President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda and Dr. Lleonel Fernández, President Elect of the Dominican Republic will be keynote speakers at the opening session of UNCTAD XI’s Trade Day on 16 June 2004.

Mr. Rubens Ricupero, Secretary General of UNCTAD, will open the proceedings chaired by Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorin. Over 35 Ministers and Deputy Ministers are expected to address the meeting.

UNCTAD’s Division on International Trade in Goods and Services, and Commodities (DITC) is organizing the Trade Day and other parallel events on 14-18 June 2004 during UNCTAD XI in Sao Paulo.

The theme of the morning session on Trade Day is "Assuring Development Gains from the International Trading System and Trade Negotiations". The afternoon session will be on "Policy Options and Strategies to Support Developing Countries’ Competitiveness in the Most Dynamic Sectors of International Trade".

Ministers expected to speak on Trade Day include Singapore’s Trade Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Sri Lanka’s Trade Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, Netherlands Trade Minister Agnes van Ardenne-van der Hoeven, India’s Commerce Minister Kamal Nath, Bangladesh’s Commerce Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, United Kingdom’s Minister of State for Trade Mike O’Brin, Pakistan’s Investment Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Tanzania’s Trade Minister Juma Ngasongma, Ukraine’s Economy Minister Mykola Derkach, Egypt’s Foreign Trade Minister Youssef Boutros-Ghali, Iran’s Commerce Minister Mohammad Shariatmadani, the Republic of Korea’s Trade Minister Hwang Doo-Yun, Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Jesus Arnaldo Perez, Mauritius Foreign Minister Jaya Krishna Cuttaree, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Trade Minister Roger Lumbala, Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of International Trade Dato’Ahmad Huzni Mohamad Hanadzlah, and Indonesia’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Susanto Sutoyo. (The above is not an exhaustive list.)

Several Ministers are also expected to speak at the formal launch on 16 June 2004 of the Third Round of Trade Negotiations under the auspices of the Global System of Trade Preferences among Developing Countries (GSTP). The new round will be launched at a High Level Meeting of the GSTP Committee of Participants.

Brazil’s Finance Minister Antonio Palocci Filho, Brazil’s Justice Minister Marcio Thomaz Bastos and Lesotho’s Trade Minister Mpho Meli Malie will address the opening session on 14 June 2004 of a panel discussion on "The Role of Competition Policy in Promoting Competitiveness and Development". UNCTAD Secretary General Rubens Ricupero will be the panel’s moderator.

Brazilian Tourism Minister Walfrido dos Mares Guia and Francesco Frangialli, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization are expected to speak at the opening session on 14 June 2004 of a "Forum on International Trade and Tourism: Trade and Development Perspectives for Developing Countries". UNCTAD Secretary General Rubens Ricupero will open the session. Tourism Ministers from several other developing countries will also speak.

Brazil’s Agriculture Minister Roberto Rodrigues will moderate a High Level Panel on 15 June 2004 on "Commodities, Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development". Mr. Ricupero will make the opening remarks followed by Mr. Rolf Böhnke, Managing Director of the Common Fund for Commodities. Panellists include Mr. Poul Nielson, European Commissioner for Development, Mr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, Director General of the World Trade Organization, Benin’s Industry Minister Fatiou Akplogan, Finland’s Trade Minister Paulo Lehtomäki and Mr. Zukang Sha, Chairman of the Preparatory Committee of UNCTAD XI.

Ugandan President Museveni will also be the keynote speaker at a High Level Panel on "Bio Trade: Trade and Biodiversity Partnerships" on 15 June 2004. Brazil’s Environment Minister, Marina Silva and Mr. Ricupero will open the session. Mr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Pakistan’s Minister for Investment & Privatization, will be the keynote speaker on 17 June 2004 at a "Forum on Assessment of Trade in Services and Development Gains." Mr. Ricupero and Mr. Mario Mugnaini, Executive Secretary of Brazil’s Foreign Trade Chamber will open the forum.

Mr. Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme will be the keynote speaker at a "Roundtable on Promoting Trade for Sustainable Development" on 17 June 2004. Mauritius’ Foreign Affairs Minister Jayakrishna Cuttaree, Angola’s Commerce Minister Victorino Hossi, Cambodia’s Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh, Brazil´s Deputy Environment Minister Claudio Langoneand UNCTAD Secretary General Rubens Ricupero will also address the meeting.

Ministers from almost all 16 countries participating in the Joint Integrated Technical Assistance Programme (JITAP) are expected to speak on 18 June 2004 at a session entitled, "JITAP: Capacity Building in Assuring Development Gains from the Multilateral Trading System". Participating countries are Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Senegal, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia.

Professor J.M. Ferreira Jardim da Silveira of Brazil’s UNICAMP University at Campinas, will be moderator on 18 June 2004 of a session on "International Trade in GMOs: Trends and Capacity-Building Needs". Mr. Ricupero will make the introductory remarks.