Regional Workshop on

" Regional Trade agreements and Sustainable development"

San Jose, Costa Rica
April 25-26,  2005

Radisson Europa Hotel & Conference Center

DAY 1

OPENING SESSioN

Allan Flores Moya, Vice-minister of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica

Tomas Abadia Vicente, Head European Commission Delegation, Costa Rica

DAY 1

Session One:  Setting the Context in Integrating Sustainable Development and Regional Trade Agreements

The European Union and Regional Trade Agreements. 

Pierre Defraigne, Former Deputy Director General, DG Trade, European Commission.

Policy in the Americas: opportunities and constraints for development, Jaime Granados, Integration Department, Inter-American Development Bank. (in Spanish)

Emerging Trends in Integrating Sustainable Development within Regional Trade Agreements in the Americas, Alice Mattice, Office of Environment and Natural Resources, Office of the United States Trade Representative. 

General Discussion, moderated by Alejandra Aguilar Lead Environmental Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica.

SESSION TWO: Trade-Related Investment and Sustainability

Regional Trade Agreements (RTA)- a magnet for Foreign Direct Investment at the expense of sustainable development?, Roberto Echandi, Former Lead Trade Negotiator for Investment and Services, Costa Rica. (in Spanish)

Foreign Direct Investment and Policy Space for Sustainable Development, Julie Raynal,DG Trade, European Commission

Opportunities for Bioprospecting, Ana Lorena Guevara, Manager Bioprospecting Division, Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad de Costa Rica (INBIO). (in Spanish)

General Discussion, moderated by Carlos Murillo, Centro Internacional de Politica Economica para el Desarrollo Sostenible (CINPE).

SESSION THREE: Regional Trade Agreements as an engine for the sustainable management of natural resources

Regional Trade Agreements � The NAFTA Environmental Side Agreement and the Experience of the North American CEC, Geoffrey Garver,Director, Submission on Enforcement Matters Unit, North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC).

Regional Trade Agreements and liberalization of services: the example of payments for ecological services. Oscar S�nchez, Fondo Nacional de Financiamiento Forestal (FONAFIFO).  (in Spanish)

Cleaner Production, the transfer of technology and knowledge among regional partners � what role for Regional Trade Agreements? Sergio Musmanni, Director National Cleaner Production Center, Costa Rica

(in Spanish)

General Discussion, moderated by Diego Masera, Coordinator, UNEP-ROLAC Industry Program

 SESSION FOUR: Regional Trade Agreements as a Catalyst for Sustainability in Business

Sustainable Agriculture, Sustainable Forestry and Sustainable Fisheries: What role for Regional Trade Agreements?  Juana Galv�n,  Central America Regional Specialist for Policy and Trade Negotiations, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA).            (in Spanish)

Recent Developments and the Role, if any, of RTAs in Public-Private partnerships: the example of Cocoa in Nicaragua. Robert Dilger, Program Coordinator, Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and Promotion of Entrepreneurial Competences, GTZ Nicaragua.

(in Spanish)

Using rules in RTAs to maximize benefits from Environmental Goods and Services, Ronald Steenblik, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

General Discussion, moderated by Claudia de Windt, Office for Sustainable Development and Environment of the Organization of American States.

DAY 2

SESSION FIVE: Corporate Social Responsibility and Fair Trade � marooned at the margins or moving towards the mainstream?

Overview of Recent Trends, and Sorting Through Definitions, Daniele Giovannucci,Senior Advisor, World Bank and other International Organizations.

Fair trade for food producers and exporters: pathway to profits or bureaucratic burden? Rene Vossenaar, Former Head Trade, Environment and Development Branch, Division on International Trade in Goods and Services, and Commodities, UNCTAD.

Challenges for Small-Scale Producers, Jason Potts, Coordinator Sustainable Commodity Initiative, International  Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).

Is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Providing New Answers, Patricia Barbuscia, Instituto Ethos de Empresas e Responsabilidade Social, Brazil.

General Discussion, moderated by Chris Wille, Chief of Sustainable Agriculture Rainforest Alliance, Costa Rica

SESSION SIX: Assessing the Effects of Trade Liberalization

Sustainability Impact Assessments, Eric Peters, DG Trade, European Commission.

Approaches to Assess the Effects of trade: Overview, Benjam�n Simmons, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Lessons in Assessing the Environmental Effects of Trade, David Brooks, Office of Environment and Natural Resources, Office of the United States Trade Representative.

Regional Experience in Assessing Environmental Effects of Trade, Silvia Chaves, Executive Director Centro de Derecho Ambiental y Recursos Naturales (CEDARENA). (in Spanish)

General Discussion, moderated by Donald Miranda, Centro Internacional de Politica Economica para el Desarrollo Sostenible (CINPE).

SESSION SEVEN: Lessons in Integration and Future Steps

Regulatory dialogue within RTAs: new avenue for promoting SD? Rita Mishaan,  Director of International Cooperation Ministry of Environment of
Guatemala.

Inside Looking Out, or Outside Looking In: Environmental provisions codified within trade rules, versus complementary policies, Lawrence Pratt, Director Latin American Center for Competitiveness and Sustainable Development, INCAE Business School. (in Spanish)

General Discussion, moderated by Ana Maria Majano, Latin American Center for Competitiveness and Sustainable Development, INCAE Business School

CONCLUSIONS AND NEXT STEPS

Pierre Defraigne,former Deputy Director General, DG Trade, European Commission.
Gustavo Mayen,former Vice Minister of Environment of Guatemala.
Carlos Murillo, Centro Internacional de Pol�tica Econ�mica para el Desarrollo Sostenible (CINPE).

CLOSING OBSERVATIONS

Robin Ratchford, DG Trade, European Commission.

DOCUMENTS

Background Note Participant List   Program

Biographies of Panelist and Moderators Press Release Final Report