– N EWSLETTER – N OVEMBER 2008 – The Geneva Office of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung(FES) presents its newsletter, designed to inform you, of recent and upcoming events and developments at the Geneva-based international organizations and new publications. If you do not want to receive this newsletter please Unsubscribe. Das Genfer Büro der Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung(FES) freut sich, Ihnen unseren jüngsten Newsletter vorzustellen. Dieser enthält Informationen über unsere Veranstaltungen und Neuerscheinungen und bringt Sie auf den neuesten Stand von Entwicklungen in Genfer internationalen Organisationen. Sollten Sie diesen Newsletter nicht erhalten wollen, dann können Sie Ihn hier abbestellen. I NDEX |Upcoming Events| Recent Events| Publications| Subscribe| ******************************************************************************* U PCOMING E VENTS Please note that participation in all events is by invitation only. 10 NOVEMBER 2008, GENEVA| FES| 3DTHREE| OHCHR CONSULTATION ON TRADE AND HUMAN RIGHTS WITH THE CESCR FES Geneva and 3DThree will jointly with OHCHR hold an informal consultation session on trade related issues in state reporting with the UN Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights(CESCR). 14-16 NOVEMBER 2008, CHÂTEAU DE BOSSEY| SECOND FES SCENARIO WORKSHOP ON “GLOBAL ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE 2020” The team of the FES scenario project“Global Economic Governance 2020” will meet for the second time reaching the crucial step in the process: building possible scenarios. Meanwhile the Geneva-based core team has met several times. On 6 October briefings on the current financial crisis and the future of the Bretton Woods institutions were provided by Prof. Paul Dembinski(Observatoire de la Finance), Brad McDonald(IMF Geneva) and Richard Newfarmer(The World Bank Geneva). 18-21 NOVEMBER 2008, GENEVA| FES/ GCSP WEST AFRICA INCOMING FES Geneva and the FES Regional Security Policy Project West Africa organize in close cooperation with the Geneva Centre for Security Policy(GCSP) a study visit to Geneva for parliamentarians, journalists and NGO representatives on“Comprehensive Security Policy – Challenges and Approaches”. The aim of this project is to build a network of the participants coming from Benin, Ivory Cost, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal to foster the debate on security policy in their countries and in the entire region. 24-28 NOVEMBER 2008, GENEVA| FES INFORMATION SEMINAR ON“WORLD TRADE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT” FOR ENGLISH-SPEAKING JOURNALISTS Around 20 journalists from Africa, Asia and Middle East will be provided with up-to-date information on the multilateral trading system by the WTO Secretariat. More information on interlinked issues, such as finances, employment and human sustainable development, will be provided by experts from UNCTAD; ILO, UNDP and Geneva-based civil society organizations.

27 NOVEMBER 2008, GENEVA| FES ROUNDTABLE MEETING BETWEEN THE ILO COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS(CEACR) AND THE UN COMMITTEE ON ESC RIGHTS(CESCR) FES Geneva will host the 6th annual roundtable meeting between the ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations and the UN Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 50th anniversary of ILO Convention No. 111. Relating to those anniversaries this year’s topic of discussion will be “non-discrimination and equality.” ******************************************************************************* ▲ R ECENT E VENTS 3-7 NOVEMBER 2008, GENEVA| FES| GIHR SEMINAR ON HUMAN RIGHTS MECHANISMS FES Geneva together with the Geneva Institute for Human Rights(GIHR) will host a seminar on the UN Human Rights System. To this occasion human rights activists and journalists form the Middle East North Africa region will be invited and acquainted with the different Human Rights mechanisms and instruments. 30 OCTOBER 2008, GENEVA| FES| SOUTH CENTRE| EPA SCENARIO WORKSHOP The FES Geneva Office and the South Centre conducted a one-day workshop on EPA negotiations and scenario building. At almost the same time a group of West African experts meet at the FES Office in Benin on the same issue. Both groups will come together early next year for a joint scenario building exercise. 3-5 OCTOBER 2008, GENEVA| FES| THE EVIAN GROUP MULTI-STAKEHOLDER DIALOGUE V ON “TRADE AND CLIMATE CHANGE: CONFRONTATION OR COLLABORATION?” Around 60 international participants discussed the relationship between the international trade and climate regime: They concluded that world trade was part of the problem, but could also become part of the solution to climate change. Concrete examples were presented and suggestions made concerning practical steps towards mitigating the negative effects and facilitating positive measures by international trade. http://www.fes-globalization.org/geneva/documents/EvianGroup/Oct08_MSDV_Agenda.pdf http://www.fes-globalization.org/geneva/documents/EvianGroup/Oct08_MSDV_%20Participants.pdf 25 SEPTEMBER 2008, GENEVA| FES| CUTS INTERNATIONAL| THE EVIAN GROUP SESSION AT THE WTO PUBLIC FORUM 2008 ON“WHAT FUTURE FOR GLOBAL ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE? – POTENTIAL ROLE OF THE WTO” The discussion revealed a strong desire for a reform of the global economic governance system. With regard to the role of the WTO, conflicting views were presented. While some warned against overloading the WTO agenda, others cautioned that the WTO might risk irrelevance if it did not address new issues, such as climate change, environment or employment. http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/genf/05790.pdf 16 SEPTEMBER 2008, GENEVA| FES| MRI PARALLEL EVENT TO THE 8TH SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ON“HUMAN RIGHTS PERSPECTIVES IN THE GFMD” FES Geneva organized jointly with Migrants Rights International a parallel event to the 8th session of the Human Rights Council on Human Rights Perspectives in the Global Forum on Migration and Development. In light of the GFMD meeting in the Philippines in October 2008 the parallel event aimed to draw attention to Government and NGO perspectives of how human rights of migrants could be mainstreamed in the GFMD through open participation and interventions of all relevant stakeholders in the process. National and regional experiences were discussed to develop a holistic approach in tackling the issue of migration and development, as well as recommendations presented for strategic engagement in the upcoming meeting of the GFMD. http://www.fes-globalization.org/geneva/documents/HumanRights/16September08Conference_Report.pdf

1-3 SEPTEMBER 2008, GENEVA| SESSION ON CLIMATE CHANGE AT THE SOCIAL FORUM OF THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL The Social Forum of the Human Rights Council was held from 1-3 September. It is a unique opportunity for NGOs, especially from grass roots level, to introduce their views and suggestions into the work of the HRC, beyond the 2-minute statements they are allowed in plenary sessions. Under the auspices of Ambassador Mousa Burayzat of Jordan, the Social Forum debated the issues of extreme poverty and the social dimension of globalization. Introducing the aspect of climate change and climate induced conflicts into this debate FES Geneva invited three speakers from Africa, Latin America and Europe to speak in one of the panels about the negative impacts of cimate change on the livelihoods of people and suggested possible action to the HRC. http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/poverty/sforum.htm 19 AUGUST 2008, GENEVA| FES PARALLEL EVENT AND BOOK LAUNCH AT THE 9 TH SESSION OF THE WORKING GROUP(WG) ON THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT(RTD) At a public parallel event to the session of the UN Working Group on the Right to Development the new FES publication with articles by leading scholars in the field of human rights was presented. Stemming from an expert meeting in January, various articles discuss the right to development as a legal norm, experiences with regional treaties containing provisions on the right to development, leading to conclusions in a chapter on options for a legal framework for implementing the right to development. http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/genf/05659.pdf ******************************************************************************* ▲ P UBLICATIONS IMPLEMENTING THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT – THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW | EDITED BY STEPHEN P. MARKS – Geneva: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, 2008. In this book which builds on an meeting held in January, leading experts in the field of human rights discuss the right to development as a legal norm, experiences with regional treaties containing provisions on the right to development, leading to conclusions in a chapter on options for a legal framework for implementing the right to development. We hope that this volume will help to inform the politically difficult debate around the future legal status of the Right to Development. http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/genf/05659.pdf MAJOR SETBACK FOR WTO'S DOHA ROUND:"MINI-MINISTERIAL" FAILED AND FUTURE LOOKS DIM- A CHANCE FOR RECLAIMING ITS"DEVELOPMENT DIMENSION"? | STEFFEN GRAMMLING – Geneva: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, August 2008 From 21 July to 30 July, a WTO“Mini-Ministerial” took place in Geneva. The main objective was to reach a breakthrough on key negotiation areas that would allow the conclusion of the Doha“Development” Round. Although a successful outcome was within reach at some point, the meeting finally collapsed. The article provides an overview over the key elements of the meeting, points out its main stumbling blocks and draws conclusions for the way forward. http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/genf/05597.pdf More publications are available on our webpage. To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your email address, send an e-mail to info@fes-geneva.org. ******************************************************************************************************************************** The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung office in Geneva is part of the overall program “Dialogue on Globalization” since 2002. ƒ Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung ƒ Director: Ms. Türkan Karakurt/ Dr. Winfried Veit ƒ 6 bis, chemin du Point-du-Jour ƒ 1202 Geneva, Switzerland ƒ ƒ Tel. 0041 22 733 3450 ƒ Fax: 0041 22 733 3545 ƒ E-mail: info@fes-geneva.org ƒ www.fes-geneva.org ƒ ***********************************************************************************************************************************