org/waicent/FaoInfo/Agricult/AGP/AGPP/Pestic id/Events/c.htm SEVENTH INC/PIC MEETING: The seventh session of the International Negotiating Committee (INC) for the Preparation of the Conference of Parties of the Rotterdam Convention for the Application of the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade is tentatively scheduled for 25-29 September 2000 in Geneva, Switzerland. The purpose of the meeting is to prepare for the Conference of Parties. For more information contact: Niek Van der Graaff, FAO; tel: +39-6-5705-3441; fax: +39-6-5705-6347; e-mail: Niek.VanderGraaff@fao.org ; Internet: http://www.fao.org/waicent/FaoInfo/Agricult/AGP/AGPP/Pestic id/Events/c.htm THIRD MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON CHEMICAL SAFETY: The Third Meeting of the International Forum on Chemical Safety will be held from 14-20 October 2000 in Salvador (Balina), Brazil. For more information contact: Executive Secretary, Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety; tel: +41-22-791-3650; fax: +41-22-791-4875; e-mail: ifcs@who.ch; Internet: http://www.ifcs.ch GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION ON UPDATING THE FAO CODE OF CONDUCT ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND USE OF PESTICIDES: This consultation is tentatively scheduled for 16-20 October 2000 in Rome and will consider the draft revised FAO International Code of Conduct on Distribution and Use of Pesticides. For more information contact: Niek Van der Graaff, FAO; tel: +39-6- 5705- 3441; fax: +39-6- 5705- 6347; e-mail: Niek.VanderGraaff@fao.org; Internet: http://www.fao.org/waicent/FaoInfo/Agricult/AGP/AGPP/Pestic id/Events/c.htm FIFTH CONSULTATION ON THE PREVENTION AND DISPOSAL OF OBSOLETE AND UNWANTED STOCKS OF PESTICIDES: This meeting is scheduled for October 2000 in Rome to consider new provisions for the prevention and disposal of obsolete stocks and to update/prepare various technical guidelines in support of the FAO Code of Conduct. For more information contact: Ale Wodageneh, FAO; tel: +39-6-5705-5192; fax: +39-6-5705-6347; e-mail: A.Wodageneh@fao.org; Internet: http://www.fao.org/waicent/FaoInfo/Agricult/AGP/AGPP/Pestic id/Events/c.htm MEETING OF the Interim Chemical Review Committee OF THE ROTTERDAM CONVENTION: This committee will meet from 14-18 February 2001, in Geneva, Switzerland. For more information contact: Jim Willis, UNEP Chemicals, Geneva, Switzerland; tel: +41-22-917 81 11; fax: +41-22-797-3460; e-mail: chemicals@unep.ch POPs Diplomatic Conference (DIPCON): This conference will be held from 21-23 May 2001, in Stockholm, Sweden. For more information contact: Jim Willis, UNEP Chemicals, Geneva, Switzerland; tel: +41-22-917 81 11; fax: +41-22-797-3460; e-mail: chemicals@unep.ch Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS-3): This forum will take place in October 2001, in Brazil. For more information contact: Jim Willis, UNEP Chemicals, Geneva, Switzerland; tel: +41-22-917 81 11; fax: +41-22-797-3460; e-mail: chemicals@unep.ch CLIMATE AND ATMOSPHERE UNITED NATIONS CLIMATE CHANGE CONVENTION WORKSHOPS: A number of workshops are being organized in accordance with decisions by the Fifth Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), held last year. These workshops will contribute to preparations for the Sixth Conference of Parties, which will be held from 13-24 November 2000 in The Hague, the Netherlands. Participation at these workshops is by invitation only. Several workshops have already been held during March 2000 in Bonn, Germany. Other workshops will include: - technology transfer for the Latin America & the Caribbean region (29-31 March in El Salvador); -best practices in policies and measures (11-13 April in Copenhagen, Denmark); and - non-Annex I communications for Latin America & the Caribbean (1-5 May in Mexico City). Workshops and informal meetings will also precede meetings of the Subsidiary Bodies of the FCCC in June and September. For more information contact: the FCCC Secretariat; tel: +49-228-815-1000; fax: +49-228-815-1999; e-mail: secretariat@unfccc.de; Internet: http://www.unfccc.de/sessions/index.html EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE MULTILATERAL FUND UNDER THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL: The 30th Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund under the Montreal Protocol will be held in Montreal, Canada from 27-31 March 2000. The Executive Committee's 31st Meeting is scheduled for 3-7 July 2000 in Geneva, Switzerland. The 32nd Meeting will be held from 4-8 December 2000 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. For more information contact: the Ozone Secretariat; UNEP, Nairobi, Kenya; tel: +254-2-62-1234; fax: +254-2-62- 3601; e-mail: ozoneinfo@unep.org; Internet: http://www.unep.org/ozone/meet2000.htm CTI/INDUSTRY JOINT SEMINAR ON TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN: This seminar will be held from 27-28 March 2000 in San Salvador, El Salvador. It will focus on the role of the private sector in the diffusion of climate friendly technology. For more information contact: Megan Gardiner, CTI Secretariat at the International Energy Agency; tel: +331-4057-6684; e-mail: megan.gardiner@iea.org; Internet: http://www.ClimateTech.net Seattle Summit on Protecting the World's Climate: This summit will be held from 3-5 April 2000 in Seattle, Washington, USA. The summit recognizes an emerging alignment between the environmental urgency of global warming and economic opportunities in the rapidly-changing energy industry. For more information contact: Rhys Roth, Climate Solutions, 610 4th Ave E, Olympia, WA 98501-1113; tel: +1-360-352-1763; fax: +1-360-943-4977; e-mail: info@climatesolutions.org; Internet: http://www.climate.org/seattlesummit PACIFIC ISLANDS CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE: This meeting will be held from 3-7 April 2000 in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. The meeting is being organized by the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in partnership with the National Tidal Facility, UNDP and GEF through the Pacific Islands Climate Change Assistance Programme. For more information contact: SPREP; fax: +685- 202-31; e-mail: kaluwin@sprep.org.ws; Internet: http://www.sprep.org.ws CLIMATE POLICY WORKSHOP: FROM KYOTO TO THE HAGUE - EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVES ON MAKING THE KYOTO PROTOCOL WORK: This workshop will take place from 18-19 April 2000 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and is being organized by the European Forum on Integrated Environmental Assessment. The workshop will review scientific information relevant for the EU and its member states in preparing for FCCC COP-6 and will aim to enhance the policy relevance of climate- related research in Europe. For more information contact: Albert Faber, RIVM; the Netherlands; tel:+31-30-274- 3683/3728; fax: +31-30-274-4435; e-mail: albert.faber@rivm.nl; Internet: http://www.vu.nl/english/o_o/instituten/IVM/research/efiea/ announce.htm CONFERENCE ON INNOVATIVE POLICY SOLUTIONS TO GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE: This conference will be held on 25 and 26 April 2000 in Washington, DC. It is being co-hosted by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change and the Royal Institute of International Affairs. The meeting will consider innovative policies currently being implemented by industrialized country governments and the private sector to address the issue of climate change. Key issues for discussion will include common policy approaches, cross-cutting issues, energy and transport sector policies and state and local level programmes. For more information visit: http://www.pewclimate.org/forms/innov_conf.html 11TH GLOBAL WARMING INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AND EXPO: This meeting, entitled "Kyoto Compliance Review - Year 2000 Conference" will be held from 25-28 April 2000 in Boston, USA, and is being sponsored by the Global Warming International Program Committee and the Global Warming International Center. For more information contact: Sinyan Shen; tel: +1-630-910-1551; fax: +1-630-910-1561; e-mail: syshen@megsinet.net; Internet: http://GlobalWarming.Net NATIONAL POLICY ASSOCIATION BREAKFAST SEMINARS ON GLOBAL WARMING: The US National Policy Association is holding a series of breakfast seminars during 2000 in Washington, DC. The seminars aim to provide an opportunity for representatives of the business, labor, agricultural, academic, government and environmental sectors to address various policy issues relating to climate change. The remaining meetings are scheduled for 26 April, 23 May and 13 July. For more information contact: Kaylin Bailey, National Policy Association; tel: +1-202-884-7628; e-mail: kbailey@npa1.org FOURTH ANNUAL SPRING MEETING OF THE EMISSIONS MARKETING ASSOCIATION: This meeting will take place from 7-9 May 2000 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. The Emissions Marketing Association's mission is to promote market-based trading solutions for environmental control. Issues to be considered at its meeting will include: expectations for FCCC COP-6; recent activity in the greenhouse gas emissions market; and an assessment of how alternative and local markets are functioning. For more information visit: http://www.emissions.org/ SIXth National Clean Cities Conference: This conference will be held from 7-10 May 2000 in San Diego, California. Clean Cities is a programme sponsored by the U.S Department of Energy that is designed to encourage the use of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and their supporting infrastructure throughout the nation. This conference will address how AFV use can help achieve energy security and environmental quality goals at both the national and local levels. For more information contact: Kim Cresencia, the Clean Cities Hotline; tel: (North America only) 1-800- CCITIES; fax: +1-703-934-3183; e-mail: ccities@nrel.gov; Internet: http://www.ccities.doe.gov or http://www.ccities.doe.gov/conference.shtml APEC ENERGY WORKING GROUP: The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation's (APEC) Energy Working Group will meet in San Diego, California, from 10-12 May 2000. This meeting will include a Meeting of Senior Energy Officials (10 May); an APEC Energy Minister's Dialogue with Business (11 May); and the Fourth Meeting of APEC Energy Ministers (12 May). For more information contact: APEC Secretariat, 438 Alexandra Road, #14-00, Alexandra Point, Singapore 119958; tel: +65- 276-1880; fax: +65-276-1775; e-mail: info@mail.apecsec.org.sg; Internet: http://www.isr.gov.au/resources/apec-ewg/index.html Carbon Finance CONFERENCE: This conference will be held twice: in London, England from 4-5 May 2000 and also in New York, USA, from 16-17 May 2000. Organized by the publisher of Environmental Finance, the Carbon Finance Conference will examine risks, investment opportunities and trading in the evolving carbon market. For more information contact: Jane Hughes, Environmental Finance, 22-24 Corsham Street, London N1 6DR; tel: +44-20-8997-3023; fax: +44-20-7251- 9161; e-mail: jane@hughesmartin.freeserve.co.uk or info@environmental-finance.com; Internet: http://environmental- finance.webserver.org/envfin/conferen.htm Ninth Annual Energy Conference 2000: This conference will be held from 15-16 May 2000 in La Jolla, California. The Institute of the Americas Ninth Annual Energy Conference will focus on the continuing demand for new power projects and the rapid consolidation of the oil industry, which is affecting rates and competition throughout the hemisphere. For more information contact: Patricia Bennett, Program Director - Energy Programs, Institute of the Americas, San Diego, California, USA.; tel: +1-858-453-5560 ext120; fax: +1-858-453-2165; e-mail: pbennett@iamericas.org; Internet: http://www.iamericas.org/events/event.html?eid=14&isnw=1 Sustainable Energy - New Challenges for Agriculture and Implications for Land Use: This conference will be held from 18-20 May 2000, at Wageningen University, The Netherlands. Its main objective is to bring together economists and scientists working in the area of sustainable energy and land use modeling, to discuss the implications for agriculture of a transition toward a society that relies on sustainable energy. For more information contact: Will Bodde, Congress Office, Wageningen University, Costerweg 50, 6701 BH Wageningen, The Netherlands, fax: +31-317-485309, e-mail: will.bodde@alg.vl.wau.nl; Internet: http://www.sls.wau.nl/congresme/default.htm 12TH ASIA-PACIFIC AND THIRD COMMONWEALTH CONGRESS OF ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISTS: This meeting will be held in Suva, Fiji from 5-9 June 2000 and will focus on climate change and small island states. For more information contact: Nina Ratulele, Secretary, Pacific Islands News Association, Level 2, Damodar Centre, 46 Gordon Street, Suva, Fiji; tel: +679-303-623; fax: +679-303-943; e-mail: pina@is.com.fj; Internet: http://www.oneworld.org/slejf/fiji.htm FIRst World Conference and Exhibition on Biomass for Energy and Industry: This conference will be held in Sevilla, Spain, from 5-9 June 2000. It is being jointly organized by the European Conference on Biomass for Energy and Industry, and the Biomass Conference of the Americas. For more information contact: Angela Grassi, tel: +39-055-500-2174; fax: +39-055-57-3425; e-mail: eta.fi@etaflorence.it; Internet: http://www.etaflorence.it/sevilla.htm 12TH SESSION OF THE FCCC SUBSIDIARY BODIES: SB-12 will be held in Bonn, Germany, from 12-16 June 2000. It will be preceded by one week of informal meetings, including workshops. For more information contact: the FCCC Secretariat; tel: +49-228-815-1000; fax: +49-228-815-1999; e-mail: secretariat@unfccc.de; Internet: http://www.unfccc.de INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CLIMATE CHANGE COMMUNICATION: This conference will be held from 22-24 June 2000 in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It will be hosted by Environment Canada and the University of Waterloo and is intended to support effective communication as a means of strengthening the climate change science-policy process. For more information contact: Jean Andrey, Department of Geography, University of Waterloo; tel: +1-519-888-4567 ext. 3629; e-mail: jandrey@fes.uwaterloo.ca or contact Daniel Scott, Adaptation and Impacts Research Group, Environment Canada, tel: +1-519-888-4567 ext. 5497; e-mail: dj2scott@fes.uwaterloo.ca; Internet: http://geognt.uwaterloo.ca/c3confer/ WORLD RENEWABLE ENERGIES CONGRESS: This meeting will be held from 1-7 July 2000 in Brighton, England. Hosted by the World Renewable Energy Network, it is being co-sponsored by several organizations, including UNESCO, UNDP and the European Economic Commission. For more information contact: A. Sayigh, 147 Hilmanton, Lower Earley, Reading RG6 4HN, UK; tel: +44-1189-611-364, fax: +44-1189-611-365; e-mail: asayigh@netcomuk.co.uk; Internet: http://www.wrenuk.co.uk/brighton/topics.html#topics 20TH SESSION OF THE OPEN-ENDED WORKING GROUP OF PARTIES TO THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL: OEWG-20 will be held in Geneva, Switzerland from 11-14 July 2000. For more information contact: the Ozone Secretariat; UNEP, Nairobi, Kenya; tel: +254-2-62-1234; e-mail: ozoneinfo@unep.org; Internet: http://www.unep.org/ozone/meet2000.htm International Conference on Climate and Health in Small Island States: This conference will be held from 24-25 July 2000, in Nadi, Fiji, and is being organized by the Inter- agency Network on Climate and Human Health, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organization. For more information contact: H. Ogawa, World Health Organization, Regional Office for the Western Pacific; fax: +632-521-1036 or 526-0279; e-mail: ogawah@who.org.ph; or C. Corvalán, Department of Protection of the Human Environment, World Health Organization, CH-1211, Geneva 27; tel: +41-22-791 4208; fax: +41-22-791-4123; e-mail: corvalanc@who.int; Internet: http://www.who.int/peh/climate/climate_and_health.htm FIFTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GREENHOUSE GAS CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES (GHGT-5): This conference will take place from 13-16 August 2000 in Cairns, Northern Queensland, Australia. It will provide a forum for the discussion of recent advances in the area of greenhouse gas control technologies, including CO2 capture, storage and utilization. For more information contact: GHGT-5 Secretariat, Colin Paulson, CSIRO Energy Technology , PO Box 136, North Ryde, NSW 1670, Australia; tel: +61-2-9490- 8790; e-mail: c.paulson@det.csiro.au; Internet: www.ieagreen.org.uk 12TH REGIONAL CENTRAL EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF IUAPPA (INTERNATIONAL UNION OF AIR POLLUTION PREVENTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ASSOCIATIONS) AND FOURTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT: This meeting will take place from 11-14 September 2000 in Prague, Czech Republic. For more information contact: the Conference Secretariat: Czech Medical Association J. E. Purkyne, P.O.Box 88, Sokolska 31, 120 26 Prague 2, Czech Republic; tel: +420-2-297-271; fax: +420-2-294-610; e-mail: senderova@cls.cz; Internet: http://congress.cls.cz/iuappa2000/ 13TH SESSION OF THE FCCC SUBSIDIARY BODIES: SB-13 will be held from 11-15 September 2000, preceded by one week of informal meetings, including workshops. For more information contact: the UNFCCC Secretariat; tel: +49-228- 815-1000; fax: +49-228-815-1999; e-mail: secretariat@unfccc.de; Internet: http://www.unfccc.de EARTH TECHNOLOGIES FORUM: This meeting, organized by the Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy, will be held in Washington, DC, from 25-28 September 2000. Both ozone and climate change issues will be discussed. For more information contact: Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy: tel: +1-703-243-0344; fax: +1-703-243-2874; e-mail: alliance98@aol.com; Internet: http://www.earthforum.com/ Southern Cone Energy Roundtable: This meeting will be held in Bariloche, Argentina and has been tentatively scheduled for 28-29 September 2000. Organized by the Institute of the Americas, it will discuss regulatory issues facing the Southern Cone countries and the energy policies of the newly-elected governments in Argentina and Chile. For more information contact: Patricia Bennett, Programme Director - Energy Programs, Institute of the Americas, San Diego, California, USA.; tel: +1-858-453-5560 ext120; fax: +1-858- 453-2165; e-mail: pbennett@iamericas.org; Internet: http://www.iamericas.org/events/event.html?eid=16&isnw=1 SIXTH CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE: COP-6 will be held in The Hague, the Netherlands, from 13-24 November 2000. For more information contact: the UNFCCC Secretariat; tel: +49-228-815-1000; fax: +49-228-815-1999; e-mail: secretariat@unfccc.de; Internet: http://www.unfccc.de Andean Countries Energy Roundtable: This meeting will be held in Lima, Peru, and has been tentatively scheduled for 16-17 November 2000. For more information contact: Patricia Bennett, Program Director - Energy Programs, Institute of the Americas, San Diego, California, USA; tel: +1-858-453- 5560 ext 120; fax: +1-858-453-2165; e-mail: pbennett@iamericas.org; Internet: http://www.iamericas.org/events/event.html?eid=15&isnw=1 NAFTA CEC Tri-national Air Quality Improvement Initiative - North American Trade and Transportation Corridors: This meeting will be held in Winnipeg, Canada on 6 December 2000. It will be hosted by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Government agencies and non-governmental organizations will consider scenarios and opportunities for cooperation. For more information contact: Nick Nikkila, Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 393 St.-Jacques W., Suite 200, Montreal, Quebec, H2Y 1N0, Canada; tel: +1- 514-350-4337; fax: +1-514-350-4314; e-mail: nnikkila@ccemtl.org; Internet: http://www.cec.org 12TH MEETING OF THE PARTIES OF THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL: MOP- 12 will be held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from 11-15 December 2000. For more information contact: the Ozone Secretariat; tel: +254-2-62-1234; fax: +254-2-62-3601; e- mail: ozoneinfo@unep.org; Internet: http://www.unep.org/ozone/meet2000.htm DESERTIFICATION For more information relating to the Convention to Combat Desertification contact: the CCD Secretariat, P.O. Box 260129, D-53153 Bonn, Germany; tel: +49-228-815-2800; fax: +49-228-815-2899; e-mail: secretariat@unccd.de; Internet: http://www.unccd.de FOURTH BIENNIAL CONGRESS OF THE AFRICAN DIVISION OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR HYDROLOGIC ENGINEERING AND RESEARCH: Entitled "Conserving and Sharing Water Resources in a Water Scarce Environment," this meeting will be held from 7-9 June 2000 in Windhoek, Namibia. Topics to be covered include: groundwater supplies, water demand management, desalination, wastewater treatment, rain harvesting, the sea as a source, international cooperation and environmental problems in arid countries. For more information contact: Kai A.H. Lund, Congress Chairman, Lund Consulting, P.O. Box 3106, Windhoek, Namibia; fax: +264- 612-3478; e-mail: lce@lce.com.na International Symposium on Desertification: This event will be held from 13-17 June 2000 at the University of Selçuk, in Konya, Turkey. The symposium will provide a forum for presenting and discussing current research, new technologies, recent accomplishments and practical applications in all aspects of desertification. For more information contact: Fikret Eyüpo_lu, ISD Secretary, Soil and Fertilizer Research Institute, PO Box 54, Yenimahalle, 06172 Ankara, Turkey; tel: +90-312-315-5056; fax: +90-312- 315-2931; e-mail: feyupoglu@superonline.com; Internet: http://www.khgm.gov.tr/isdesertification.htm FOURTH SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION: COP-4 is tentatively scheduled to meet from 16-27 October 2000 in Bonn, Germany. For more information contact the CCD Secretariat (see above). FORESTS 28TH SESSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL TROPICAL TIMBER COUNCIL: This meeting will take place from 24-30 May 2000 in Lima, Peru. For more information contact: International Tropical Timber Organization; e-mail: info@itto.or.jp; Internet: http://www.itto.or.jp/Index.html FOREST PRODUCTS SOCIETY: The 54th Annual Meeting of the Forest Products Society will convene from 18-21 June 2000 at Lake Tahoe, Nevada, USA. For more information contact: Forest Products Society; tel: +1-608-231-1361; fax: +1-608- 231-2152; e-mail: info@forestprod.org; Internet: http://www.forestprod.org/confannu.html or http://www.ucfpl.ucop.edu/fps2000.htm XXI IUFRO WORLD CONGRESS: The International Union of Forest Research Organizations' (IUFRO) World Congress will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 7-12 August 2000. For more information contact: Congress Secretariat IUFRO 2000, Putra World Trade Center, 41 Jalan Tun Ismail, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; e-mail: iufroxxi@frim.gov.my; Internet: http://iufro.boku.ac.at/iufro/congress/ International Conference on Forest Ecosystems - Ecology, Conservation and Sustainable Management: This conference will be held in Chengdu, Sichuan, China, from 15-21 August 2000. The conference aims to share the knowledge and technologies needed for sustainable management of forest resources and biodiversity conservation, and to promote multifunctional management and forest resources utilization. For more information contact: Shi Zuomin & Dong Na, Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment & Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Wanshoushan, Beijing, 100091 China; tel: +86-10-62888308 or 62889513; fax: 86-10-62884972; e-mail: Shizm@fee.forestry.ac.cn or Keyan.hb@fee.forestry.ac.cn; Internet: http://www.agnic.org/mtg/2000/icfeecsm.html HABITAT "ISTANBUL+5" - SPECIAL SESSION OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR AN OVERALL REVIEW AND APPRAISAL OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HABITAT AGENDA: This Special Session of the UN General Assembly will be held in June 2001. It will review and appraise progress made on the implementation of the outcome of the second UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), which was held in Istanbul, Turkey in 1996. The Commission on Human Settlements will act as the preparatory committee for this Special Session and will hold its first substantive preparatory session from 8-12 May 2000 in Nairobi, Kenya. The second substantive preparatory session is scheduled for February 2001. For more information contact: Axumite Gebre-Egziabher, Coordinator, Istanbul+ 5, United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS-Habitat), P.O. Box 30030, Nairobi, Kenya; tel: +254-2-623831; fax: +254-2-624262; e-mail: Axumite.Gebre-Egziabher@unchs.org; Internet: http://www.istanbul5.org/ INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS EU Council Of Ministers Meetings on Environment and Development: The European Council of Ministers' Environment Council will meet twice in 2000, on 30 March and from 22-23 June. The Development Council will meet once, on 18 May. These meetings will take place in Brussels, Belgium. For more information visit: http://www.europa.eu.int WORLD BANK & INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND: The Spring Meetings of the IMF/World Bank will be held from 16-17 April 2000 in Washington DC. The IMF/World Bank Joint Annual Meetings will take place from 26-28 September 2000 in Prague, Czech Republic. For more information contact: World Bank/IMF Conferences Office; tel: +1-202-473-7272 or +1-202-623-4100; e-mail: bfcoffice@worldbank.org; Internet: http://www.imf.org/external/am/index.htm GEF MEETINGS: NGO Consultations will take place on 8 May and 31 October 2000 at GEF Headquarters in Washington, DC. The GEF Council will meet from 9-11 May and 1-3 November 2000. For more information contact: GEF Secretariat, 1818 H Street, NW, Washington DC, 20433, USA; tel: +1-202-473- 0508; fax: +1-202-522-3240; Internet: http://www.gefweb.org/ WORKING GROUP OF EXPERTS ON ENFORCEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONVENTIONS: This working group is scheduled to meet in May 2000 in Geneva, Switzerland. Organized by UNEP, the meeting will address the issue of international environmental regulation for international environmental agreements. The aim is to continue to make progress on this issue following an earlier meeting held in December 1999. For more information contact: Michael Williams, UNEP Information Unit for Conventions (UNEP/IUC), Geneva; tel: +41-22-917-8242/8244/8196; fax: +41-22-797- 3464; e-mail: mwilliams@unep.ch; Internet: http://www.unep.ch/iuc/ UNEP GOVERNING COUNCIL SIXTH SPECIAL SESSION: The Sixth Special Session of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council will convene from 29-31 May 2000 in Malmo, Sweden. The meeting will consider major challenges to environmental policies in the new century, the future role of UNEP in the UN system, and preparations for the Earth Summit in 2002. The 21st regular session of UNEP's Governing Council is scheduled for 5-9 February 2001, in Nairobi, Kenya. For more information contact: Beverly Miller, UNEP, Nairobi, Kenya; tel: +254-2-62-3411; fax: +254-2-62-3748; e-mail: Beverly.Miller@unep.org INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION: The 88th Session of the International Labour Conference will take place from 30 May - 15 June 2000. The ILO's Governing Body meets for its 277th Session from 16-31 March 2000, with subsequent sessions scheduled for 16 June and 2-17 November. For more information contact: Official Relations Branch, ILO; tel: +41-22-799-7732; e-mail: RELOFF@ilo.org; Internet: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/ilc88/ index.htm 55TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS - "THE MILLENNIUM ASSEMBLY": The 55th Session of the UN - designated the "Millennium Assembly" - will open on 5 September 2000 at UN Headquarters in New York. It is expected that the meeting will be attended by a large number of world leaders and provide an opportunity to articulate and affirm an animating vision for the United Nations in meeting the challenges of the twenty-first century. The role of the UN in promoting peace and sustainable development in the era of globalization has been identified as one of the key themes for the session. As a companion event, civil society organizations will hold a "Millennium Forum" from 22-26 May 2000, also at UN Headquarters. For more information visit: http://www.un.org/millennium APEC Ministerial and senior officials Meeting: The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group will hold its Annual meetings for 2000 in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, from 10-19 November. For more information contact: APEC Secretariat, 438 Alexandra Road, #14-00, Alexandra Point, Singapore 119958; tel: +65-276-1880; fax: +65-276-1775; e-mail: info@mail.apecsec.org.sg; Internet: http://www.apecsec.org.sg/whatsnew/calend/calendar.html#Dec 99 FAO GOVERNING BODIES: The 119th Session of the FAO Council is scheduled for 20-25 November 2000 in Rome, Italy. Subsequent sessions are provisionally set down for 18-23 June, 30 October - 1 November and 14 November 2001. The 31st FAO Conference is tentatively scheduled for 2-13 November 2001. To see the provisional calendar of all FAO Governing Bodies meetings, Regional Conferences and Committee Sessions for 2000-2001, visit: http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/x3837e.htm For more information on specific meetings, visit: http://www.fao.org/events/default.htm OCEANS AND COASTS AQUA 2000: This international conference on aquaculture will be held from 2 -6 May 2000 in Nice, France. The conference and a trade show, organized by the European Aquaculture Society and the World Aquaculture Society, will focus on "Responsible Aquaculture in the New Millennium". For more information contact: Conference Secretariat, EAS Conference Office, Slijkensesteenweg 4, B-8400 Oostende, Belgium; tel: +32-59-32-38-59; fax: +32-59-32-10-05; e- mail: 2000conference@aquaculture.cc; Internet: http://allserv.rug.ac.be/~jdhont/eas/conf/indexf.htm FIFTH CONGRESS ON MARINE SCIENCES: This meeting will be held in Havana, Cuba, from 19-23 June 2000. Topics for discussion will include integrated coastal zone management, marine resources management, marine biodiversity, and the global ocean observing system. For more information contact: MarCuba'2000 Organizing Committee, National Oceanographic Committee of Cuba; tel: +537-23-64-01; e- mail: marcuba@unepnet.inf.cu; Internet: http://ioc.unesco.org/iocweb/news/external/marcuba2000_e.ht m IOC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND ASSEMBLY: The International Oceanographic Commission Executive Council is scheduled to meet for its thirty-third session from 20-30 June 2000 in Paris, France. For more information visit: http://ioc.unesco.org/iocweb/about_ioc/structure/govbodies/ ec33/ec33home.htm "LITTORAL 2000": The Fifth International Littoral Conference will be held from 13-17 September 2000 in Cavtat - Dubrovnik, Croatia. The meeting's theme will be "Responsible Coastal Zone Management - The Challenge of the 21st Century." Issues to be addressed will include: environmental assessment; responsible use of natural resources; coastal engineering; financing sustainable coastal development; and national and international legal aspects. For more information contact: Maja Radosevic, LITTORAL 2000 - EUROCOAST, c/o Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; tel/fax: +385-1- 4826-263; e-mail: littoral@zg.biol.pmf.hr; Internet: http://zg.biol.pmf.hr/~eurcoast/littoral/ NINTH INTERNATIONAL CORAL REEF SYMPOSIUM: This symposium will be held from 7-11 October 2000 in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. For more information contact: the Secretariat of the 9th ICRS; e-mail: coremap@indosat.net.id; Internet: http://www.cep.unep.org/news/calendar.html#Oct2000 SIXTH INDO-PACIFIC FISH CONFERENCE: This conference will be held from 20-25 May 2001 in Durban, South Africa. It will address various aspects of the ichthyology of Indo-Pacific fishes, including evolution, genetics, systematics, ecology, biology, behavior and biogeography. For more information contact: IPFC 2001, Oceanographic Research Institute, P O Box 10712, Marine Parade, Durban 4056, South Africa; tel: +27-31-337 3536; fax: +27-31-337 2132; e-mail: seaworld@dbn.lia.net; Internet: http://www.seaworld.org.za/ippfc.asp POPULATION COMMISSION ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT: The 33rd Session of the Commission on Population and Development is being held in New York from 27-31 March 2000. For more information contact: e-mail: population@un.org; Internet: http://www.undp.org/popin/unpopcom.htm Documentation for the meeting is available at: http://www.undp.org/popin/unpopcom/33rdsess/official.htm SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT COPENHAGEN+5: The Preparatory Committee for the Special Session of the General Assembly on the Implementation of the Outcome of the World Summit for Social Development (WSSD) and Further Initiatives will hold its second substantive session in New York from 3-14 April 2000. The Special Session will be held from 26-30 June 2000 in Geneva, Switzerland. For more information contact: Gloria Kan, Chief, Intergovernmental Policy Branch, Division for Social Policy Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations, Room DC2-1362, New York, NY 10017, USA; tel: + 1-212-963-5873; fax: + 1-212-963-3062; e-mail: kan@un.org; Internet: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/geneva2000/ GENEVA 2000 FORUM: This meeting will be held in conjunction with the Copenhagen+5 Special Session in Geneva, Switzerland from 26-30 June 2000. Its aim is to enable representatives of non-governmental organizations, parliaments, trade unions, business and industry, professional associations, academic institutions, governmental and intergovernmental organizations, civil society and the media to join in the debate on social development. For more information contact: The Geneva 2000 Secretariat, c/o Ambassador Daniel Stauffacher, Delegate of the Swiss Government for the Follow-up Conference of the World Summit for Social Development, Geneva 2000, Rue de Varembé 9-11, P.O. Box 125, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland; tel: +41-22-749-2570; fax:+41-22-749-2589; Internet: http://www.geneva2000.org TENTH WORLD CONGRESS OF RURAL SOCIOLOGY - Sustainable Rural Livelihoods: Building Communities, Protecting Resources, Fostering Human Development: The International Rural Sociology Association's annual congress will be held from 30 July - 5 August 2000, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. For more information contact: Andrea Couto, X IRSA World Congress Secretariat, Brazil; tel: +55-21-509-4080; fax: +55-21-509-1492; e-mail: irsa@congrex.com.br; Internet: http://www.ag.auburn.edu/irsa/ Ethnobiology, Biocultural Diversity, and Benefits Sharing: The International Society of Ethnobiology's (ISE) 7th Congress will be held from 23-27 October 2000, in Athens, Georgia, USA. The theme of the Congress is ethnobiology's role in maintaining biocultural diversity and ensuring equitable benefits sharing and open dialogue with traditional and indigenous research collaborators. For more information contact: 7th International Congress of Ethnobiology, c/o LaBau Bryan, Department of Anthropology, The University of Georgia, 250 Baldwin Hall, Athens, GA 30602-1619; tel: +1-706-542-3922; fax: +1-706-542-3998; e- mail: lbryan@arches.uga.edu; Internet: http://guallart.dac.uga.edu/ConReg.html WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, XENOPHOBIA AND RELATED INTOLERANCE: This UN conference will be held in 2001 in South Africa and will focus on practical steps to eradicate racism, including prevention, education and protection measures and the provision of effective remedies. The UN Commission on Human Rights will act as the Preparatory Committee. Two preparatory meetings are planned, the first from 1-5 May 2000, with a second scheduled for May 2001. Both preparatory meetings will be held in Geneva, Switzerland. For more information contact: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights World Conference Secretariat, United Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, tel: +41-22-917-9290; e-mail: husbands@un.org; Internet: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/racism/racism.htm TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT CONFERENCE ON GENETICALLY MODIFIED PRODUCTS - THE NEXT TRADE WAR? This conference will take place on 5 April 2000 in London, England, and will be hosted by the Royal Institute of International Affairs and Flora and Fauna International. For more information contact: Georgina Wright, RIIA, London, England; tel: +44-171-957-574; fax: +44-171-321-2045; e-mail: gwright@riia.org CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT IN THE FTAA PROCESS: WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE NAFTA MODEL? This meeting will be held from 26-27 April 2000 in Washington, DC, and is being hosted by the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and the National Wildlife Federation. The meeting will be attended by government officials, policy analysts, academics, and representatives of non-governmental organizations from Canada, the US, Mexico and the Latin American region. It will provide an opportunity to consider NAFTA's experience on integrating trade and environment concerns and examine NAFTA's environmental provisions and their relevance to the FTAA process. For more information contact: Juliette Moussa, c/o National Wildlife Federation; tel: +1-202-797- 6669; e-mail: juliettenwf@hotmail.com WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE ON TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE: The Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade will meet on 19 May, 12 July, 6 October, and 10 November 2000. It is scheduled to complete the Second Triennial Review of the Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement. Meetings dates are provisional and subject to change. For more information contract: Vivien Liu, Technical Barriers to Trade Committee Secretary, World Trade Organization, 154 rue de Lausanne, 1211 Geneva 21, Switzerland, tel: +41-22-739-5455, e-mail: vivien.liu@wto.org WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION TRIPS COUNCIL: The World Trade Organization's Council on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) will meet from 26-30 June, 21-22 September, and 27 November - 1 December 2000. All meetings will be held in Geneva, Switzerland. Meetings dates are provisional and subject to change. For more information contact: Peter Ungphakorn, WTO Information and Media Relations Division, World Trade Organization, 154 rue de Lausanne, 1211 Geneva 21, Switzerland; tel: +41-22-739- 5412; e-mail: peter.ungphakorn@wto.org; Internet: http://www.wto.org/wto/intellec/intellec.htm WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT: The World Trade Organization's Committee on Trade and Environment is scheduled to meet from 5-6 July and 24-25 October 2000, in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting to be held from 5-6 July will include an information session with selected Secretariats of Multilateral Environmental Agreements. The meeting scheduled for 24-25 October will consider issues relating to market access, as well as the linkages between the multilateral environment and trade agendas. For more information contact: Sabrina Shaw, Secretary of the CTE, WTO, 154 rue de Lausanne, 1211 Geneva 21, Switzerland; tel: +41-22-739-5482; e-mail: Sabrina.shaw@wto.org; Internet: http://www.wto.org/wto/environ/te030.htm For schedule updates visit: http://www.wto.org/wto/about/meets.doc IIFET 2000 - microbehavior and MacroBenefits: The International Institute of Fisheries, Economics and Trade (IIFET) will hold its 2000 Conference from 10-14 July 2000 in Corvallis, Oregon USA. IIFET is an international group of economists, government managers, private industry members, and others interested in the exchange of research and information on marine resource issues. IIFET 2000 will deepen understanding of market behavior, its effect on fisheries, and the consequences of public policies - from resource management to international trade. For more information contact: Pam Garland, IIFET 2000 Conference Coordinator, PO Box 2423, Corvallis OR, 97339-2423, USA, tel: +1-541-754-9080; fax: +1-541-752-5450; e-mail: garlandp@peak.org; Internet: http://osu.orst.edu/dept/IIFET/2000/ FIRST North American Symposium on the Linkages between Trade and Environment: This symposium will be held in Montreal, Canada, from 11-12 October 2000. It is being organized by the NAFTA Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). For more information contact: Scott Vaughn, Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 393 St.- Jacques W., Room 200, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H2Y 1N9; tel: +1-514-350-4302; fax: +1-514-350-4314; e-mail: svaughn@ccemtl.org; Internet: www.cec.org WETLANDS "LIMNOLOGY AND WATER BIRDS 2000" - THIRD CONFERENCE OF THE AQUATIC BIRDS WORKING GROUP OF SOCIETAS INTERNATIONALIS LIMNOLOGIAE (SIL): This conference will be held from 1-5 May 2000 in Trebon, Czech Republic. Main topics to be addressed include: methods of measurement of habitat quality for water birds; the carrying capacity of wetland habitat; and the role of water birds in wetland ecosystems. For more information contact: Petr Musil, Institute of Applied Ecology, Kostelec nad Cernymi lesy, CZ-28163, Czech Republic; fax: +420-203-697500; e-mail: trebon.2000@post.cz or petr_musil@hotmail.com; Internet: http://www.lf.czu.cz/trebon2000 RESTORING AN URBAN COASTAL WETLANDS: THE FIRST ANNUAL BALLONA WETLANDS SYMPOSIUM: This meeting will be held on 17 and 18 May 2000 in Los Angeles, California, USA. It is being organized by the Ballona Wetlands Foundation. For more information contact: Wendy Rains or Rosemary Sostarich; tel: +1-310-574-0700; e-mail: bwf@ballona- wetlands.org; Internet: http://www.ballona-wetlands.org/ MANGROVE 2000: SUSTAINABLE USE OF ESTUARIES AND MANGROVES - CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS: This conference will be held from 22-28 May 2000 in Recife, Brazil. Participants will consider key issues relating to sustaining or enhancing the productivity and functions of estuarine ecosystems. For more information contact: Henrique de Barros, Administrative Secretary, FADURPE, UFRPE - Recife, Brazil; fax: +55-81-441-3520; e-mail: debarros@elogica.com.br; Internet: http://www.crs-brasil.org.br/mangrove2000/ MILLENNIUM WETLAND EVENT: The Millennium Wetland Event will consist of meetings by four associations from 6-12 August 2000 in Quebec, Canada. The Ninth International Mire Conservation Group (IMCG) Field Symposium, Congress and Conference will gather under the theme "Implementing the Ramsar Global Action Plan for Peatlands (GAPP)." The International Association of Ecology's (INTECOL) Sixth International Wetland Symposium has selected the theme of "Global Wetlands at the Millennium." The Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) will hold its 21st Annual Conference and the International Peat Society will discuss "Sustaining our Peatlands." For more information contact: Elizabeth MacKay, c/o CQVB; tel: +1-418-657-3853; fax: +1-418-657-7934; e- mail: cqvb@cqvb.qc.ca; Internet: www.cqvb.qc.ca/wetland2000 RAMSAR CONVENTION ON WETLANDS: COP-8 is scheduled to convene in Spain in 2002. For more information contact: Ramsar Secretariat, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196, Gland, Switzerland; tel: +41-22-999-0170; e-mail: ramsar@ramsar.org; Internet: http://www.ramsar.org WILDLIFE ELEVENTH CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES: CITES COP-11 is scheduled for 10-20 April 2000 in Nairobi, Kenya. For more information contact: CITES Secretariat; tel: +41-22-917- 8139; fax: +41-22-797-3417; e-mail: cites@unep.ch; Internet: http://www.wcmc.org.uk/CITES EUROBATS MOP-3: The Third Meeting of the Parties to EUROBATS will convene from 24-26 July 2000 in Bristol, England. For more information contact: Andreas Streit, EUROBATS; tel: +49-228-815-2420; fax: +49-228-815-2445; e- mail: eurobats@uno.de; Internet: http://www.eurobats.org 2nd Tri-national Meeting of the North American Birds Conservation Initiative (NABCI): This meeting will be held from 6-8 December 2000 in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico. It will be hosted by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). For more information contact: Hans Herrmann, Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 393 St.-Jacques W., Room 200, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H2Y 1N9; tel: +1- 514-350-4340; fax: +1-514-350-4314; e-mail: hherrman@ccemtl.org; Internet: www.cec.org WOMEN Reaching Women and Children in Disaster: This workshop will be held from 4-6 June 2000, in Miami, Florida. It will attract policy makers, practitioners, and researchers, and intends to improve disaster response though a better understanding of the needs of women and children. For more information contact: Betty Morrow, the International Hurricane Center, Miami, Florida; tel: +1-305-348-1607; e- mail: morrowb@fiu.edu; Internet: www.anglia.ac.uk/geography/rwcidconference WOMEN 2000: GENDER EQUALITY, DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY - GENERAL ASSEMBLY SPECIAL SESSION: This special session of the UN General Assembly will be held from 5-9 June 2000 in New York. For more information contact: DAW, Room DC2-1216, UN, New York, NY 10017, USA; fax: +1-212-963-3463; e-mail: timothy@un.org; Internet: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw CONFERENCE ON Gendering Ethics/The Ethics of Gender: This international interdisciplinary conference will be held from 23-25 June 2000, in Leeds, UK. For more information contact: Centre for Interdisciplinary Gender Studies, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; e-mail: gender- studies@leeds.ac.uk; Internet: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/gender-studies Facing the New Millennium: Gender in Africa and the African Diaspora - Retrospection and Prospects: The Third International Conference on Women in Africa & the African Diaspora (WAAD III) will be held from 6-13 October 2000, in Antananarivo, Madagascar. For more information contact: Convenor, Third WAAD Conference, Women's Studies Program, Cavanaugh Hall Room 001C, Indiana University, 425 University Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; tel: +1- 317-278-2038 or +1-317-274-0062; fax: +1-317-274-2347; e- mail: nnaemeka@iupui.edu; Internet: http://www.iupui.edu/~aaws/ (and click on "Action Alert"). 8) STAFF Editor: Chris Spence, MA (Hons) chris@iisd.org Managing Editor: Langston James "Kimo" Goree VI kimo@iisd.org Assistant Editor: Tom Rotherham trotherham@iisd.org Advisor: Chad Carpenter, LL.M chadc@iisd.org Submissions, corrections, requests for subscription information and correspondence should be sent to the editors at chris@iisd.org. The opinions expressed in /linkages/journal/ are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IISD and our funders. Excerpts from /linkages/journal/ may be used in other publications with appropriate academic citation. /linkages/journal/ may not be reproduced, reprinted or posted to any system or service without specific permission from the International Institute for Sustainable Development info@iisd.ca. This limitation includes distribution via Usenet News, bulletin board systems, mailing lists, print media and broadcast. For more information, send a message to chris@iisd.org The Sustaining Donors of IISD Reporting Services publications, including Earth Negotiations Bulletin and /linkages/journal/, are The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Government of Canada (through CIDA and DFAIT), the United States (through USAID), the Swiss Agency for Environment, Forests and Landscape (SAEFL), the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) and the European Commission (DG-ENV). General Support during 2000 is provided by the German Federal Ministry of Environment (BMU) and the German Federal Ministry of Development Cooperation (BMZ), the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Environment of Austria, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Environment of Norway, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Environment of Finland, the Government of Sweden, the Government of Australia, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and BP Amoco.