The
Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD),
an independent think tank, will
hold a two-day conference of civil
societies from the least developed
countries (LDCs) beginning May 29
in Dhaka ahead of the three-day
ministerial meeting of the LDCs,
which starts May 31.
The conference titled 'An International
Civil Society Forum: Advancing LDC
Interests in the Fifth WTO Ministerial'
is expected to come up with a 'Dhaka
Civil Society Declaration'. The
civil society declaration will be
made at the forum which will try
to influence the Dhaka Commerce
Ministerial Declaration, said Dr
Debapriya Bhattacharya, executive
director of the CPD, at a press
conference in Dhaka yesterday.
"We will try to give the declaration
officially to the ministerial meet,"
Debapriya said. The objective of
the forum, convened on the eve of
the Dhaka Ministerial on WTO, is
to create an opportunity for the
stakeholders' group to review the
official work plan for the Cancun
Ministerial and to express their
views on some of the most important
issues concerning the collective
interests of the LDCs, he added.
"We are expecting 15 to 20
civil societies representing Africa
and other Asian LDCc," Debapriya
said.
On the first day of the two-day
event, discussions will include
implementing issues, special and
differential treatments, policy
coherence and market access of non-agricultural
products, he said.
"On second day, the forum will
discuss agreement on agriculture,
(TRIPS) trade-related aspects of
intellectual property rights, trade
and environment, GATS, and other
issues," he said.
The CPD will organise the forum
in association with a number of
international partner organisations.
A national steering committee has
also been formed for the event.
Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, Professor
Amirul Islam, Shirin Akhtar, national
steering committee members, were
present at the briefing.
