You are welcome!
The conference hosts at the Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKIK) and the ICN’s Annual Conference Planning Committee have designed new and innovative aspects for this year’s conference agenda. This update highlights the host’s showcase programs and the “Welcome Track” of optional breakouts.
Host Showcase Programs
Day 1 of the conference will showcase the UOKIK’s tremendous efforts in organizing this year’s conference and its commitment to presenting engaging topics for debate and discussion.
Wednesday, April 24 (Day 1)
9:30 a.m. Welcoming addresses
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- Bronisław Komorowski, President of the Republic of Poland
- Małgorzata Krasnodębska-Tomkiel, President of the UOKIK
- Eduardo Pérez Motta, ICN Chair, President of the Mexican Federal Competition Commission
10:00 a.m. Opening Session: Competition at the top of the global agenda – the road to economic welfare?
Following the conference’s welcoming addresses, this plenary session will explore the provocative and timely issue of competition’s place in broader economic and political policy debates. This distinguished panel includes Jerzy Buzek, Former Prime Minister of Poland, and representatives from the World Bank and World Trade Organization.
12:00 p.m. Special Project Plenary: Working with Courts and Judges
The UOKIK leads a special project for this year’s conference on competition agency interaction with courts and judges. As part of the project, ICN member agencies were surveyed for input. The themes arising from the survey will be discussed by a distinguished panel moderated by UOKIK’s President. Following the plenary, discussion of the topics will continue during breakout sessions dedicated to the presentation of agency decisions in courtrooms and dialogue with courts and judges.
Thursday, April 25 (Day 2)
4:45 p.m. Regional Panel: Supporting Competition in Developing Countries (Eastern/Southeastern Europe) (optional breakout)
The UOKIK also have organized a panel highlighting regional experiences from eastern and southeastern Europe. This optional breakout occurs on Day 2.
The Welcome Track
The Welcome Track is a three-part series of optional breakouts that will introduce key aspects of the ICN, how it works, and how to get involved.
Wednesday, April 24 (Day 1)
8 a.m. Welcome Track Session 1: An ICN-troduction (optional breakout)
Start this year’s conference off early with an optional breakout before the welcoming addresses begin at 9:30am. Intended for those new to the ICN, this session will provide a basic overview of what the ICN is and what it does. If you are looking for a way to learn about the ICN and get more involved in its work, there is no better starting point than the ICN-troduction.
Thursday, April 25 (Day 2)
8 a.m. Welcome Track Session 2: NGA engagement (optional breakout)
The ICN is enriched by the participation of its non-governmental advisors or “NGAs,” including private practitioners, academics, representatives of international organizations, and industry and consumer groups. Come to this session to discuss how member agencies engage NGAs and how NGAs participate in the ICN’s work. The discussion will address two aspects: 1) fostering cooperation between academics and ICN members and 2) the benefits of interaction between competition authorities and the private sector.
Friday, April 26 (Day 3)
12 p.m. Welcome Track Session 3: Meet the Working Groups (optional breakout)
Don’t leave Warsaw without a full understanding of the work planned for the 2013-2014 ICN year and opportunities for participation. Grab a coffee and use the conference’s final break to meet the ICN Working Group Chairs in an informal context to ask questions about their plans for future work and discuss ways to get more involved. The conversation will continue at 12:30 with each Working Group holding meeting to solicit member input on work plans, feedback on the group’s work product and implementation efforts. Whether your interests are competition advocacy, agency effectiveness, cartels, mergers, and/or unilateral conduct, there is something for you in the ICN’s work plans. Find it before you leave Warsaw!
