Training workshop on Trade, Environment and Development

UNCTAD TrainforTrade 2000 Programme,

in cooperation with UNDP and STAMEQ

Hanoi, 5 September 2000

As part of the UNDP/UNCTAD/STAMEQ project on Trade, Environment and Development (Project VIE/98/036), a one-day training workshop will be held in Hanoi, on 5 September 2000. The workshop will focus on two themes: (a) Trading Opportunities for environmentally preferable products (EPPs) and (b) Protection of traditional knowledge (TK) of indigenous and local communities.

Background

The workshop will be based on the UNCTAD TRAINFORTRADE 2000 course on Trade, Environment and Development. The general objectives of this course are to (a) familiarize participants with the international debate on trade, environment and development; (b) identify issues of particular national concern ; and (c) encourage national-level actions to address these issues. The course, which is still under development, has seven modules, as follows:

Module 1: Trade, environment and sustainable development – the international context

Module 2: Trade and environment and the multilateral trading system

Module 3: Multilateral Environmental Agreements

Module 4: Environmental requirements and market access

Module 5: Environmentally preferable products (EPPs)

Module 6: Implications of international standards for environmental management systems, particularly ISO 14001, for developing countries and countries in transition

Module 7: The protection of traditional knowledge (TK), innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities

The Hanoi training workshop

The training workshop in Hanoi focuses on two themes of great importance to Viet Nam, namely (a) environmentally preferable products and (b) the protection of traditional knowledge, as follows:¹

Morning session: Trading opportunities for evironmentally preferable products, with special reference to organic food products

Afternoon session: The protection of traditional knowledge (TK), innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities

The workshop will be delivered by two resource persons from UNCTAD and other experts. Translation into Vietnamese will be provided.

Specific objectives of each module are indicated below. The target audience is roughly largely the same, although some participants may wish to attend only one session.

Objectives

Environmentally Preferable Products.

The objectives of this module are:

· To analyse the concept of environmentally preferable products, in particular in the area of organic food, and identify appropriate examples from Viet Nam.

· To examine demand for environmentally preferable products in international markets.

· To examine tools developed in order to identify environmentally preferable products and criteria applied to them, as well as issues of definition and certification.

· Identify challenges and constraints in enhancing supply and promoting exports trade of environmentally preferable products, in particular organic food products from Viet Nam.

· Specify mechanisms required to encourage trade in environmentally preferable products

Protection of traditional knowledge

The specific objectives of this module are:

· To raise awareness of the importance of TK for development..

· To identify objectives of the protection of TK

· To provide basic information and analysis concerning the international debate on several aspects of TK in different intergovernmental organizations (IGOs);

· To examine key concepts relevant for access and benefit sharing and transfer of technology as they related to TK

· To examine basic conditions for the possible commercialisation of TK

· To examine instruments available for the protection of TK

· To learn from experiences of other developing countries

· To identify capacity building needs of Viet Nam to harness TK for their trade and development

Who should attend?

Target groups for the two modules include several stakeholders interested in TK, in particular:

· Government officials with responsibility in the area of environmental policy

· Government officials with responsibility in the area of trade policy

· Government officials with responsibility in the area of science and technology

· Indigenous and local communities (module on traditional knowledge)

· Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

· Academic institutions.

· Scientific research institutes

· Industry associations

Each of these themes will be the subject of specialized UNDP/UNCTAD/STAMEQ workshops, scheduled to take place in Hanoi in the same week as follows: Workshop on Exploring the Opportunities for Expanding Vietnamese Organic Agriculture Export (6 September); and Workshop on the Commercialization and Use of Genetic Resource and Traditional Knowledge in Vietnam (7 September)