Global Economic Issues (GEI)
Geneva
The current priorities of the GEI Programme are Food & Sustainability, and Climate Change & Migration.
QUNO’s concern in relation to Food & Sustainability is to promote informed and balanced discussion about agricultural models in today’s world. This work is proceeding along two main strands. On the one hand QUNO is working to stimulate and inform consideration about what – if any – kind of intellectual property protection on seeds would best ensure that food production is sustainable and equitable, in the context of the need to foster food production systems and innovation policies that incentivize maintaining biodiversity, ensure long-term food security and protect fragile livelihoods. On the other hand QUNO is seeking to provide a forum for discussion amongst trade professionals about whether the current agriculture trade framework is adequate for addressing countries’ evolving needs and objectives for national agriculture policy. Read more.
With regard to Climate Change & Migration QUNO is undertaking work to consider how to ensure protection of people who are affected by migration or displacement due to the effects of climate change. This work is undertaken jointly with QUNO’s Human Rights and Refugees programme. It is proceeding along two main strands: issues relating to protection of persons affected, and work with faith communities. Read more.
We are also alert to emerging issues that affect our priority work
areas. In particular, we are attentive to questions around biological
diversity, traditional knowledge, human rights, migration, trade policy
and climate change issues.
Past Work
Between 1999 and 2008 the two main areas of work of QUNO’s Global
Economic Issues programme were Labour Movement, and Intellectual
Property in the context of World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations,
bilateral trade agreements and the World Intellectual
Property Organization. Please click here to read more about past GEI programme activities.
Global Economic Issues News
On 24 September, QUNO organised a panel discussion on intellectual property in agriculture, innovation and farmers’ needs, during the World Trade Organization public forum in Geneva. To read more about the panel and listen to the audio of discussions, please click here. To receive a report of the panel, please contact us at quno@quno.ch.
QUNO hosted a panel discussion on the links between climate change, water management and cooperation, on Friday 14 September. The discussion, co-hosted with the Ethiopian mission to the UN in Geneva, took place as a side-event of the Human Rights Council, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. To read more about the panel please click here.
QUNO Geneva has prepared a digest of the discussions during the UN Climate Change Conference that took place in Durban in November-December 2011. This concise digest provides a readable overview of developments in the two weeks of negotiations as they occurred, pointing out some of the key issues and actors. To receive a copy of the digest, please click here.
An article on QUNO GEI work was recently published in Quaker Life. Please click here to read Budding Work at the Quaker United Nations Office in Geneva, Quaker Life magazine, May-June 2011, page 29.
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