PARLIAMENTARY PANELWITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE WTO PUBLIC FORUM 2011Geneva, WTO Headquarters, 20 September 2011Dear Madam President,Dear Mr. President,Over recent years, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has established a tradition ofholding annual public events where participants from government, parliament, civil society, thebusiness sector, academia and the media jointly reflect upon the functioning of the multilateraltrading system and analyse the state of advancement of the Doha Development Agenda. Theannual

WTO Public Forum

is now a significant feature of the international calendar.It has likewise become a tradition to hold special parliamentary panels within theoverall organizational framework provided by WTO Public Forums. Such parliamentary panelsare geared towards the specific interests of members of parliament specializing in internationaltrade and are closely linked with the process known as theParliamentary Conference on theWTO,which is driven by the synergies of the IPU and the European Parliament and constitutesa de facto parliamentary dimension of this inter-governmental organization.This year's WTO Public Forum will be held from 19 to 21 September, on WTOpremises in Geneva (Centre William Rappard), under the overall themeSeeking answers toglobal trade challenges.The Forum's programme is exceptionally rich and includes more than40 different events.The Parliamentary Panel within the framework of the Forum's overall programme willtake place in the

afternoon of Tuesday, 20 September.

Its title isTrade in natural resources -curse or blessing? A parliamentary perspective.The panel will be open to all parliamentariansand other participants duly accredited to the WTO Forum, subject to the limits of the room'sseating capacity. Interpretation into English, French and Spanish will be provided by the WTOSecretariat. A detailed programme of the Parliamentary Panel will be posted on the IPUwebsite athttp://www.ipu.org/splz-e/wto-forum11.htm.

2.I would appreciate it if information about the WTO Public Forum 2011 and itsParliamentary Panel could be brought to the attention of those bodies and individual membersof your parliament who specialize in questions of international trade and follow the activities ofthe Parliamentary Conference on the WTO.In conformity with WTO practice, all participants in the Public Forum are responsiblefor their own visa, travel arrangements and accommodation in Geneva. Participants arerequired to register on-line, by

14 September 2011

at the latest, using the WTO website(https://meetings.wto.org/Forums/Registrant/SymposiumRegistration.aspx?Language=E). Pleasenote that registration for the Forum is handled by

the WTO Secretariat

and that no on-the-spot registration is possible.I wish to make it very clear that the IPU Secretariat is not dealing with any logisticalmatters relating to the WTO Public Forum and is

not in a position

to help your delegates withaccommodation and other practical arrangements in Geneva, which remain the soleresponsibility of each of the WTO Forum's participant.