The World Bank's Global Development Learning Network will hold a videoconference at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, D.C. Sept. 9 to discuss Taiwan's experience with small and medium enterprises.
The conference, sponsored by Taiwan's International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) and the Organization of American States' Young Americas Business Trust (YABT), will explore the following topics: the lessons Taiwan has learned in developing small and medium enterprises; how these lessons may be applied in Central and South America; and future areas of collaboration between Taiwan and the Americas. Government officials and experts from the United States, Taiwan, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru will participate in the conference.
Roy Thomasson, chief executive officer of the YABT and the host of the conference, said that several other Central and South American countries expressed interest in the conference, but only six countries can participate because of limited Internet capacity. YABT and ICDF will host another videoconference for those countries in November, he added.
Keynote speakers include Mr. Thomasson, Director-General of Taiwan's National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises Robert S. Q. Lai, and Chairman of the Taiwan Youth Commission Lin Fang-mei. The ICDF oversees Taiwan's cooperative overseas development programs. The agency seeks to strengthen international cooperation and enhance foreign relations by promoting economic development, social progress, and the welfare of the people in its partner nations around the world.
Taiwan made a commitment to participate in the YABT project when Taiwan's Chief Representative in the United States C. J. (Chien-Jen) Chen co-signed with Mr. Thomasson a "General Cooperation Agreement"and the "Taiwan Participation Plan 2003"March 17. The agreements aim to promote competitiveness and create job opportunities in Central and South America.
For more information about the videoconference, contact Mr. Rafael Pinto by telephone at (202) 458-3512 or by e-mail at ybiz2@oas.org .
