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6 - 12 July
CONTENTS:
International Investment Summit Dubai
Second
JICA / UNIDO ITPO Tokyo SEE investment promotion programme
Mainstreaming gender in Ghanian industry
COMING SOON
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Feature Story: UNIDO Business Partnerships Programme
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International Investment Summit Dubai
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 3 - 5 May, 2003UNIDO Director General, Carlos Magariños and Secretary General of the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Donald Johnston, presented the keynote address on The Global Investment Climate at the International Investment Summit held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates 2 - 5 May, 2003. The UNIDO Director-General was invited to open the Summit Exhibition together with his host, immediately after the inaugural session.
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In his address, Director-General Magariños pointed out that developing countries are expected to
increase their share in FDI flows in years to come. It is assumed that these countries will benefit
more from the further internationalization and fragmentation of production systems. And, that is
where the opportunity is for the Arab region to catch up, as it still compares poorly with other
regions such as South East Asia, Magarinos said. He gave the examples of South East Asia and Latin
America, the factors behind their attracting foreign direct investment and how they progressed. South
East Asia outstripped Latin America as it showed higher productivity, which attracted higher FDI.
Asked if Saudi Arabia could replicate the economic success of Dubai, Magarinos felt that the Kingdom
needs first to tackle deregulation and generate more non-oil exports to the developed countries.
The International Investment Summit, organised by the Dubai Development and Investment Authority (DDIA), was inaugurated on behalf of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister, by H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Vice-President of the Dubai Executive Council, President of the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation and Chairman of Emirates Airline.
Other Summit fora that UNIDO participated in dealt with Economic Reform in the Middle East/North Africa Area, Foreign Direct Investments in Global and Regional Development, The Arab World as an Unified Regional Block, Developing Regional Capital Markets and Corporate Governance Issues. In addition, several meetings were held alongside the summit events with officials from the region, such as the Head of Tunisia's Foreign Investment Promotion Agency, the Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Arab Monetary Fund, the Chairman of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones of Egypt, the CEO Economic Development Board of Bahrain, Chairman of the Yemen Investment Authority and the Director-General of Dubai Development and Investment Authority.
During the visit to Dubai, the UNIDO delegation toured the Dubai Technology, E-Commerce and Media Free Zone Authority where the Director-General met with Zone Director-General, Ahmad Bin Byat. Discussions were held to identify the areas of cooperation that could be of mutual interest to UNIDO and the Dubai Authority. The tour was extended to include urban development schemes which emphasised innovative construction, housing and tourism projects. A meeting was also held with UAE Minister of Finance and Industry, Mohammed Khalfan bin Khirbash. The Minister commended the Director- General on his achievements and his role in transforming UNIDO and emphasized the need to strengthen the relationship between U.A.E. and UNIDO, specially in areas related to trade and technology diffusion. The Director- General indicated that he would personally support the proposals to be initiated for technical cooperation with the U.A.E. and invited the Minister to attend the General Conference of UNIDO, 1-5 December 2003.
The International Investment Summit closed with a final summation by World Economic Forum Managing Director, Sicre Frédéric. Drawing attention to the persistent comments that the economy of the Middle East is performing poorly - reflected by the poor levels of foreign direct investment (FDI), Frédéric identified five major areas where Arab governments could start to remedy this. The first two tasks he mentioned were: improvment in the investment climate and reform of the banking and financial markets.
In the "improve the investment climate" category, he said Arab governments need to work hard to get rid of cumbersome regulations; to define and enforce commercial law; strengthen public institutions; and target private and domestic investment in productive sectors rather than just the large public sector. With respect to the reform of the banking and financial markets, privatisation must be accelerated and greater central bank independence must be achieved. Also, regulatory frameworks governing capital markets must be implemented, especially in allowing greater participation of institutional investors, creating regional rating agencies and standards and consolidation of Arab financial markets.
The other three suggestions he made to Arab governments on making the region a more attractive investment destination were: to harness innovation and technology transfer; to pay attention and investing heavily in the regions human capital; and to develop information and communication technology (ICT). The latter being a fundamental base to nurture a real spirit of entrepreneurship and to enhance productivity through the dissemination of knowledge and free flow of ideas.
The World Economic Forum Managing Director also had a five-fold task for the Arab private sector especially to be done in association with the governments. A united private sector community, with common objectives" he said, "can create miracles. The first task here is to create a culture of meritocracy. Reform in labour laws is necessary as currently they are too restrictive. Being able to hire on a basis of meritocracy is essential to compete, as well as the ability to fire under-performers. Linked, is the question of allowing women to work. The second task is education: Business must make education a business. The Arab Corporation must provide on-the-job training and work with governments to develop the right curricula to satisfy needs of the Arab job market and global competition. The educational system must encourage debate, negotiation and the principle that it is agreeable to disagree. The third task for the Arab private sector is with the legal systems: Clear and consistent legal regulations and lawyers and judges well versed in modern commercial laws, to provide foreign investors better arbitration mechanisms and advisory services and thus provide an incentive to investment. The fourth task is to develop a regional strategy on harmonizing standards. The fifth task is for Arab corporations to increase the competitiveness of their capital markets. In this regard, family businesses going public could bring about increased compliance with corporate governance standards.
In general, These challenges will only be met if the leaders of Arab business and Arab
governments find true support and trust from their Western counterparts, the World Economic Forum
Managing Director concluded.
Mohamed El-Nawawi,
Tel: +43 1 26026 / 3357, E-mail: M.El-Nawawi@unido.org
Second JICA / UNIDO ITPO Tokyo
SEE Investment Promotion Programme
Tokyo, Japan, 18 May 1 June, 2003
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The second joint Japan International Cooperation Agency JICA /
UNIDO Programme on Investment Promotion for the Countries in South East Europe was held in
Japan, 18 May - 1 June 2003. JICA and UNIDO ITPO Tokyo implemented the programme with the South East Europe (SEE) Regional Roundtable
(RRT) on Investment Promotion. SEE RRT is a key component of the Investment
Compact led by OECD, set up in July 2000 within the framework of the Stability Pact. Deputy Secretary-General of OECD,
Seiichi KONDO addressed participants from Paris via video. UNIDO ITPO Tokyo Head Hideo Nakanishi and
Managing Director of JICA Tokyo International Centre (TIC), Satoru Kohiyama made the opening
remarks.
Eleven representatives from investment promotion agencies in seven of the eight SEE countries (Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia & Montenegro) participated in the programme. Croatia cancelled its participation due to the concern about SARS.
The first JICA / UNIDO / SEE Investment Seminar took place 9 - 26 May, 2002 (see UNIDOScope 2 -8 June, 2002) and was held as a once-only event. However, positive responses to the 2002 programme, both from participating institutions and the private sector in Japan, prompted SEE and OECD to request that JICA and UNIDO ITPO Tokyo stage a 2003 version. In addition to building the capacities of the participating investment promotion agencies, the main objectives of the seminar were to improve the image of the SEE region and intoduce it as a potential investment destination.
The intensive two week programme was comprised of lectures, discussions, a workshop, factory visits and an investment seminar. A two day workshop on the UNIDO COMFAR software enhanced participants skills and provided them with a solid project appraisal methodology. Following the workshop, JICA invited ITPO COMFAR specialist Koichi Hagiwara to participate in other training programmes sponsored by JICA. Factory visits were included in the programme for the presentation of the Japanese EDS (Ecology Dry System) technology, a unique technology to improve low quality wood to marketable wood, and an energy co-generation system at Toyota Motors. Participants also visited the offices of the Jomo Shinbun newspaper. Another item on the seminar agenda was a talk on Japan's Sogo Shosha, or large general trading firms. Sogo Shosha are important players in Overseas Development Assistance (ODA).
Nonetheless, the highlight of the programme was the investment seminar that took place in Tokyo on 28 May 2003 at Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), where each country was given an opportunity to introduce its investment climate and the sectors with the best potential. Programme Director of the OECD Investment Compact, Declan Murphy, who came to Japan for last years seminar, addressed participants via video this time. Around 80 participants from Japan's public and private sectors attended the investment seminar.
Another popular item on the seminar agenda was the presentation by Jan Kubicek, Director of CzechInvest Japan, entitled "Effective investment promotion in Japan - the case of Czech Republic". Participants requested another such session be held in the SEE region so that more IPA staff can benefit. It was also indicated that further COMFAR workshops in the SEE region would also be appreciated.
see photo gallery at UNIDO ITPO Tokyo
site
"print-friendly" pdf
version of ITPO Tokyo gallery
Yuko Tanaka, ITPO Tokyo,
E-mail: ytanaka@unido.or.jp
Mainstreaming gender in Ghanian industry
Accra, Ghana, 12 - 21 April, 2003 |
In his keynote address to the Consultative Forum / Workshop on Gender in Industrial Development held
in Accra, Ghana, 12 - 21 April, 2003, Ghana's Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, acknowledged the
international and local pressures for gender equality, especially at the decision-making level,
particularly with regard to economic and industrial development. He said the initiative taken by
UNIDO and UNDP in cooperation with the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Women and
Childrens Affairs (MOWAC) to organise the Consultative Forum was sincerely and highly appreciated.
He drew attention to the fact that the Government of Ghana had introduced programatic measures to
mainstream gender in development and in the decision making process. Such measures included the
establishment of the Ministry of Women and Childrens Affairs and the Industry Revival Programme,
which accorded priority to female owned and female-headed enterprises in accessing credit. The
Vice-President finally called on the Forum to produce innovative strategies, which would help both
the public and private sectors realise the strategic objective of mainstreaming gender in
socio-economic development.
The Consultative Forum was chaired by former Minister of Trade and Industry in Ghana and current Member of Parliament, Emma Mitchell. Participants were drawn from both the public and private sectors, including ministers, high level government officials, chief executives of private sector institutions, representatives of other public sector institutions, the organised private sector, research institutions and industrial enterprises. The two-day workshop, attended by 40 participants, presented four modules: Module I Gender Issue Assessment: - at the enterprise level, factory level and household level, highlighting constraints, issues and problems; Module II Gender Analysis and Planning: - covering policy, capacity building, gender division of labour, access to resources, technology, environment, major gender gaps and needs assessment; Module III Gender Mainstreaming Applications government, the UN organisations (mainstreaming gender throughout the project cycle), industry, SMEs and entrepreneurship promotion; Module IV Strategic Action Planning for Mainstreaming Gender: - defining goals, identifying constraints and opportunities, strategic roles to be played and evaluation indicators.
In her opening remarks, Ms. Mitchell referred participants to a World Bank study entitled Can Africa claim the Twenty First Century, that recognised the hidden reserves in women and concluded that gender equality could be a potent force for growth in Africa. She also cited mainstreaming gender in development as one of the strategic objectives of the New Partnership for Africas Development (NEPAD). In Ghana, women played a central role in food production and processing, however, their capacity to contribute to national development, in particular, industrial development, was limited by, inter alia, low level of education, lack of managerial skills and technological know-how, limited access to credit and cultural factors.
Minister of Trade and Industry (now Minister for Regional Development) Kofi Konadu Apraku, observed that the presence of the Vice-President at the Forum signified that the Government of Ghana was very much concerned about gender in development, in particular, how economic policies and programmes would impact on women and womens role in private sector-led development and in the implementation of the Presidents Special Initiative. Notwithstanding that the Government had introduced concrete measures to improve private sector participation, it was imperative that women should become the focus for gender in industrial development. He noted that there were institutional, policy and operational constraints and the signs were clearly not encouraging. There was a need to reflect on whether policies were biased and whether they advanced the course of women.
Regarding industrialisation, his view was that very little had been done. Specific programmes should be designed to effectively mainstream gender (women) in development. In the context of AGOA, for example, women should be able to have access to resources to purchase equipment and raw materials, as well as upgrade skills to increase productivity and benefits from the opportunities being offered. He mentioned, in particular, womens inability to access credit through affordable means. He expressed regret that of the 130 billion cedis made available by the Government to support agro-industry only two women have actually succeeded in receiving credit for their enterprises.
Access to technology was also cited as a major constraint. He emphasised that the global economy was characterised by the increasing use of information and communication technologies, as well as knowledge resources. Many industries were being driven out of business simply because they lacked the capacity and capabilities in those areas. The establishment of a Free Trade Area in Ghana by 2008 implied that Ghana industry and entrepreneurs, in particular, women entrepreneurs should have acquired appropriate managerial and business skills, access to credit, technology and market if they were to be an integral part of the Free Trade Area.
In presenting an overview of industrial development in Ghana from a gender perspective, Esther Ofei-Aboagye, director of the Institute for Local Government Studies (ILGS), outlined some of the key gender concerns about women in industry: women were more likely to be temporary workers with little or no representation at managerial and supervisory levels; low security in employment - often the very first to be made redundant and less likely to benefit from training programmes; high percentage of women employed as cheap labour in export processing zones without adequate provision for safety in the work place; insufficient number of women at the decision making level, thereby, limiting their chances to influence working conditions.
She stated that only about 6.2 % of women in the working age were in wage employment, compared with 23 % of men. About 65.9 % of men were self-employed whereas 71 % of women were self-employed with approximately 40 % of them in the non-farm sector. Most of them were in small-scale food processing, textile and garment making, as well as in the production of traditional and household goods. Women were also involved in gold mining and the processing and marketing of gold and diamonds.
Major constraints to women in industry were highlighted, in particular, access to credit. Although credit risk policies of banks were gender neutral, they were not extended to micro-enterprises, where most women were to be found. The establishment of the Womens Development Fund (December 2001) in MOWAC with an initial capital of 21 billion cedis to provide micro-credit to women was a major breakthrough.
The Consultative Forum Recommendations for an Action Plan will be submitted to Parliament by the
Minister of Women and Childrens Affairs in consultation with the Ministry of Trade and
Industry.
Remie Toure, Tel: +43 1
26026/3419, E-mail: R.Toure@unido.org
COMING SOON
Africa Business Forum 2003: Building
Partnerships & Foundations for African Business Durban, South Africa 24 - 25 July 2003. A
partnership between Financial Times Business and Deloitte & Touché, the Forum will focus on the
promotion of intra-Africa trade and investment. The idea for the forum came from delegates to the
Second Africa-Asia Business Forum held in Durban, South Africa in July, 2001, who saw an untapped
potential for intra-Africa trade and investment. The Second Africa-Asia Business Forum realised
approximately US million of signed business, and organizers of July's Africa Business Forum are
confident of repeating that success. The Forum will be a concrete step in supporting the economic and
business mandates of the African Union, which seeks to create a political and economic union of
African States. The event has been endorsed by the NEPAD and the Department of Trade and Industry
(DTI) of South Africa.
Technology Foresight for Practitioners Training Course 6-10 October 2003, Prague, Czech Republic: A five-day training course on technology foresight for experts from Central and Eastern European Countries and the Newly Independent States involved in designing and conducting national and regional foresight exercises. Jointly organized by UNIDO in cooperation with the Technology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, the course will include a brief introduction of foresight as a tool for shaping the future and illustration of the range of issues to which foresight can and cannot be applied. The final stage of the course will offer articipants an opportunity to prepare their own foresight exercise. More information on the course and an online application form is available at www.unido.org/doc/11422
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