Geneva Sessions
Location: International Conference Centre, Geneva
Monday, 4 June 2007

9.00 - 9.15 WELCOME ADDRESSES
Introductory Remarks: Daniel Wermus, Director, Media21
Michel Jarraud, Secretary General, World Meteorological Organization
Salvano Briceňo, Director, Inter-Agency Secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, State of Geneva

9.15 – 13.00 CLIMATE CHANGE SESSION 1 - THE FACTS
Global Warming, Global Cooling – Where do we stand? What are the realities behind climate change? How is climate affecting local or regional economies, farming, water resources, security tensions and even war, migration, health, flooding, drought, wildlife, and sea rises? What are the contributing factors? Who or what is responsible?

• Olav Hohmeyer, Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC).
• Marisol Sanjines, UNDP Human Development Report.
• Molly Helmuth, director, International Research Institute (Earth Institute, Columbia University)
• Claude Martin, former head, WWF-International.
• Chris Shore, Director, Microenterprise Development Group, WorldVision. 

Moderator: Edward Girardet, writer/journalist Media21 & Crosslines.

13.00 – 14.15 LUNCH

14.30 – 17.00 SESSION 2 - PREVENTION
Avoiding the worst. Kyoto and Disaster Risk Prevention – Responses and Challenges. How are rainfalls, floods or droughts and other climatic changes affecting communities, in many parts of the world? How are we responding locally and internationally? To what extent are we seeking quick fixes? Are the long-term challenges being taken properly into consideration?

• Sylvia Llosa, UNISDR secretariat climate change focal point.
• Yvette Stevens, International Consultant, former UN Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator and Director, OCHA Geneva.
• Private sector representative: Maryam Golnaraghi, Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction Programme, World Meteorological Organization.
• José Romero, Climate Change Negotiator, Switzerland.
• Jeffrey A. McNeely, Chief Scientist, IUCN.

Moderator: Jean-Marie Etter, Hirondelle Foundation, Switzerland.

18.00 – 20.00 Reception hosted by AlertNet, Media21, and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (CHD/HDC). To be held at the HDC’s historic Villa Plantamour, 114 Rue de Lausanne overlooking Lake Geneva.
(Near Perle du Lac. 10 minutes walk from the International Conference Centre. Or one stop by trams 13 or 15 to ‘France’ stop).

Reuters AlertNet will make a presentation of its new toolbox for the media and what it can offer journalists covering humanitarian and other crises. This includes: Online crisis briefings; country and situation statistics; which agencies? which experts? Early warning, new angles, daily updates.

Tuesday, 5 June 2007

9.00 – 12.00 SESSION 3 - MIGRATION AND CONFLICT
Fight or Flight? How is global warming – or cooling - contributing to economic degradation, conflict and migration in different parts of the world? Will the next years or decades see a rise in environmental exoduses? How should destination countries, such as Europe versus Africa, or India versus Bangladesh, respond?

• Philippe Boncour, International Organization for Migration.
• Kit Vaughan, Climate Change Adaptation Advisor, WWF UK.
• Vicken Cheterian, Media and conflicts expert, Cimera.
• David Stone, Director, ProAct Network.

Moderator: Charles Adams, International lawyer, Geneva.

12.30 PRESS CONFERENCE: Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction

15.00 – 18.00 Three parallel sessions on Disaster Risk Reduction organized by the ISDR.

Session 1: Disaster Risk Reduction as a key strategy for climate change adaptation (Panelists TBC).
Session 2: Challenges in reducing disaster risk in urban set-tings and mega-cities (Confirmed panelists include Luis Eduardo Garzon, Mayor of Bogota and Jose Artienza, Mayor of Manila)
Session 3: Roadblocks and opportunities to move disaster risk reduction higher on the policy agenda.

18.00 – 18.45 Press conference with key figures of the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction

19.30 – 22.30 Hosted dinner on Lake Geneva boat

Wednesday, 6 June 2007
8.00 – 9.00 Climate Change Breakfast with Michel Jarraud, Secretary General, World Meteorological Organization

9.10 – 11.00 SESSION 4 - THE ECONOMY
Global Costs… and Opportunities. Climate change will certainly produce winners and losers with whole regions doing better or worse than others. Impacts are already noticeable on energy use, tourism, health, disaster prevention, and even insurance premiums and investment. But if the international community invests in “smart” responses, there could be a lot of positive outcomes, some of which could significantly offset the negatives. How are governments and civil society responding to the Stern Review? Can “saving the climate” be good business? What is the private sector doing with regard to clean investment, new ideas and technology?

• Jan Mumenthaler, Senior Insurance Officer, Environment & Social Development Dept., International Finance Corp (World Bank private sector development arm).
• Dominic Waughray, Director, Environmental Initiatives, World Economic Forum, Geneva.
• José Achache, Group on Earth Observations.
• Mark Weintraub, Head of Sustainable Development, Royal Dutch Shell.
• Suren Erkman, Industrial ecology specialist, Professor, University of Lausanne.
• Thomas Perianu, Director, Sustainable Development, Suez.

Moderator: Paddy Coulter, Director of Studies, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Oxford.

Issues Prompter/Spoiler: Jean Fabre,UNDP.

11.00 – 13.00 Media Roundtable on Disaster Risk Reduction. Moderator: Edward Girardet, Media21 and Brigitte Leoni, ISDR.

16.30-17.15 Briefing with new UN Emergency Relief Director (OCHA) John Holmes. 

1700-18.00 Reception at the Swiss Mission (opposite Geneva International Conference Centre) for the launch of the book, Partnership for the Planet – The role of Geneva in the international environmental governance (Partnerships for the Planet)  

Thursday, 7 June 2007

8.30 – 9.30 Breakfast with William Dowell, CARE International, Mark Oxley, Tear Fund. Café du Soleil, Petit Saconnex, Geneva. (Walking distance from Geneva International Conference Centre).

9.40 – 12.30 SESSION 6 - HEALTH
New or aggravated diseases? Will climate change bring malaria back to Europe? Or worsen epidemics/pandemics, such as HIV/AIDS and unexpected surprises along the lines of bird flu? Can the world expect to suffer new disease mutations, more heatwaves and worsening pollution? What are the consequences, too, on animal diseases, notably rinderpest, in Africa? Is the international community really prepared?

• Loretta Hieber, HIV-AIDS specialist/disaster mitigation OCHA.
• Madeleen Helmer, Head, Red Cross Climate Change Centre, Netherlands
• Leslie Malone, WMO.
• Diamid Campbell-Lendrum, Climate Change Team, WHO.
• Judy Kuriansky, NGO Committee on Mental Health.
• Andy Sundberg, The Millennium Institute.
• William Dowell, CARE International.

Moderator: Claire Doole, World Radio Geneva.

Afternoon: free for interviews, further research and writing.

Friday, 8 June 2007

8.30 – 9.30 Breakfast
9.40 – 13.00 SESSION 7/8 – FORGET DEVELOPMENT?
Talking the Talk or Walking the Walk? How are we really dealing with climate change? Should there be a truly global response with each country doing its bit? Or do some economies which are blossoming only now, such as India and China, have the right to develop on an equitable basis as they wish regardless of global consequences? Can the world still afford the excessive consumerism once – and still - practiced by traditional industrialized nations? Are there better ways to take advantage of climate change and limited resources?
Are governments finally responding to the threats or do they still need a serious kick up the rear? Is it possible to change the minds of the politicians and the consumers? What can make the difference?
What is the proper role of the media in this respect? What are the most effective ways of communicating climate change issues in a credible manner to a broad spectrum of audiences in different parts of the world?

• Lucas Assunçao, Coordinator, Climate Change and BIOTRADE Initiative, UNCTAD
• Robert Lamb, OnePlanet, London
• Everett Ressler, UNICEF
• Rajiv Tikoo, Online Editor, Financial Express of India
• Yan Zhu, News Editor, China Central TV
• Martin Beniston, Climatologist, University of Geneva.

Moderator: Edward Girardet, writer/journalist, Media21/Crosslines.

Afternoon: free for interviews, further research and writing.

15.56 Departure for Brig/Riederalp for Alpine Sessions