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The International Aid and Trade exhibition (www.aidandtrade.org) will be holding its 2008 event at Palexpo in Geneva from January 29-30.

According to the organization, it received exceptional feedback from the 2007 trade fair and symposium, which brought together international exhibitors of goods and services linked to humanitarian and development aid. Aid representatives also appreciated a chance to explore what was available in one location.

This year’s event will host a new event, notably an education zone, and will expand its African, Asian and NGO pavilions.

Aid and Trade is also hosting a conference on cross-cutting aid issues involving international aid agencies and NGOs, companies, media and academic institutions.

Representatives from select UN agencies, however, who were initially featured on the programme, were withdrawn by their organizations with the extraordinary argument that this Aid and Trade is a commercial event, and therefore cannot involve the UN.

For those observers, notably journalists, who have worked in international aid over the years, this represents a narrow-minded and highly uninformed attitude. International aid increasingly requires the participation of the private sector to carry out its objectives efficiently, so why not debate this at such an international forum in the interests of accountability and the public-at-large?

Also, since when are government donors (the Swiss, Americans, British, Swedes etc.) any different in their agendas from companies? Whether private or government, they’re all in it for themselves (eg. Implement their own political agendas which often have little to do with humanitarian needs on the ground, make profit etc.)

All the better to have such issues out in the open rather than pretending that UN agencies are so much purer in their visions and ability to provide assistance. Aid workers need satphones, vehicles, water filters… to do their jobs, so here’s a chance to see what’s available and in a competitive environment.