200 International Experts to meet at the Hemispheric Trade and Sustainability Symposium April 17-19 2001

WINNIPEG — The Hemispheric Trade and Sustainability Symposium will gather 200 experts from the Americas from April 17 to 19, 2001 in Quebec City. The Symposium is chaired by Pierre Marc Johnson, former Premier of the Province of Quebec and Counsel at Heenan Blaikie; David Runnalls, President and CEO of the International Institute for Sustainable Development; and Enrique Leff from the United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean. It is organized jointly by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, IUCN, the World Conservation Union and the United Nations Environment Programme - Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Participants will discuss the issue of trade liberalization in the Americas and assess the current state of FTAA process as it relates to environmental and equity concerns. The issue of transparency and civil society participation will also be discussed by participants. Workshops will be held on issues such as climate change, biosafety, forests and water issues in the Americas.

The event will feature keynote presentations from Pierre Pettigrew, Canadian Minister of International Trade; David Anderson, Canadian Minister of Environment; Maria Minna, Canadian Minister for International Cooperation; and Victor Lichtinger, Mexican Minister of Environment.

Two special events will be held in the evening of April 17 and 18. On April 17, the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation will host a reception for the participants. On April 18, the Canadian National Roundtable on Environment and Economy will host another reception, with Nobel Prize Laureate and former Costa Rican President Dr. Oscar Arias as keynote speaker. Both events will be open to journalists who are registered in advance.

A press conference will be held on April 18 at 12:30 at Auditorium 1 of the Musée de la Civilisation (85 rue Dalhousie, Quebec City). The event will be chaired by Pierre Marc Johnson and attended by the two other Symposium Chairs. Simultaneous translation will be available.

Pierre Marc Johnson will be available for interviews starting March 22.

For information or registration, please consult the Symposium's web site http://www.iisd.org/trade/qc2001 or contact:

Karel Mayrand, Director and media Relations Coordinator
(514) 985-0343 or (514) 802-2781

Secondary contact:
Marie Claire Segger, Director
(514) 581-4984