CSOs and participation in trade policy processes

Submitted by regionaladmin on Thu, 07/17/2008 - 18:42.
in
08/07/2008 - 12:30
08/07/2008 - 14:30
Etc/GMT
EventType:
Global

Thursday 7th August 2008, 12:30-14:30
ODI, 111 Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7JD

Speakers: Francisco Perez
COPLA Nicaragua Programme Coordinator, Nitlapán
Norma Correa
COPLA Peru Programme Coordinator, Consorcio de Investigación Económica y Social (CIES)
Roberto Tellería
COPLA Bolivia Programme Coordinator, Grupo Nacional de Trabajo para la Participación (GNTP)
Discussants: Pamela Coke-Hamilton
Director, Trade and Competetiveness Department, Organisation of American Status (OAS)
Julia D’Agostino
COPLA Regional, Centro de Implementación de Políticas Públicas para la Equidad y el Crecimiento (CIPPEC)
Chair: Nicola Jones
Programme Manager, COPLA, ODI

At this ODI/Comercio y Pobreza en Latinoamérica / Trade and Poverty in Latin America (COPLA) event, COPLA researchers from Nicaragua, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina, will present the findings of initial research on the roles of civil society organisations (CSOs) in trade policy processes in Latin America. The findings cover the opportunities and challenges for CSO engagement in trade policy debate, and an analysis of which groups are participating, who they represent, and what impact they have had to date.

This is an opportunity to find out what other actors - governments, multi-laterals, donors and researchers - can do to strengthen their participation and the democratic nature of policy decision making processes, and to learn from the experience of the COPLA programme in working with these key policy actors.

The research looks at the next steps for CSOs working in this area, given the signing of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) by so many countries and what other actors, such as the mass media, are doing in relation to FTAs and overall trade policy. It also examines the role of CSOs in countries that have not signed FTAs.