Asia Pacific Business Forum begins today
FE Report | Wednesday, 8 February 2017
The 13th Asia Pacific Business Forum (APBF) 2017 begins in the capital today (Wednesday).
The two-day high profile meeting is being held for the first time in Bangladesh, organisers said.
President Md Abdul Hamid is scheduled to inaugurate the event as chief guest at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel.
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Bangladesh and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) jointly organised the conference.
The theme of the Forum is 'Regional Integration to Achieve Sustainable Development' as envisaged by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030.
APBF is a multi-stakeholder meeting held annually with the mission to provide the best platform for regional public-private dialogue on the role and needs of business in achieving inclusive, resilient and sustainable development.
Finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, commerce minister Tofail Ahmed, commerce minister of Nepal Romi Gauchan Thakali, industry and commerce minister of Sri Lanka Rishad Bathiudeen, UNCTAD secretary general Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, UN under secretary general and executive secretary of ESCAP Dr Shamshad Akhtar; vice-president (operations) of Asian Development Bank (ADB) Wencai Zhang, group chairman of Fung Group Dr Victor K Fung, honorary chairman of Li & Fung Ltd and former global ICC chairman, ICC Bangladesh president and chairman ETBL Holdings Limited Mahbubur Rahman and vice president ICC Bangladesh and chairman Transcom Group Latifur Rahman would attend the meeting.
International speakers, experts and more than 400 delegates from home and abroad registered for the conference while representatives of the governments, civil society and the business from the Asia and Pacific countries would be present.
There will be one plenary session on 'Linking Business with the Sustainable Development Goals: What Can We Do?' and six business sessions tomorrow (Thursday).
APBF will hold its substantive sessions linked to the themes of 'Promoting Trade and Investment for the Successful Implementation of SDGs' on the topics: 'Devising Strategies for Resilience', 'New Energy Realities: Building a Resilient and Low-carbon Future', 'Supporting Trade and Transport Facilities for Regional Integration', 'Supporting SDGs through Digital Financial Models by Inclusive Business', 'Supporting and Empowering Disadvantaged MSMEs to Become More Competitive and Sustainable', and 'Economic Outlook and Key Policy Challenges in Emerging Asia'.
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