Conference on Cotton and Global Trade Negotiations
Washington, DC U.S.A.
08 – 09 July, 2002
Documents of the meeting
Agenda (108K PDF)
Printable registration form
Invitation letter (8K PDF)
Cotton is an important agricultural commodity providing income to millions of farmers in both industrial and developing countries. Cotton serves as an engine of growth and contributes to food security worldwide. The multilateral negotiations under the WTO include cotton in the agriculture and textiles negotiations however the importance of cotton is often overlooked as other agricultural commodities take the main stage in multilateral negotiations. As a result, the needs and interests of the cotton industry are not fully understood by multilateral negotiators.
The Working Group on Government Measures of the ICAC is organizing a conference on Cotton and Global Trade Negotiations. The conference, co-sponsored by the World Bank, is designed to bring together government officials at the ministerial level, WTO negotiators, the international development community, academicians, and all segments of the private industry, to examine the importance of cotton in the world economy and assess the opportunities that exist for cotton under the agenda of the WTO. The conference is an event for anyone involved in cotton.
The two-day conference will cover five topics:
Why Cotton Matters: The Importance of Multilateral Negotiations
The Role of Cotton in Economic Development
The Role of Government Measures in the Cotton Economy
The Impacts of Low Prices on the Cotton Economy
Potential Remedies: The Need for Successful WTO Negotiations
Participants are invited to engage with decision-makers to grasp the importance for the cotton industry and to clarify the interests of the cotton industry in multilateral negotiations.
Cotton and Global Trade Negotiations will be an essential event shaping the perception of cotton as an agricultural commodity and a raw material for the textile industry. The conference will provide a leading opportunity for industry, governments and international agencies to discuss, first hand, the problems of cotton and the ways and means to increase the visibility of the industry in multilateral negotiations.
Site and Date of the Conference
The conference will be held from 8 – 9 July, 2002 in the Preston Auditorium, The World Bank, 1818 H Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20433 U.S.A.
Hotels
A list of hotels (16K PDF) that are near the Preston Auditorium of the World Bank is now available. Early July is a busy time for hotels in the Washington area and it is recommended that rooms be booked well in advance. Your travel agent might find other hotels nearby the World Bank. Rates and availability are not guaranteed.
Registration
Participants are required to register for the conference at the on-line registration page (closed). Registration forms are also available for submission by fax. A registration fee of US$75 will be required which include a set of documents, participation in all sessions and the social event.
Pre-registration for the conference is essential; there will be NO on-site registration.
World Bank security requires a week to issue badges for the conference. In order to have a two-day badge for the conference, registration should be sent to ICAC before 28 June 2002. Participants who register after that date will be issued a day-badge at the World Bank’s main entrance each day. In order to collect badges and documentation, participants will be asked to present a picture-ID.
Interpretation
Full simultaneous interpretation will be available in the five languages of the Committee: Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
Visas
Visas are required for most nationalities to enter the United States of America.