On 8 December 2020, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) participated in the virtual Global Investment Promotion Conference, organized by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in partnership with the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA).
The meeting gathered approximately 30 high-level guests from around the world, including Heads of States, Ministers, and CEOs of multinational companies, to discuss the state of investment promotion and facilitation in the wake of COVID-19. The debate focused on the drastic changes that the pandemic generated on the global investment landscape and on the role of investment partnership agreements (IPAs) and special economic zones (SEZs) in mitigating the economic effects of the crisis.
On this occasion, the Assembly was represented by Hon. Giulio Centemero, member of the Italian Delegation to PAM and Co-chair of the PAM Economic Panel on Trade and Investment.
In his intervention, Hon. Centemero presented the “Start-UP Market Project”, an initiative launched by PAM in cooperation with Borsa Italiana, UNCTAD, WTO, and several major international financing institutions. Through the development of a digital platform, the project aims at improving the access to alternative capital markets for start-ups and SMEs in the Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf countries, expanding transnational collaboration between the public and private sector and attracting investment opportunities in the region. During his speech, Hon. Centemero remarked that the initiative was conceived prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but its objectives have currently gained new importance as a result of the ongoing economic crisis.
In his conclusions, Hon. Centemero emphasized the unique position of PAM to promote financial cooperation and facilitate transnational investment opportunities in the Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf regions. The unifying character of the Assembly promotes greater economic integration, strengthens regional partnerships, and furthers the shared interests of the Mediterranean community.
The conference provided a valuable occasion for policymakers and financial experts to examine the challenges and opportunities that the COVID-19 crisis generated in terms of trade relationships and investment promotion. The participation of the Assembly in the event reflects the longstanding and fruitful partnership that PAM holds with UNCTAD. In the next year, the two organisations will continue to cooperate and reinforce trade and economic development across the Mediterranean, and PAM will participate and contribute to the Fifteen UNCTAD Ministerial Conference, which will be tentatively hosted in Barbados on 25-30 April 2021.