The third Annual International Conference & Exhibit (AICE) of the World Free Areas Organization (World FZO), the multi-lateral, not-for-profit, global association totally free areas, ended on Friday 5th May 2017, in Cartagena, Colombia.

Under the theme 'Next generation Free Zones', over 35world-class speakers together with global free area specialists, academics, plan manufacturers, multi-lateral companies and business representatives traded suggestions and experiences towards establishing a vision for the complimentary area of the future. 985 registered up delegates took part in the meeting, representing 54 countries.

The conference and event ran from 3-5 May at the Cartagena de Indias Convention Facility. The 2017 version included six panel conversations and 8 workshops participated in conversations examined methods and implies to de-risk business on the one hand, and check out chances for expanding trade and investment on the various other. Noticeable topics of conversation included making areas the most effective place for doing business, increasing innovation, entrepreneurship abilities and economic effect of areas, as well as why sustainability matters and the point of view of leading specialists when it come to creating future generation Free Zones, among others.

In his opening remarks Dr Mohammed Alzarooni, Chairman of World FZO, educated the target market, "We on the planet FZO have just ended a research study and have actually recognized 2260 complimentary areas in the world operating in 168 countries and areas. These are exact numbers and I am announcing it for the very first time today." He continued, "these complimentary zones generate 70 million direct employment, comprising nearly 30% of global trade. Throughout a seperate research study carried out by World FZO, domain name specialists who were spoken with, revealed the opinion that around 100 brand-new Free Areas are most likely to be established in Africa in the next 5 years. In 2015, Mexico introduced the advancement of 3 brand-new special economic zones, with 4 in the pipe for next year, while China received the approval to create seven new free trade zones."

The event saw several other prominent speakers in the Free Area community integrated on panels to check out the course of the Free Zone program as a development model at the global level. These speakers included Juan Pablo Rivera, President, Free Areas Association of the Americas; Eric Autor, President, National Association of Free Zones Zone (NAFTZ), UNITED STATE; Martin Ibarra Honorary President of the Free Zones Association of the Americas, Colombia; Lars Karlsson, Managing Director, KGH Global Consulting; Ana B. Hinojosa, Director, World Traditions Company; and Philippe Vanhuynegem, Director, ILO Office for Andean Countries.

On the last day of the conference and exhibition, the members of the company and its board of supervisors gathered for two basic setting up meetings, one an extraordinary assembly, the other the closing basic assembly meeting.

The extraordinary general assembly up was called order for members to vote on recommended modifications to the organizations Articles of Organization. Members extremely enacting favor for altering the regard to the Chairperson from 2 two-year terms to two four-year terms and to give Dubai an irreversible seat on the board, among others.

Leading the general assembly meeting, Dr. Mohammed Alzarooni, Chairman of the World FZO, congratulated the members on the success of the conference and summarized its key highlights. The organization was also upgraded on the activities of the organization over the last year adhering to which all the members jointly elected to approve the annual report & monetary statement, the budget for 2017 and adjustments to the Articles of Association.

Throughout the general assembly conference, Dr. Alzarooni claimed: "For the 2019 annual meeting we obtained quotes from five voting participants and after close evaluation, we are happy to introduce that the host city in 2019 will be Barcelona, Spain."

As is the formal procedure of the final decision, Dr. Alzarooni handed a flag of the World FZO to Antoni Ferr, Assistant General of el Consorci Barcelona and head of the Spain delegation.

Amongst the key highlights of the companies activities laid out in the conference was the Member of Member method to form key collaborations for boosting subscription, the Free Area Executive Education Program, that will certainly own knowledge building, as well as innovation and the Free Zone Outlook Annual Report. This record will offer stakeholders a summary of the world financial setting with a focus on global financial patterns of particular importance for activities in the complimentary areas around the globe.

" In behalf of the World FZO, I want to say thanks to ANDI for their valuable support during the company of this event and our recognized speakers, delegates, and sponsors for supporting our third yearly seminar and exhibition," claimed Dr. Alzarooni. He additionally verified that the 2018 and 2020 editions would take place in Dubai.

Along side Dr. Alzarooni, Juan Manuel Santos Caldern, President of Colombia and Bruce MacMaster, President of ANDI, opened up the seminar on the day prior.

At the beginning of his address, President Juan Manuel Santos Caldern, said thanks to the UAE Ambassador to Colombia, His Excellency Mohammed Alzaabi. "Mr. Ambassador, your nation was extremely generous with Colombia and Mocoa, now that we had this catastrophe specifically one month earlier. I appreciate it quite. Please inform the UAE authorities that individuals from Colombia are truly thankful.

The event was organized in coordination with the host member, National Association of Industrialists of Colombia (ANDI). Inning accordance with dgar Martnez, ANDI's Director of the Chamber of Free Area Users, "the event will certainly enable business owners to obtain to recognize the latest growths and projects in the free zones of the world, highlighting the relevance of this mechanism in the economic area ". To this day, this model of development has created in Colombia investments for greater than $ 40 billion pesos over the last Ten Years, Martnez explained.

In Colombia, the market has 108 Free Areas that stand for greater than 25% of the 400 that currently exist in Latin America, so this meeting comes to be a great possibility for the Colombian businessmen who were there.

For more information on the World FZO and AICE see www.worldfzo.org.

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