GMS business associations launch the virtual GMS Business Support Centre on trade and investment promotion with UN and ADB.

BANGKOK (United Nations Information Services) – The Greater Mekong Subregion Business Forum, in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Manila, will organize the second annual meeting in Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, on 13-14 December 2002.  It is expected that about 100 senior level officials and high-profile private sector representatives from the GMS countries and neighbouring countries will attend the meeting.   

The GMS-BF is an ESCAP-ADB joint initiative that is intended to promote networking among business firms in the subregion.  The GMS Business Forum brings together private business sector representatives from the six countries participating in the GMS Economic Cooperation Programme-Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Yunnan Province of the Peoples' Republic of China-as well as business sector representatives from outside the region to discuss business opportunities in the GMS.  GMS Business Forum was established by six national chambers of commerce and industry last year under the chairmanship of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vientiane. 

This second annual meeting will discuss and launch several projects to enhance the development of the private sector and to promote the flows of trade and investment in the GMS by closely working with GMS governments and foreign business associations.  The meeting will also discuss broad range of projects for the year 2002, including a subregional trade fair, marketing missions, management training courses, and support facility development for private businesses in the subregion. 

At the meeting, GMS Business Forum will launch the virtual “GMS Business Support Centre” at www.gmsbizforum.com to disseminate information on the activities of the Forum as well as to support the development of business activities in the GMS.  The Internet is underutilized by the business sector in many of the GMS economies because of the "digital divide": a lack of access, technology, and know-how.  Through this GMS Business Support Centre, comprehensive information about business in the GMS will be made available to the world at large, and businesses in the GMS can obtain and use information and services that would otherwise be unavailable.  Various information and services are available at the GMS Business Support Centre, including GMS Story, GMS Business Handbook, Introduction to GMS Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Q&A and Online Information Search, and Business Data Base.

For more information, please contact Mr. Nibhon Debavalya, Director, International Trade and Industry Division, ESCAP, Bangkok, Thailand (Tel: 66-2 288 1956, Fax: 66-2 288 1026 or 1027, or E-mail: trade_inf.unescap@un.org).

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