Trade, Aid and Security Coalition

"Today's Dynamic Market Environment: Agriculture, Trade, Energy and Food Security" October 2007 with J.B. Penn, former Undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, USDA and Chief Economist of Deere & Company. Mr. Penn presented views of the implications for U.S. policymakers and poor countries given todays' agricultural supply and demand, food and farm policies, energy security concerns and global trade and climate change policies.   

"Building Trade Capacity in Africa: Role of the United Nations" September 2007 with David Tommy, Representative of UNIDO to the United Nations and Director of UNIDO, New York. Mr. Tommy discussed UNIDO's role as the largest provider of trade capacity building funding among UN agencies and UNIDO's activities in helping Sub-Saharan African countries address constraints to trade promotion, by helping them meet international standards.    

"Investing in Green Projects in the Developing World: An Early Look at Opportunities" July 2007 with David Hayes, former Deputy Secretary of the Interior and Partner, Latham and Watkins, LLP. Mr. Hayes discussed international clean development projects which are underway under Kyoto and the possible expansion of these projects in the forestry and agricultural sectors.   

"Business and Intellectual Property: Solutions for the World's Poorest Exporters" June 2007 with Ron Layton, CEO of Lightyears IP. Mr. Layton discussed how innovative producers in poor countries can use IP business tools to capture the intangible value of their products and achieve more sustained export income.

"Righting Trade: How Policymakers can Expand Trade and Promote Human Rights" May 2007 with Susan Aaronson, Professor, George Washington University School of Business. Dr. Aaronson discussed what governments can do differently as they seek to protect human rights at home and abroad even as they expand trade.

“Business As A Partner in Development: New Models for Achieving Scale and Impact” April 2007 with Jane Nelson, Senior Fellow and Director of the Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; Director, Business Leadership and Strategy, Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum; Non-resident Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution.

“What Would We Bargain for If Development Mattered?" March 2007 with Grant Aldonas, Former Undersecretary for International Trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce; William M. Scholl Chair in International Business at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; Founder and Managing Director of Split Rock International. 

“Africa's Silk Road: China and India's New Economic Frontier" February 2007 with Harry Broadman, Economic Advisor, World Bank-Africa Region and former Assistant USTR. Mr. Broadman discussed the opportunities for Africa that can be had if certain policy reforms are made in the two emerging countries in Asia, as well as the need for reforms in Africa itself. 

 “Can There Be a Progressive Consensus on Globalization?" January 2007 with Gene Sperling, Former White House National Economic Advisor; Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and Council on Foreign Relations. Sperling discussed how today's liberals should approach the topic of globalization and how to arrive at a consensus on trade that can lift boats both in the U.S. and abroad.

“Private Sector Development = Trade and Growth” November 2006 with Simeon Djankov, Chief Economist, World Bank and lead author of the “Doing Business” reports. Djankov discussed the real reason why some economies succeed and some fall behind and how the Doing Business Reports are helping countries identify road blocks to development.

“Impact of Climate Change on African Agriculture” October 2006 with Robert Mendelsohn, Professor, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Sciences and Manuel Lantin, Science Advisor, Consultative Group on Intern ational Agricultural Research (CGIAR), World Bank. Mendelsohn discussed the disproportionate impact that the poorest African countries will face due to climate change and what must be done to help countries adapt.

 “Empowering the Global Poor Through Microfinance”  September 2006 with Alex Counts, President of Grameen Foundation. Counts discussed Grameen Foundation's model of helping poor communities develop economically through small loans.

 “Information and Communication Technologies:   A Tool Against Poverty” July 2006 with Danilo Piagessi, Chief of ICT, Inter-American Development Bank and Fred Tipson, Senior Counsel, Microsoft Corporation. Tipson and Piagessi discussed how information and communication technologies spur economic development by making producers in developing countries more efficient and what must be done to expand access to ICT products and services.

“The Business Case to Help the Poor” June 2006 with Allen Hammond, Vice President, World Resources Institute. Hammond discussed the "markets of the poor" at the Bottom of the Pyramid and how poor consumers not only represent a new market but also how the provision of products services for the poor can expand their choices and reduce their costs. 

 “The WTO Ministerial: Impact on the Global Poor and Moving Towards a Successful Doha Round” January 2006 with Kimberly Ann Elliot, Senior Fellow, Center for Global Development. Elliott discussed what is needed in order to achieve true development results in the Doha Round, which includes meaningful reform of trade distorting subsidies.

Special Events Hosted by the Trade, Aid and Security Coalition (TASC):

"Social Compliance in Bangladesh's Garment Sector" October 2007 with Anwarul Alam Chowdury, President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Shirin Akhter of Karmo Jibi Nari (Bangladeshi NGO) and Ambassador Humayun Kabir, Ambassador of Bangladesh to the United States. The visiting Bangladesh delegation discussed the challenges for the industry in the post-quota world and the steps that the government, industry and civil society are taking to improve social compliance in the sector.