WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 10, 2000 (CNW)—A two-day symposium beginning Oct. 11 in Washington, DC, will provide answers to the question: How does free trade affect the environment?
The symposium on Understanding the Linkages between Trade and Environment is being convened by the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (NACEC), established by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) environmental side accord to build cooperation among the NAFTA partners in addressing the opportunities and challenges that continent-wide free trade presents in the protection of the North American environment.
Fourteen original research papers will be presented over the course of the two-day symposium. Each analyzes a dimension of the trade-environment relationship. Together, their findings will reveal the impact of trade on a variety of subjects, including water, rainforests, fisheries, industrial pollution, hazardous wastes and the so-called "race to the bottom," among others. The papers are available now, in their original languages, on the NACEC web site at (http://www.cec.org).
Discussions following the presentation of papers will involve both expert panels and members of the public in attendance. NACEC is the only environmental body in the world established in conjunction with an international trade agreement. Fundamental to its approach is the inclusion of civil society and the public in the discussion of issues pertinent to its work.
Live audio transmission of the presentations and discussions will be provided through the NACEC web site at (http://www.cec.org). Two written summary reports of the symposium will also be posted on the web, one for each of the two days of the meeting.
The symposium will take place Wednesday and Thursday, 11 and 12 October 2000 at the World Bank in Washington, DC.
