Around two hundred delegates from 22 Member States and Dialogue Partners of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), as well as South African chambers of commerce and women’s empowerment groups, will converge in Durban for a two-day conference on Modernising Trade in the Indian Ocean Rim. The conference will explore emerging opportunities to boost trade and investment in the Indian Ocean Rim region, with a focus on women’s economic empowerment. Members of the media are invited to cover the conference:
 
DATE           : 17-18 June 2019
VENUE        :  Capital Pearls Hotel
                        6 Lagoon Drive, Umhlanga Rocks, Durban
TIME            :   09:00
 
The Secretary-General of IORA,  Dr Nomvuyo Nokwe, will open the conference.  The first day of the conference is open to the media. Other speakers will include leading figures from the International Chamber of Commerce, Centre for International Private Enterprise, International Trade Centre, Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation, UN Women, UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and regional chambers of commerce and industry.  The conference will be co-hosted by the dti and Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
 
The opening day of the conference will focus on trends and initiatives in the modernisation of global and regional trade and investment and women’s economic empowerment, and also present a range of ideas on how these trends can be replicated within IORA. The second day will convene official delegates to IORA’s private sector arm, the Indian Ocean Rim Business Forum (IORBF), as well as the IORA working groups on Trade and Investment, and Women’s Economic Empowerment.  These three groups will consider how to promote business, trade and women’s empowerment within an IORA context and advance their respective work plans.  IORA is an intergovernmental association of 22 countries bordering the Indian Ocean Rim.  South Africa is the Chair of IORA in 2017-2019.
 
Journalists who are interested in covering the event are requested to forward their names to Bongani Lukhele via e-mail: BLukhele@thedti.gov.za or WhatsApp on 074 299 8512 or mobile phone on 079 5083 457.
 
Enquiries:
Sidwell Medupe-Departmental Spokesperson
Tel: (012) 394 1650
Mobile: 079 492 1774
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
Issued by: The Department of Trade and Industry
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