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A group of civil society organizations wrote to the WIPO Coordination Committee on 19 March 2008, inviting candidates for the WIPO Director-General position to a meeting in Geneva on 15 April 2008. The organizations requested written responses to eight questions regarding the integration of civil society, the mainstreaming of development, and the impact of intellectual property rights on sustainable development and access to essential technologies and medicines.

This meeting report details a capacity-building workshop held on January 18, 2008, in Geneva, aimed at preparing indigenous peoples for the sixth meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Working Group on Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS). The workshop focused on the relationship between the CBD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), specifically regarding the development of an international regime on access to genetic resources and traditional knowledge.

This report analyzes the relationship between the CBD Working Group on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) and the WIPO and WTO, specifically regarding patent disclosures of genetic resources and traditional knowledge, as the ABS group meets in Geneva in January 2008.

Four international organizations requested that the WTO web-cast the hearings for the EC-Bananas III dispute (WT/DS27) in November 2007 to ensure that citizens and government officials from developing countries, particularly in the ACP regions, could observe the proceedings without needing to travel to Geneva.

In a letter dated October 10, 2006, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) urges the Canadian government to adopt a policy of requesting web-cast hearings for all WTO dispute settlements. While praising Canada's use of closed-circuit television for the Beef Hormones case hearings in Geneva during 2005 and 2006, CIEL argues that physical attendance is prohibitively expensive for citizens of developing countries and the Global South. The letter asserts that web-casting would increase transparency and efficiency by removing the need for physical space and security clearances.

A joint statement from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) to the USTR requesting that the United States adopt a policy of requesting open web-cast hearings for all World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement proceedings to increase transparency and accessibility.

A statement from the Center for International Environmental Law and WWF European Policy Office to the European Commission requesting the adoption of a policy to support web-casting for all World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement hearings to increase transparency and accessibility.

This report evaluates the 'Next Generation Policy Directions' project, which trained young researchers from seven developing countries to integrate information society and sustainable development policies. It finds that while youth can directly influence national ICT strategies and bridge policy gaps due to their interdisciplinary flexibility, they require strong institutional support and tailored gender-inclusive strategies to be effective. Key success factors included 'learning by doing' and providing researchers with a sense of ownership over their work.

A statement by WTO Director General Pascal Lamy delivered on February 10, 2006, in Johannesburg, South Africa, outlining the progress made at the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference and the roadmap for concluding the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) by the end of 2006.

This briefing paper, prepared by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) in September 2005, provides background on international chemicals management for participants of the 7th Global Civil Society Forum. It details the challenges of global chemical regulation, the roles of various intergovernmental organizations and civil society networks, and the development of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM).

This report, a collaboration between the Center for Human Rights and Environment (CEDHA) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), examines the experiences of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in adopting the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. It details the organizational benefits, implementation barriers, and specific case studies of CEDHA and IISD, ultimately recommending that the GRI develop a dedicated sector supplement for CSOs or service-providing organizations to better address their unique operational realities.

The report analyzes the impact of bilateral trade agreements on copyright and access to knowledge, noting that agreements involving the U.S. often impose protections (such as 70-year terms and anti-circumvention of TPMs) that exceed multilateral standards. It also summarizes IP disputes in the WTO regarding pharmaceutical compulsory licensing and genetic resource disclosure, as well as tensions at WIPO over the Substantive Patent Law Treaty.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the South Centre provides a first-quarter 2004 update on international intellectual property (IP) policy. It highlights a strategic shift by developed countries, particularly the United States, away from multilateral forums like the WTO toward bilateral and regional trade agreements to implement 'TRIPS-plus' standards. The document specifically analyzes the risk of 'non-violation complaints' being applied to IP in these bilateral deals, which could erode the flexibilities available to developing countries under the TRIPS Agreement.

A memorandum submitted on 13 July 2003 by a coalition of ten non-governmental organisations and civil society groups to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) leadership. The document argues that the WTO's internal decision-making processes are non-transparent and undemocratic, which in turn leads to rules and agreements that disadvantage developing countries and harm the environment and vulnerable populations.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is a Canadian non-profit organization headquartered in Winnipeg with global offices. It provides international negotiation reporting and focuses on five strategic areas: sustainability measurement, climate change, economic policy, trade/investment, and natural resource management. IISD works with governments and communities globally, particularly in developing countries, to implement sustainable development practices.

The report documents the eleventh meeting of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), held April 19-20, 1999, in Lima, Peru. The meeting focused on the management of the Collaborative Research Network (CRN) and Initial Science Program (ISP), the implementation of the Program to Expand the Scientific Capacity in the Americas (PESCA), and the development of communication strategies and international collaborations with organizations such as VAMOS and LOICZ.

A briefing by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) assessing the 'Zero Draft' of the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (HFA2). The authors argue that while the draft has advanced in areas like the inclusion of vulnerable groups, it fails to provide a cohesive structure and lacks sufficient integration with climate change, conflict, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative examines how European financial centres can leverage green bonds to enhance their competitiveness and scale up sustainable finance. It details the role of stock exchanges, sovereign and sub-sovereign issuers, and regulators in developing green bond markets, providing specific case studies from cities such as London, Luxembourg, Stockholm, Milan, Paris, and Dublin.

An open letter from the WHO-Civil Society Working Group to Advance Action on Climate Change and Health urging health professional educational institutions to integrate climate change and environmental degradation into their curricula to prepare the workforce for future health risks.

An open letter from the WHO-Civil Society Working Group on Health and Climate Change calling for the integration of climate and health education into medical curricula and professional training to prepare healthcare workers for the impacts of environmental degradation.