MACAU MARKS WTCA DAY
WITH SERIES OF EVENTS

   The first-ever annual World Trade Centers Association Day on June 12, 2002, was formally launched by Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Francis Tam Pak Yuen, WTC Macau Board Chairman, Mr Peter Lam, WTC Macau President, Mr Alberto Marçal, and the deputy director of the Macau Post Office, Miss Au Wai Va. A total of 300 World Trade Centers in 91 countries on six continents launched a series of cultural and ethnic celebrations for the first-ever annual celebration of WTCA Day.

    Mr. Marçal delivered the opening ceremony's keynote address: "The World Trade Centers Association is the world's leading international organisation. It is a dynamic and expanding, not-for-profit, non-political organisation, with a mission to enhance world trade, global economic development, and world peace. In order to mark a special celebration of the contribution of the WTCs all over the globe to peace and stability, the WTCA has decided to hold a special celebration, WTCA Day, every year on a particular day, on June 12 this year and on the second Wednesday of June in the following years."

    A series of celebrations were launched by the WTCM to honour the special occasion, which included the official inauguration of a WTC postmark and a WTCs Posters Exhibition by Mr.Francis Tam Pak Yuen at the WTC Trade Gallery. As an integral part of the WTCA Day, a seminar on "The Challenges of Catching Up: Reforming China's Financial Sector", was held by the WTCM in conjunction with the Inter-University Institute of Macau.

    "On June 12, World Trade Centers around the world will demonstrate their unity in the wake of September 11 and reaffirm their commitment to our mission, of promoting peace and stability through trade," said the President of the WTCA, Mr. Guy F. Tozzoli, in a video message shown on WTCA Day in Macau.

    For more than 30 years the WTCA has acted through a variety of initiatives to advance its mission. The WTCA encourages understanding and respect for cultural diversity by setting good examples, launching educational programmes, promoting free trade in a world that has become a global village, and also by providing reciprocal programmes in recognition of our global interdependence.

   The Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) and the World Trade Center Macau signed a Co-operation Protocol on September 9 to jointly develop and promote Macau's "Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions" (MICE) segment.

    The agreement was signed by WTC Macau President, Mr Alberto Marçal, and MGTO Director, Mr João Manuel Costa Antunes. More than 150 WTC Macau members, MGTO officials, community leaders, Government officials and prominent local businessmen attended the event.

    The areas covered by the agreement include joint promotion and marketing activities in Macau and elsewhere, the organisation of training courses to train professionally qualified personnel to meet the market requirements, and the co-ordination of research projects and themed seminars.

    Mr Alberto Marçal said during the ceremony that with the strength of WTC's global network and significant advantages, his expectation was to further develop and promote Macau's MICE industry in close conjunction with the MGTO.

    Being an affiliate member of the World Trade Centers Association, the WTC Macau can take full advantage of the WTCA's global database network, such as the latest marketing information, statistics, supporting services and business opportunities, to help the MGTO develop and promote the MICE industry.

    Prior to the signing ceremony on September 9, representatives from the World Trade Center Macau and the Macau Government Tourism Office joined fact-finding missions to several international convention cities to improve their knowledge of the MICE segment.

    From August 23 to September 4, Ms Winnie Fok,WTC Macau Event Mangement and Sales Department Manager, together with representatives from the MGTO, visited the world's top four international convention cities, Paris, Brussels, London and Vienna, for MICE development research.

    As the top leaders for MICE, the four cities shared with our delegation their past experience and indepth knowledge of MICE development.

   The 2^nd annual plenary meeting of the Mainland-Macau Joint Commission on Trade and Commerce was held at the World Trade Center Macau on July 25-26. The SAR Government's Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Francis Tam Pak Yuen, and the Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation of the Central Chinese Government, Mr An Min, co-chaired the meeting.

    During the meeting, both sides reviewed their respective 2001 progress reports . The two sides also suggested new items to be added to their ongoing co- operation projects. Issues of mutual interest, such as the economic situation in Macau and the Mainland and the further strengthening of bilateral co-operation after China's accession to the World Trade Organisation were also discussed during the meeting.

    The two delegations also agreed to boost economic links with Portuguese-speaking countries and to assist Macau-based businesses in exploring the Mainland market. In this regard, plans have been drawn up to establish a joint mediation Center between Mainland China and Macau, that will assist parties in disagreement from either side, in an attempt to settle their disputes arising from commercial, maritime and other types of businesses by means of amicable mediation.

    The respective co-operation agreement is scheduled to be signed between the WTC Macau and the China Chamber of International Commerce in late December 2002.

    WTCM President Alberto Marçal pointed out during the meeting that-following international trends and based on the generally recognised advantages of the amicable solution of trade disputes - the World Trade Center Macau could assist in introducing "a business mediation culture" to Macau.