The shockwaves of the 2007-09 economic crisis exposed both a significant shift in global economic power and a weakness of governance mechanisms to respond and correct. Influence and authority in world affairs is slipping away from traditional poles in the industrialized North, requiring a new power sharing arrangement with the rising economic powers in the global South. The Bellagio workshop will explore the roles of China, India, Brazil and South Africa as emerging centres of regional and global authority, as the international system reshapes itself in the wake of crisis. It will also be the first meeting of an ESRC Rising Powers Network, coordinated by Chatham House and CIGI.

In the 90s and early noughties we had expectations on how carbon markets should be designed and what they could deliver. Since then we have hard experience of designing and implementing carbon markets and we have learned some lessons – some expected and some surprising - in doing so. Looking at the experience of the EU Emissions Trading System and the first year of operation of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative some of our original expectations may be need to be adjusted. Given the amount of time we have to drastically reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases and avoid dangerous climate change, how should we respond to this experience and what are the key lessons for those embarking on this process around the world?

Former Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Afghanistan (2006-2009) and Canadian Ambassador to Afghanistan (2003-2005) Chris Alexander will discuss the issue of stabilization in Afghanistan and his recommendations for achieving it.

Colonel Roch Lacroix recently returned from Afghanistan, where he served as Deputy Commander of Canadian and NATO Forces in Kandahar Province from February to November 2009. This activity will provide you with a unique opportunity to gain first-hand insight into the counter-insurgency struggle taking place in this conflict-stricken region. Through his experiences, you will also learn how Canadian Forces are working to assist the Afghans in sustaining a more secure environment in order to facilitate development, reconstruction and law and order. The Colonel will speak on combat operations, the challenges of command during a demanding and complex mission, as well as the advances being made by Canadian soldiers and civilians in spite of the difficult conditions in the heart of Kandahar Province. You will not want to miss this informative discussion about the Afghanistan mission.