The WAIPA World Investment Conference 2005 will take place in Geneva, in the Palais des Nations, on 9-10 March 2005. The theme of the conference will be: "Investment in Services". The official opening session will start at 10 o'clock, on the 9th of March 2005. Further information will be provided in the next WAIPA Mailings. We are looking forward to seeing you at the conference!

Euro-Mediterranean Investment Summit 2005, Marseille, France, 13-14 January

2005 will mark the tenth anniversary of the Barcelona process, which associates the European Union to the Southern Mediterranean and Middle East countries (Algeria, Palestinian Authority, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey). With 720 million inhabitants and a GDP representing eight times that of China, the EuroMed region is preparing to become a single market by 2010.
Economist Conferences, with the support of the ANIMA network and other public and private institutions, is organizing a two-day conference on 13-14 January, 2005, in Marseille. The conference will focus on the investment climate in the Euro-Mediterranean Region. Six roundtables will deal with the major economic and political issues of the region, whilst workshops per sector will allow an in-depth analysis of possible opportunities and partnerships. The key themes include: The funding of investment projects in the MEDA region; foreign direct investments and presentation of the main free trade agreements; privatizations and public-private partnerships; opportunities in the various industry sectors; the development of major urban projects and techno poles in the region; The issue of delocation; the role of the European Union and other multilateral organizations. Large enterprises (Renault, Microsoft, Club Med, Sodexho Alliance, Du Pont, Suez, etc.) and financial institutions (EIB, HSBC, World Bank, Moody's, etc.) will participate at the Summit. It will be an occasion to meet with high-ranking executives from multinational companies and to gain extensive knowledge of what the MEDA region has to offer.
The Invest in France Agency (AFII) and the ANIMA network are sponsoring this important event. The detailed programme is available on the web site www.EconomistConferences.com or by sending an email to EuroMed@development-institute.com.

For more information, please contact: delphine.breant@afii.fr, or see: http://www.animaweb.org/eis.htm

UNCTAD Expert Meeting on the Impact of FDI on Development, Geneva, 24–26 January 2005
The Expert Meeting on the Impact of FDI on Development, convened in accordance with the decision taken by the Commission on Investment, Technology and Related Financial Issues at its eighth session, will be held from 24 to 26 January 2005, at the Palais des Nations, Geneva. The Meeting will discuss key issues related to the globalization of research and development and its implications for developing countries. Special attention will be paid to the development potential of the globalization of research and development, its impact on technology transfer, and the benefits and costs of attracting research-and-development-related FDI to developing countries. The Meeting will identify policies and practices in both home and host countries that influence the allocation of research and development by Transnational Corporations (TNCs) and its economic impact.
For more information, please see: http://www.unctad.org

Nigeria Investment Forum, Abuja, Nigeria, 2-4 February

A major business conference organized by the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) and the Federal Government of Nigeria will take place in Abuja, Nigeria, from 2 to 4 February, 2005. The theme of the Forum will be "Trade and Investment Opportunities: Growth through Global Partnerships". The focus will be on privatization and private sector investment opportunities in the Telecommunications, Power, Oil and Gas, Banking and Financial Services, Ports, Transports, Manufacturing and Agro-allied Industries. This conference provides a forum for senior executives and potential global investors to interact with Nigeria's democratic administration and with entrepreneurs and executives running Nigeria's leading organizations. It offers the opportunity to assess progress in implementing Nigeria's foreign investment policy and to establish relationships with key public and private sectors decision-makers. The conference will also concentrate on some of Nigeria's Federal States and the investment opportunities they offer. This event is aimed at changing Nigeria's perception globally, but will also allow investors and companies a great opportunity to target a brand new, untapped and highly lucrative market.

For more information, please contact: info@cbcglobelink.org, or see: www.cbcglobelink.org

Corrigendum
UNCTAD-ICC Investment Guides
In our last WAIPA Mailing, published the 15th of December 2004, we communicated that the United nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has published, in a joint initiative with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), a series of investment guides for the least developed countries. Confusion has been made regarding the web link to the Investment Guides homepage. The correct address is: http://www.unctad.org/investmentguides We apologize for this mistake.