Monday, 26 June   

Landlocked Developing Country Business Talks   •   B2B Meetings 

(By Invitation Only) 

 

09:00-09:30 Inauguration  

The United Nations has a Vienna Programme of Action for landlocked developing countries, set for review at a UN Ministerial meeting set for 2024. The World Export Development Forum, hosted by Mongolia this year, officially gathers insights from business for the Ministerial meeting. Discussions cover trade connectivity, infrastructure, trade finance and inclusive trade facilitation.  

Master of Ceremonies:  Mr. Ulziisaikhan Ganbold, Director, Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mongolia 

Speakers:

• H.E. Ms. Battsetseg Batmunkh, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mongolia 

• Mr. Tapan Mishra, United Nations Resident Coordinator, Mongolia   

• H.E. Ms. Rabab Fatima, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, United Nations   

• Ms. Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director, International Trade Centre   

  

09:30-11:00 Regional Trade Connectivity   

Corridors and border areas are key for Landlocked Developing Countries. Innovative e-tools for trade facilitation, inclusive solutions for women in business, soft and hard infrastructure development and financing can boost efficiency.   

Moderator: Mr. Victor Kiprop, BBC Africa  

Speakers:

• Mr. Sandagdorj Erdenebileg, Chief, Policy Coordination, Development, Monitoring and Reporting Service, UN Office of the High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States  

• Ms. Dorothea Lazaro, Regional Cooperation Specialist, Asian Development Bank  

• Mr. Holger Wiefel, Associate Director, Regional Head for Central Asia & Mongolia, SME Finance & Development, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development  

• Dr. M. Saeed, Trade Facilitation Senior Adviser, International Trade Centre  

 

11:00-11:20 Networking break  

  

11:20-13:00 Business Voices from Landlocked Developing Countries: Private Sector Consultations  

Moderated dialogues and Q&A  

Moderator: Mr. Victor Kiprop, BBC Africa   

11:20-12:20 Parallel roundtables on business and trade development  

• Trade infrastructure (Facilitated by CAREC)  

• Regional connectivity (Facilitated by UN-OHRLLS)  

• Trade and finance (Facilitated by EBRD)  

• Inclusive trade facilitation (Facilitated by ITC)  

12:20-13:00 Summaries  

Rapporteur: 

Mr. Dulguun Damdin-Od, Executive Director, International Think Tank for Landlocked Developing Countries  

Closing remarks: 

Ms. Dorothy Tembo, Deputy Executive Director, International Trade Centre 

 

14:00-14:30 Presentation on the China International Fair for Investment and Trade 

 Xiamen MICE Industry Promotion Agency 

 

14:30-18:30 Business-to-Business Meetings 

Sectors: ICT Services, Natural fibres, Leather 

  

 

Tuesday, 27 June    

Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day   

  

09:00-10:00 Official Opening of the World Export Development Forum  

The President of Mongolia opens the event with international officials. They outline a forward-looking vision to diversify trade in ways that are green, digital and organic – and bring small businesses into regional and global trade.   

Master of Ceremonies: nominated by the Government of Mongolia 

  Speakers:

• H.E. Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, President of Mongolia   

• Mr. Claudio Viezzoli, Managing Director, SME Finance & Development, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development   

• H.E. Ms. Rabab Fatima, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, United Nations   

• Ms. Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director, International Trade Centre   

  

10:00-10:30 Networking break  

  

10:30-12:00 Paths to Diversification: Business Cases  

Businesses take the spotlight on this International Day for Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. Making trade work for small firms is key to making trade truly inclusive. They share inspirational examples of green and digital trade – and reflect on the visions set out earlier in the day.   

Moderator: Mr. Georgie Ndirangu, Head of Pan-African Programme Communications, Mastercard Foundation  

Speakers:

GREEN 

• Ms. Shagdarsuren Delgermaa, Chief Operating Officer, Monpellets, Mongolia 

• Mr. Paul Brough, Agribusiness Manager, Rabobank, New Zealand 

• Ms. Thérèse Sekamana, Founder & CEO, LED Solutions and Green Energy, Rwanda 

 

DIGITAL 

• Mr. Purevbazar Purevjav, Founder, FIBO Cloud, Mongolia  

• Mr. Anar Chinbaatar, President, ONDO, Mongolia 

• Mr. Ueno Taro, Overseas Business Management, Deputy General Manager, SBI Holdings, Japan  

 

12:00-13:30 Lunch     

 

13:30-14:30 In Conversation: Scaling up Youth Entrepreneurship  

This session sets the stage for the Youth Ecopreneur Awards by discussing youth entrepreneurship, and how to harness the innovative drive of young populations.  

Moderator: Ms. Natalie Domeisen, Programme Lead, World Export Development Forum  

Speakers:

• Mr. Vedant Gandhi, Founder, RecycleX, India 

• Mr. Allan Majuru, Chief Executive Officer, ZimTrade   

• Ms. Neo Mosimane, Founder, Lebone Enterprise Development Agency, Botswana 

• Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake, United Nations Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth, United Nations  

 

14:30-16:00 Youth Ecopreneur Awards: Green Pitch Competition  

Young entrepreneurs from around the world pitch their green startups before a panel of judges.  Selected from 63 countries, they compete in two categories: Green Business Solutions, and Land Restoration Initiatives. 

Finalists: Green Business Solutions: 

• Mr. Chirag M G, Brown Reed Agri Waste Innovations, India 

• Ms. Tamara Gondo, Liberty Society, Indonesia 

• Mr. Abdulrhman Zaki Elhalafawy, Cupmena, Egypt 

• Ms. Oyungerel Munkhbat, Airee, Mongolia 

Finalists: Land Restoration Initiatives: 

• Mr. Max Fontaine, Bondy, Madagascar 

• Ms. Mawuse Christina Gyisun, Sommalife, Ghana 

• Mr. Mashrur Hossain Shurid, iPage, Bangladesh  

Judges:  

• Mr. Andrew Michael Ong, Director, Division for Asia and the Pacific, World Intellectual Property Organization    

• Mr. Allan Majuru, Chief Executive Officer, ZimTrade, Zimbabwe  

• Ms. Paula Padrino Vilela, Programme Manager, Land Restoration, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification   

• Mr. Vedant Gandhi, former Ecopreneur award winner; Co-Founder, RecycleX, India 

• Ms. Diana Carballo, Senior Pro Bono Coordinator, Sidley Austin 

 

17:30-19:00 Visit Exhibition at Suhkbaatar Square 

 

 

Wednesday, 28 June   

Green, digital and inclusive trade   

  

09:00-10:00 In Conversation: Trade Trends   

Day 2 kicks off with a high-level discussion on the outcomes of the Private Sector Consultation for Landlocked Developing Countries, as well as broader trade development trends.  

Moderator: Mr. Georgie Ndirangu, Head of Pan-African Programme Communications, Mastercard Foundation  

Speakers:

• Prof. De Kai, Distinguished Research Scholar, International Computer Science Institute, University of California, Berkeley 

• Ms. Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director, International Trade Centre   

 

10:00-11:20 Power Digital Transformation with Local Innovation 

Power digital transformation with local innovation – to ignite green growth.    

Moderator: Mr. Martin Labbé, Tech Sector Development Coordinator, International Trade Centre  

Keynote address:  Mr. Tapan Mishra, UN Resident Coordinator, Mongolia   

Speakers:

• Ms. Celeste Ilagan, Chief Policy and Regulatory Affairs Officer, IT & Business Process Association, the Philippines   

• Ms. Yi Wu, General Director, HICOOL, China 

• Mr. Deep Kapuria, Chairman, The Hi-Tech Group, India 

• Mr. Ibrahima Nour Eddine Diagne, CEO, GAINDE 2000, Senegal  

• Ms. Byambajargal Ayushjav, Chairwoman, Faro Group, Mongolia; Director, ICT & Digital Economy Committee, American Chamber of Commerce, Mongolia 

 

11:20-11:40 Networking break  

  

11:40-13:00 Towards Green Trade   

How organizations around the world are orienting economies and value chains towards greener trade.   

Moderator: Ms. Vanessa Erogbogbo, Chief, Green and Inclusive Value Chains, ITC  

Speakers:

• Ms. Myriam Ferran, Deputy Director-General, International Partnerships, European Commission 

• Ms. Judith Arends, Managing Director, Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries, the Netherlands   

• Mr. Joseph Murabula, CEO, Kenya Climate Innovation Center 

• Representative, Vietrade 

• YM Raja Badrulnizam Raja Kamalzaman, Senior Director, Strategic Planning Division, MATRADE  

 

13:00-14:30 Lunch  

 

 14:30-16:00 Access to Finance   

This session explores trends in trade finance, climate finance, fintech and regional bank lending that support diversified trade.  

Moderator:  Mr. Robert Skidmore, Chief, Sector and Enterprise Competitiveness, International Trade Centre  

Speakers:

• Ms. Hohete-Berhan Arefeaine, Co-Founder and Executive Board Member, African Fintech Network, Ethiopia  

• Mr. Deepesh Patel, Director of Partnerships, Trade Finance Global  

• Ms. Nadia Petkova, Director, Regional Network, SME Finance & Development, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development  

• Dr. Moon-Hwan Kim, Vice President, Innovation Growth Assistance Division, Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) 

• Ms. Erdenedelger Bavlai, First Deputy CEO, Khan Bank, Mongolia 

 

16:00-16:30 Networking break  

 

16:30-17.00  SheTrades Hub – Mongolia  

The launch ceremony for the Mongolia SheTrades Hub features the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the International Trade Centre and the Mongolia National Chamber of Commerce and Industry to host the SheTrades Hub for Mongolia.  

Master of Ceremonies: Ms. Yeruu Dorjderem, Director of Business Academy, Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry 

Address from UN Headquarters, New York:  Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations  

Speakers:

• H.E. Ms. Bulgantuya Khurelbaatar, Minister of Labour and Social Protection, Mongolia 

• Ms. Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director, International Trade Centre  

  

17:00-18:00 Women in Trade – Connecting Communities, Opening Doors 

Women’s entrepreneurship is key to Mongolia’s economic diversification. The SheTrades Mongolia Hub can make a difference by catalysing the country’s business and policy ecosystem, and by learning from similar organizations around the world.   

Moderator: Ms. Judith Fessehaie, Head, SheTrades, International Trade Centre  

Speakers:

• Ms. Xoliswa Daku, Chairperson, Board of Directors, Small Enterprise Development Agency, South Africa 

• Mr. Duuren Tumenjargal, Chief Executive Officer, Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry 

• Ms. Therese Sekamana, Chief Executive Officer, LED Solutions and Green Energy, and Chairperson, Private Sector Federation Specialized Cluster, host institution of SheTrades Rwanda Hub   

• Ms. Elaine Conkievich, United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative, Mongolia  

• Ms. Opeyemi Abebe, Head of Trade Competitiveness, Commonwealth Secretariat, United Kingdom 

 

 18:00-18:30 Closing   

Announcement of the winners of the ecopreneur and land restoration awards, as well as the next host country for the World Export Development Forum.  

Master of Ceremonies: Ms. Sibylle Neuhaus, Office of the Executive Director, International Trade Centre 

Speakers:

• Mr. Tuvldendorj Gantumur, Vice Minister, Ministry of Economy and Development, Mongolia 

• Ms. Pamela-Coke Hamilton, Executive Director, International Trade Centre   

 

  

19:30-22:00 GALA DINNER  

With cultural performance 

 

 

Thursday, 29 June  

  

10:00-14:00 Nomadic Festival excursion 

International participants will meet a nomadic family, hear Mongolian folk songs, have an introduction to herding, milking and distillation of dairy alcohol.  Archery, felt-making and rides in yak and camel-drawn carts are also part of the experience.  

Buses leave the Shangri-La at 10:00 and return at 14:00. The programme includes a traditional Mongolian lunch.  

 

9:00- 16:00 National Export Strategy Workshop   

This workshop is an opportunity to reflect on the insights of the World Export Development Forum discussions and business meetings and ensure they are integrated in the development of a national export strategy, which is expected to be launched at the end of 2023. 

Businesses in Mongolia are specially invited to this workshop. It is designed to bring the voice of business to export strategy development. The workshop will explore priority sectors for trade development. It will feature international experts and national government officials will be present. 

Mongolia is developing a national export strategy with the World Bank and the International Trade Centre, with the aim to diversify trade. The focal point in the government is the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Light Industry, and other government ministries are also involved.  

A second day of closed-door discussions will take place among those directly involved in developing the strategy.