Confronting the global food challenge
finding new approaches to trade and investment that support the right to food
24-26 November 2008,
Ecumenical Centre, 150 route de Ferney, Geneva, Switzerland
Monday 24 November 2008
Programme
09:00-09:30
Welcome and Introduction – IATP, EAA, FIAN
09:30-10:30
Plenary
A Human Rights Vision for Confronting the Global Food Challenge
Introductory remarks and facilitator: Michael Windfuhr, Brot für die Welt
 Fausto Torres, Via Campesina, Nicaragua
 Adwoa Sakyi, General Agricultural Workers Union of Ghana, member of the
International Union of Food and Farm Workers (IUF)
10:30-12:30
Plenary
What is Happening in the World?
Facilitator: Javier Perez, Intermon Oxfam
 The Financial Crisis and the Right to Food, Peter Wahl, WEED
 Climate Change and Agriculture, Lim Li Lin, Third World Network
 The Multilateral Trading System, Aileen Kwa, South Centre
 Regional FTAs/EPAs, Jane Nalunga, SEATINI
 Bilateral Investment Treaties, Vice Yu, South Centre
12.30-14:00
Lunch
14:00-17:00
Working groups
Sharing experiences
17:00
onwards

The Sawhoyamaxa Case: German-Paraguayan Investment Agreement blocks
land reform and the realisation of the right to food – Plenary
Workshop leaders: Eriberto Americo Ayala, Sawhoyamaxa People and Rolf
Künnemann, FIAN (Spanish-English translation available)

The cases of rice, tomato and chicken farmers in Ghana: trade liberalisation
and the right to food – Salle II
Workshop leaders: Bashiru Mohammed, SEND Ghana, Armin Paasch, FIAN,
Carolin Callenius, Brot für die Welt

Case studies on impact of trade liberalisation on right to food – Salle III
Workshop leaders: Aftab Alam Khan, ActionAid International, Javier Perez,
Intermon Oxfam and Golda Benjamin, IDEALS (Spanish-English translation
available)

Climate Change, Agriculture and the Right to Food – Salle a manger
Workshop leaders: Michael Windfuhr, Brot für die Welt

Agrofuels in Latin America
Workshop leaders: (tbc)

Impact of Investment Projects on Human Rights – Salle IV
Workshop leaders: Carole Samdup, Rights and Democracy
Proposed side events:
Towards new international agreements to confront the food challenge, FIAN,
Via Campesina and IATP
Tuesday 25 November 2008
We encourage you to organise your own side events, strategy meetings, to visit
your UN and WTO missions, or just visit Geneva
9:00-9:30
The Coffee Lounge – Working groups report back on the outcome of their
sessions from the previous day. Each working group picks a “coffee station”
and reports back to other participants
9:30-11:00
Plenary
Communities Confront the Food Crisis – this session provides space for
community leaders to share how their community is dealing with the food
crisis. What are their strategies and approaches?
Facilitator: Valerie Traore, NIYEL

Teresita Vistro, National Association of Peasant Women, Philippines
 Pius Owino Otieno, Slums Community Development Projects, Kenya
 Babacar Ndao, West African Farmers Organisation (ROPPA), West Africa
11:00-12:30

Eriberto Americo Ayala, Sawhoyamaxa People, Paraguay

Kesinee Kwaenjaroen, Women Action Network, Thailand
Plenary
The Global Response to the Food Crisis – the approach of different
international bodies and governments in addressing the global food crisis
Facilitator: Peter Prove, Lutheran World Federation
12:30-14:00

Pascal Lamy, WTO Director-General

Peter F. Allgeier, U.S. Ambassador to the WTO

Olivier de Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food

David Nabarro, UN Taskforce on the Food Crisis
Lunch
Optional session: The Financial Crisis and its Development Impact, Marie Aimee
Tourres, Sunway University Malaysia
14:00-17:00
Working groups
Thematic discussion
17:00
onwards

Food Trade – Salle II
Workshop leaders: Sophia Murphy, IATP and Moses Shaha, ESAFF

Investment Agreements/Projects and Agriculture – Salle III
Workshop leaders: Nathalie Bernasconi, CIEL and Gauri Sreenivasan, CCIC

Agriculture and Climate Change – Salle IV
Workshop leaders: Achmad Ya’kub, Via Campesina and Nikhil Aziz,
Grassroots International

Financial Markets and Speculation – Salle V
Workshop leaders: Shefali Sharma, ActionAid International, Anne-Laure
Constantin, IATP

Intellectual Property and GMOs – Salle a manger
Workshop leader: Zoe Goodman, 3D – trade – human rights – equitable
economy

Energy Policies and Agriculture – Plenary
Workshop leaders: Areli Sandoval, Equipo Pueblo (Spanish –English
translation available)
There will be an optional session for those who want to learn more about the
different civil society networks that exist on trade, investment and human
rights and find out how you can become more involved. The networks are
ESCR-Net, OWINFS, Social Watch, Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, ETO
Consortium etc...
Otherwise, feel free to organise side events, strategy meetings, visit your UN
and WTO missions, visit Geneva
19:00
Social Night! Lots of healthy organic, fair trade food with funky music to knock
Confronting the global food challenge – programme (revised draft)
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Wednesday 26 November 2008
onwards
your socks off! Party till late
09:30-10:00
The Coffee Lounge – Working groups report back on the outcome of their
sessions from the previous day. Each working group picks “coffee station” and
reports back to other participants
10:00-12:00
Plenary
New Approaches to Trade and Investment that Support the Right to
Food
Keynote: Olivier de Schutter, U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food
Facilitator: Athena Peralta, World Council of Churches
Respondents:

Sophia Murphy for the Eco-Fair Trade Dialogue to respond on a model of
investment that supports the right to food

Carin Smaller, IATP to respond on a trading system that supports the right
to food

Elvira Domínguez Redondo, Middlesex University, to respond on human
rights instruments
12:00-13:30
Lunch
13:30-16:30
Strategic Working Groups
How to Build Support for a New Regime: strategies, tools and
mechanisms
16:30-18:00

Human Rights Advocacy Tools: impact assessments, fact-finding missions,
case studies - Plenary
Workshop leaders: Armin Paasch, FIAN (Spanish – English translation
available)

Legal Human Rights Tools: amicus briefs, Special Rapporteurs, treaty-bodies
Workshop leaders: Caroline Dommen, 3D - trade - human rights – equitable
economy

Mobilisations – especially mobilising farmers – Salle IV
Workshop leaders: Moses Shaha, ESAFF and Achmad Ya’kub, Via Campesina

Communications, Media, and Public Awareness Strategy – Salle I
Workshop leaders: Valerie Traore, NIYEL and Jean Blaylock, EAA
Plenary
Next Steps
Confronting the global food challenge – programme (revised draft)
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