UNIDO events at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF’17)

June 07, 2017

UNIDO events at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

On 31 May 2017, the zero day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF’17), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) organized two side events: Interregional Forum “Women Entrepreneurship Challenges and Solutions in Europe and the Arab region” and 2nd Interregional Forum “Strengthening International SME Alliances between the Russian Federation and the Latin America and the Caribbean countries (LAC)”.

The Forums, that took place in the lead up to the opening of the SPIEF, generated great interest among the participants of one of the most important international events in the world of economics and business.

The Interregional Forum “Women Entrepreneurship Challenges and Solutions in Europe and the Arab region” was organized by UNIDO in cooperation with the Arab International Center for Entrepreneurship and Investment — Bahrain (AICEI) and OPORA RUSSIA Committee on the Development of Women’s Entrepreneurship.

Women’s entrepreneurship is an essential part of inclusive and sustainable industrial development. Participants of panel discussions, among which were Ms. Gulnaz Kadyrova, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, Her Highness Sheikha Hissah Saad Abdulah Salem Al-Sabah, Chairperson, Council of Arab Businesswomen, Ms. Nadiya Cherkassova, Head, Committee on the Development of Women’s Entrepreneurship, OPORA RUSSIA, Ms. Amita Misra, Director, Department of Regional Programmes and Field Representation, UNIDO, debated on the consequences of industrialization for economic rights of women, and the experiences of women’s entrepreneurship development in European and Arab countries. Among the moderators of panel discussions were Ms. Veronika Peshkova, Member of the Expert Council of the OPORA RUSSIA Committee on the Development of Women’s Entrepreneurship, Mr. Jacek Cukrowski, Chief, UNIDO Regional Division for Europe and Central Asia, and others.

The Interregional Forum “Strengthening International SME Alliances between the Russian Federation and the Latin America and the Caribbean countries (LAC)” was organized within the SPIEF for the second time, bringing together representatives of States, business and academia from the Russian Federation and more than 20 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to discuss issues of sustainable industrial development and opportunities for common projects in such fields as biopharmaceuticals, robotics and agricultural industry.

Within the Forum, the Director of the UNIDO Centre in the Russian Federation Mr. Sergey Korotkov moderated the panel discussion “Innovative decisions in LAC countries: agribusiness and industrial parks”. Mr. Fleurant Aviol, Minister of Planning and External Cooperation, Republic of Haiti, Mr. Cliff Riley, Executive Director, Scientific Research Council of Jamaica (SRC), Mr. Elisio Contini, Head, EMBRAPA Intelligence and Macro-Strategies Secretariat, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Mr. Juan José Galeano, National Director of Sustainable Development, Argentine Republic, Ms. Saodat Sultanova, Deputy Director General, Russian Caviar House, participated in the discussion as speakers.

At the conclusion of the Forum, Mr. Carlos Chanduvi Suarez, Chief, Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Division, UNIDO, thanked the participants for their contribution to the development of partnerships between Russia and LAC countries and expressed the hope that the Forum will have the same success next year.

The Interregional Forums were held with organizational support from Roscongress Foundation and financial support from the Russian Federation.

On the sidelines of the SPIEF’17 the Director of UNIDO Centre in the Russian Federation held a working meeting with the Governor of the Ulyanovsk Region Mr. Sergey Morozov. The parties discussed the prospects of cooperation in the area of innovative industrial solutions implementation in the region and their subsequent introduction to international markets.

This year the Forum once again confirmed its high-profile status – SPIEF was attended by more than 14,000 representatives of business, the heads of international organizations, officials, experts, scientists, and media members from more than 143 countries. The Forum is traditionally held under the patronage and with the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Forum results are presented in the Outcomes of SPIEF 2017 section on the official website www.forumspb.com.

In 2018, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum will take place on May 24–26.

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