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Haiphong
and Seattle Explore Business Practices
As part of the effort to foster trade-enhancing knowledge, understanding,
and cooperation between the U.S. and Vietnam, the Seattle/Haiphong Resource
Cities program � supported by US-AEP � held a workshop entitled �United
States Business and Investment Practices� in Haiphong on October 27th. Mr.
Russell Cheetham, President of Asia-Pacific Investment Services Corporation,
presented Vietnamese decision-makers with information on business practices
and decision factors that western investors will use when they consider
possible investments in Vietnam. He particularly stressed the potential of
Haiphong, and commented on the importance of having an integrated program
when seeking foreign direct investment.
In a letter to workshop participants, U.S. Ambassador Pete Peterson
expressed his support for the Seattle/Haiphong partnership, and his
confidence in its ability to increase understanding and cooperation between
Vietnam and the United States. The Commercial Service of the U.S. Embassy in
Hanoi is following up this workshop with two others, on the �Bilateral Trade
Agreement� and on �Doing Business with the United States,� in an effort to
establish better long-term relations between the two countries
Conference on Technology
and Poverty in India
US-AEP�s Executive Director Peter Kimm spoke at the November 6 conference
on �The Role of New Technologies in Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable
Development� in Washington, DC. Organized by the Tata Energy Research
Institute, of New Delhi, and co-sponsored by US-AEP, the conference
represented the first in an annual series on the power of technology to
transform the economy and environment in India.
The keynote speaker, Dr Sam Pitroda of WorldTel Ltd., challenged the
audience to "ask questions that have never been asked before," and noted
that innovation can only grow in a place that has a strong regulatory
framework, fair labor laws, and rigorous protection of intellectual property
rights. As such, he cautioned participants not to "leave these issues solely
to market forces," which cannot provide solutions on their own for problems
of poverty and environment in the developing world. He suggested that in
order to succeed, governments must develop a national plan to make the best
use of information technology, biotechnology, energy, materials, and
management. Dr. Michael Clark of the U.S.-India Business Council, another
co-sponsor of the conference, echoed this challenge encouraging India to
create a framework in which some of the best scientific and technical minds
will want to stay and innovate in India.
Greening of
Industry Network Conference
The Greening of Industry Network (GIN) will start a second decade with
its 9th International Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, January 21-25, 2001.
Co-sponsored by US-AEP, the conference is entitled �Industry at the
Millenium: Sustainablity, Competitiveness, and the Public Trust.� Plenary
sessions will focus on the transportation sector, the Global Reporting
Initiative, the status of GIN at the millenium, and a debate about the role
of the environment for industrial policy.
Thailand�s Deputy Prime Minister � and next director of the World Trade
Organization � Supachai Panitchapakdi, Holland�s Environmental Minister Jan
Pronk, Director of Yale University�s School of Forestry Gus Speth, and US-AEP�s
Executive Director Peter Kimm are among numerous public and private
officials invited to attend the conference. For more information on the
conference workshops, policy fair, and break-out sessions, see the GIN
website at www.greeningofindustry.org. For conference registration
information and forms, go to www.eric.chula.ac.th/GIN-Asia/.
NASDA Grants Awarded
The National Association of State Development
Agencies (NASDA) has announced new Environmental Tech Fund grants. Out of 19
applications, 8 grants were awarded to industry associations, and state and
regional agencies, facilitating business contacts and trade in 7 Asian
countries.
The Arizona Department of Commerce and Purification
Products Inc. are marketing water purification technology for low-income
housing projects in the Philippines. The California Trade and Commerce
Agency and San-I-Pak Inc. are embarking on a project to market alternative
medical waste disposal technology to India, as that country phases out
medical waste incinerators. Meckling MHD Systems, supported by the Louisiana
Department of Economic Development, will market its energy and resource
efficient wastewater treatment system in Thailand. The Washington Department
of Community, Trade, and Development is sponsoring Environmental Chemical
Systems efforts to introduce its environmentally friendly, non-toxic,
chemical spill clean-up products to buyers in Malaysia, Hong Kong,
Singapore, and Thailand.
Tech fund grants also support the North Carolina
Department of Commerce sponsorship of EnviroCleanse Systems� marketing of
its laundry water and wastewater treatment technology in Thailand. Solar
Detoxification Corp will market its hazardous waste destroying solar
reactors in India, with sponsorship of the International Trade Council of
New Mexico. The U.S. Hydropower Council for International Development is
receiving a grant enabling them to share policy and sponsor a trade mission
event in India, to acquaint Indian decision-makers with current U.S.
hydropower technology. Finally, the Water and Wastewater Equipment
Manufacturers Association and Aqua-Aerobic Systems are receiving a grant to
support their efforts to market advanced wastewater treatment systems to
sewage treatment plants and industries in Malaysia, the Philippines, and
Vietnam.
Policy
Forum Update
The next Washington Policy Forum meeting will be
November 21st. Mr. Michael Walsh, an independent consultant, will discuss
�Motor Vehicle Pollution Control in Asia.� Mr. Walsh has active projects in
Taiwan, Hong Kong, Moscow, and Chile, focusing on the relationship between
the environment and policies towards conventional and alternative fuels, and
conventional and advanced vehicle technologies. The meeting will be in the
US- AEP Office at 1720 Eye Street, NW, Suite 700, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30
p.m. For more information, contact Brenda Bateman at (202) 835-0333, ext.
104 or bbateman@usaep.org.
Arrivals
and Departures
e would like to welcome several new employees to the US-AEP family. Mr.
Looi Chee-Choong is the new Deputy Director of US-AEP Malaysia. He has a
B.Sc. in Biotechnology from Universiti Putra Malaysia, and is completing a
M. Tech degree at the Universiti Malaya. He comes to US-AEP from the Global
Environment Centre, a Malaysian NGO, and has extensive experience with
conservation and natural resource, wetlands preservation, climate change
issues. Jeffrey Reed is the new Communications Associate in the TSSC office
in Washington DC. He has an ALB. from Harvard University, and an M.A. and
Ph.D. in history from Emory University. He has been teaching part time for a
number of years, most recently at American University in Washington DC.
Kevin DeBell of the Water Environment Federation, and Faith Ward are the
proud parents of Lily Kathleen Bell, born October 23. She weighed in at
6lbs, 4ozs. Mother, father, and daughter are healthy and happy! And Joy
Abelardo-Jochico of ACEC gave birth to an 8.5 lb. Beautiful baby boy on
October 27. Mother and baby are both doing fine!
Finally, we must also say goodbye to three associates and friends. Joseph
Dudley, the AAASS fellow on the US-AEP Secretariat for the past year is
leaving US-AEP for another position in USAID. Barak Bosher, the IT Systems
Administrator for two years, has left to become Senior Network Technician
with IBM. And Na-Young Sun, Administrative Assistant in the US-AEP office in
Korea for the past six years, has left to pursue her career in marketing. We
wish them all well in their new endeavors
News to share?
Contact editor Kim Phan via e-mail
kphan@usaep.org or Jeff Reed
jreed@usaep.org or fax (202-835-0366).
Thanks for contributions go Julie Pike and Erin (NASDA), and to Kim Phan and
Brenda Bateman (IRG). |
