These institutions, all of which are affiliated with members of the Appellate Body, are focusing the conferences on current dispute settlement issues and the Appellate Body’s contribution to this system. Participants include current and former Appellate Body Members, senior government representatives, WTO Secretariat officials, academics, journalists, students, and members of civil society.

Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi gave the keynote address at the first conference in this series, and former Director-General Renato Ruggiero gave the inaugural address. The conference took place in Stresa, Italy, from 11-13 March 2005 and was organized by the Research Centre on International Economic Organisations of the Universities of Piemonte Orientale, Torino, Genova, Milano, and Bocconi. Mr. Giorgio Sacerdoti, Professor of Bocconi University and a Member of the Appellate Body, was on the conference steering committee. The papers presented at the Stresa Conference will be published by the WTO and Cambridge University Press in October 2005.

The second conference was held in São Paulo, Brazil, 15-17 May 2005. It was organized by the Brazilian Institute of International Trade Law and Development in cooperation with the University of São Paulo (Law School/International Law Department) and the Administrative Institute Foundation. Mr. Luiz Olavo Baptista, Professor at the University of São Paulo Law School and a Member of the Appellate Body, was on the conference steering committee.

The third conference in this series took place in Tokyo, Japan, on 25-27 October 2005, at the United Nations University. It was organized by the Fair Trade Center and Tokyo Keizai University, in collaboration with Aoyama Gakuin University, the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies, and the Institute for International Studies and Training. Mr. Yasuhei Taniguchi, Professor at Tokyo Keizai University and a Member of the Appellate Body, was a member of the conference steering committee, which was coordinated by the Fair Trade Center.

Other conferences will be held in 2006 in Cairo (11-13 February 2006), Sydney and New York City (5-7 April 2006).

Updated information on the series of conferences and on each event will be made available on a regular basis. Registration procedures will be posted as they become available.

For additional information on any of the planned conferences contact Judy Cowell by email at [email protected]