Dialogue with civil society - Fourth Informal Consultation between the Trade Committee and Civil Society Organisations, 28 October 2002

Dialogue with civil society constitutes a significant part of these efforts; indeed, at their meeting in 2002, OECD Ministers reiterated their commitment to "continue to consult with non-members, business, labour and civil society" in this context PAC/COM/NEWS(2002)58.

The OECD Trade Committee holds an annual informal consultation with CSOs, back-to-back with its autumn meeting. Member countries and observers are encouraged to invite national civil society organisations to participate in the consultation, as a complement to the regular consultation mechanisms established at the national level.

In addition, in consultation with the Committee, the Secretariat invites a limited number of international CSOs active in key trade policy issues. The invited organisations are given the opportunity to comment on proposed topics for discussion at the consultation and to suggest additional topics of interest to them.

CSO consultations have had an impact on the OECD's work, as they have provided impetus for reviews of environmental impact of trade liberalisation, for addressing the development dimension of trade liberalisation and for work on bribery and officially supported export credits. The Trade Committee held its fourth annual informal consultation on 28 October 2002, around the following themes:

• the multilateral trading system and sustainable development: finding common ground for shared objectives
• domestic regulation in a multilateral context: a right, an obligation, a necessity?

Background Documentation for the meeting:

• Issues Paper

Submissions by Civil Society Organisations:

• Financial Services in the WTO: Are Liberalisation and Regulation in Conflict?
• Trading for Better Health
• Transparency International Canada
• Turning the Tide on Fishing Subsidies - Can the World Trade Organization Play a Positive Role?
• Balanced process, balanced results: How to get there? Critical elements for sustainability assessment
• Try Telling Him that Trade Liberalisation is like Riding a Bicycle?
• Statement by UNISFERA International Centre
• Vers une meilleure intégration des attentes spécifiques des populations dans la gouvernance mondiale ?
• A Consumer Perspective on Trade in Services: Regulation and Sustainability
• The Multilateral Trading System and Sustainable Development: Finding Common Ground for Shared Objectives
• Domestic regulation in a multilateral context: A right, an obligation, a necessity?
• The Social Dimension of Globalisation
• BIAC Discussion Points for the Fourth Informal Consultation between the OECD Trade Committee and Civil Society Organisations

Statements by Civil Society Organisations

• Statement by Women in Development Europe, WIDE