The World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) is delighted to announce a partnership with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) for the Asia-Pacific Trade, Investment and Innovation Week, 22-24 February 2023, UN Conference Centre, Bangkok, Thailand.
Asia-Pacific Trade, Investment, and Innovation Week brings together government officials, business leaders, and key stakeholders every two years for discussions on issues of importance to trade, investment, and innovation policymaking and capacity development in the region. Drawing on the presence of senior policymakers from across the Asia-Pacific region, the week hosts several engaging events related to these agendas. This event will also see the launch of ESCAP’s Digital FDI Policy Guide which will be supported by WAIPA along with WAIPA’s regional launch of the 2023 IPA Innovation Index.
As the first major in-person event for WAIPA in the Asia-Pacific region in 2023, participation will be open to all international and regional members (and non-members). WAIPA will be supporting the program with several events and workshops, for the investment promotion community including the first Asia-Pacific WAIPA IPAs Conference, Asia-Pacific announcement of the WAIPA-OCO Global Innovation Index Report as well as capacity building workshops (Pro-active investment, Digital FDI and more).
ESCAP looks forward to partnering with WAIPA and welcoming WAIPA members to Bangkok for our Trade, Investment, and Innovation Week. ESCAP is the most inclusive intergovernmental platform in the Asia-Pacific region working to support member States in their pursuit of sustainable development, including how investment can support countries in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. In this context, ESCAP has been working with our member State’s investment promotion agencies to promote investment that supports gender equality, digitalization, and climate adaption and mitigation.
We are delighted to partner with WAIPA in these three areas and further develop the capacity of IPAs both within and outside of the region to attract and promote FDI in these key sustainable development areas.
Rupa Chanda, Director, Trade, Investment, and Innovation Division, UNESCAP
“WAIPA is delighted to partner with ESCAP to support the Asia-Pacific Trade, Investment, and Innovation Week in Bangkok as part of our commitment to developing the capabilities and networks of the Asia-Pacific investment promotion community. This will be the first recent WAIPA event in the Asia-Pacific and we look forward to collaboration and participation by the regions IPAs as well as international members who want to expand their networks and capacity in the Asia-Pacific region.
The relationship with ESCAP is an essential step forward to support the region’s IPAs through our commitment to developing capacity and promoting knowledge transfer through the WAIPA networks.
We look forward to further announcements with ESCAP and welcome all international WAIPA Members to join us in Bangkok, in February 2023.”
Deepak Bagla, President, WAIPA & CEO Invest India
ABOUT THE WORLD ASSOCIATION OF INVESTMENT PROMOTION AGENCIES (WAIPA)
The World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) is a non-governmental organization that was established under the auspices of the UNCTAD in Geneva in 1995 as an association under Swiss law. WAIPA serves as a platform for its members and represents 120 Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) from more than 100 countries and many of them report into the Prime Minister’s or the President’s office directly. Through its wide range of activities, WAIPA provides the opportunity for IPAs to network and exchange best practices in investment promotion.
WAIPA and its Consultative Committee, a board of the leading international organizations, such as UNCTAD, UNIDO, ICC, IEDC, ILO, OECD, UNWTO, and the World Bank, continue to emphasize the need to collaboratively support IPAs further in building their capacities and advocating their important role.
ABOUT: https://waipa.org/about-waipa/
ABOUT THE UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC & SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC (ESCAP)
The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the most inclusive intergovernmental platform in the Asia-Pacific region. The Commission promotes cooperation among its 53 member States and 9 associate members in pursuit of solutions to sustainable development challenges. ESCAP is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations.
The ESCAP secretariat supports inclusive, resilient, and sustainable development in the region by generating action-oriented knowledge, and by providing technical assistance and capacity-building services in support of national development objectives, regional agreements, and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. ESCAP also provides support to partners at the national level. ESCAP’s national offer is rooted in and linked with the implementation of global and regional intergovernmental frameworks, agreements, and other instruments.
ABOUT: https://www.unescap.org/our-work
UNESCAP Contact: Heather Lynne Taylor–Strauss, Economic Affairs Office, Trade, Investment, and Innovation Division United Nations ESCAP: [email protected]
WAIPA Contact: Andrew Keable, Regional Advisor, WAIPA: [email protected]