CENTRAL ASIA: POST-COVID RECOVERY THROUGH BETTER CONNECTIVITY
A VIRTUAL EVENT
ABOUT THE FORUM
This year, the Forum will once again feature timely ideas and innovations in trade and connectivity. Through discussions between business and industry leaders, government officials and policy makers, and a range of subject matter experts, this unique platform will continue its decade-long role in stimulating and accelerating sustainable economic growth in Central Asia through regional collaboration and cooperation.
In a week of live webinars and recorded presentations, the Forum will focus on economic recovery from COVID-19 across a range of topical areas including tourism, transport and logistics, e-commerce, trade agreements, water and energy sustainability, and women and youth.
Hosted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Central Asia Trade Forum is a unique platform for the introduction of new regional and international market opportunities for Central Asia’s growing business community. The event has become a recognized brand as one of Asia’s largest trade facilitation and regional cooperation events. Over the last decade, the Central Asia Trade Forum has brought together more than 10,000 participants from over 30 countries.
AGENDA
Forum’s Tentative Program
* Order of the sessions – TBD
October 4th, 2021
14:00 – 14:30
Nur-Sultan – GMT+6
Celebrating 30 years of Cooperation Between the United States and Central Asia
14:30 – 16:00
Nur-Sultan – GMT+6
SESSION 1
POST-COVID TRENDS IN TRADE
While the pandemic may be far from over, transformational approaches to trade will help countries achieve a stronger recovery. In this session, participants will gain insight into post-pandemic rebound opportunities.
- COVID as a gamechanger for trade and business connections
- Post-pandemic realities, opportunities and outlooks
- Solutions to disrupted supply chains and broken business ties
- Recovery response for horticulture and transport and logistics
- Fintech in COVID-19 and beyond: trends and opportunities
- COVID-19 impact on landlocked countries and options for resilient recovery
- Trade facilitation to prepare for faster recovery
EXPERT INTERVIEWS AND PRESENTATIONS
16:00 – 17:30
Nur-Sultan – GMT+6
Held jointly with the QazTrade Center for Trade Policy Development
Export promotion infrastructure is a top priority for all Central Asian countries. Each country in the region is working to transform existing infrastructure or form new full-fledged institutions, to support non-commodity exports. This roundtable will review state policies and regional initiatives which intend to create demand-driven centers of information and assistance, designed to support local firms who are seeking to access export markets.
10:00 – 13:00
Nur-Sultan – GMT+6
Changing mindset in management systems: 2021 ISO standards and practices for sustainable business development
EXPERT INTERVIEWS AND PRESENTATIONS
October 5th, 2021
10:00 – 11:30
Nur-Sultan – GMT+6
REVIVING TOURISM AMID COVID-19
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism had been one of the world’s fastest growing sectors. Central Asia was quick to recognize its potential to contribute to growth, but COVID and measures to contain it, cut tourist arrivals to near zero almost everywhere. Central Asia was not spared as the pandemic caused thousands of job losses, business closures, and economic hardship. This session explores how Central Asian governments could help revitalize the tourism sector following control of the pandemic.
14:00 – 17:30
Nur-Sultan – GMT+6
Changing mindset in management systems: 2021 ISO standards and practices for sustainable business development
EXPERT INTERVIEWS AND PRESENTATIONS
15:00 – 16:30
Nur-Sultan – GMT+6
TRADE AND TRANSIT IN CENTRAL ASIAN COUNTRIES: EXISTING CHALLENGES AND POSSIBLE DIGITAL SOLUTIONS
To fulfill the export potential of Central Asian economies, cooperation between countries and exchange of information between customs and border control agencies must be efficient. This session will discuss the implementation of trade facilitation measures that lead to a measurable reduction in the time required for customs procedures and the movement of goods, as well as a reduction in transaction costs. These measures will benefit international companies and all trading countries.
October 6th, 2021
10:00 – 11:30
Nur-Sultan – GMT+6
SUSTAINABLE WATER FOR CENTRAL ASIA
This summer, Central Asia, like many other regions in the world, has faced drought conditions during a time of growing demand for water. Growing populations and consumer economies drive the demand for water, food, and energy, while climate change introduces yet further challenges to a sustainable supply of good quality water. There is an urgency to meeting these challenges before they cause severe social, economic, and environmental dislocation and investment is needed in upgrades to critical infrastructure. However, steps must be simultaneously taken to reduce overall water demand through improved conservation and use. Governments alone cannot solve all these challenges—the private sector also has an important role to play in contributing skills and resources and they have a vested interest in doing so; water scarcity, high energy costs, and pollution can pose risks to business, and the way companies manage water and energy inputs can impact their profits. In fact, water scarcity presents one of the biggest risks to companies and the agricultural commodity sector is especially exposed to such risk. This session will explore the issues, challenges, and potential solutions related to sustainable water in Central Asia, and the steps currently being taken by USAID Regional Water and Vulnerable Environment Activity to engage Governments, the private sector and all stakeholders in improved water resources management in the region.
12:00 – 13:30
Nur-Sultan – GMT+6
SESSION 5
ELECTRICITY TRADE AND RENEWABLE ENERGY INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN CENTRAL ASIA
The re-integration and synchronized operation of national power systems is essential for the creation of an open and competitive wholesale Regional Electricity Market in Central Asia. The market will serve as a regional platform for the exchange of electricity surpluses resulting from a more efficient utilization of generation capacity through an extensive use of complementarity between different sources and will enable the deployment and integration of renewable energy projects at a regional scale. These actions will not only enhance supply security and reliability but will serve as an engine to propel the economic growth of the region by creating significant business opportunities and attracting private investment into the power sectors of all five countries.
To help Central Asia achieve the above vision and objectives, USAID is providing technical, legal/regulatory and market assistance and capacity building, as well as support to implement power sector transformation needed to expedite the creation of the market.
15:00 – 16:30
Nur-Sultan – GMT+6
SESSION 6
A DIGITAL FUTURE – THE TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS DIMENSION
There is an important ‘big picture’ here as we have seen many businesses transform their operations in response to the economic and efficiency challenges presented by the Covid 19 pandemic. Solutions are much more than making data and processes ‘digital’ – digitalization enables business transformation. More than just making existing data digital, digitalization embraces the ability of digital technology to collect data, establish trends and aid better business decisions.
This session brings local and international Transport & Logistics (T&L) professionals together to discuss how big data and digital technologies are transforming trade in Central Asia and around the world. We’ll dive in to better understand how the rapid adoption of digitial technology is reducing friction and making trade easier, smarter, faster and more customer-centric, in the midst of a disruptive, global pandemic. In this live panel discussion we will focus on topics such as:
- What needs to be in place before a government or a company goes digital
- How digitalization can facilitate safer and greener trade along international supply chains – including the rail sector
- How Artificial Intelligence (AI) allows T&L companies to address demands across supply chain operations.
- How digitalization facilitates innovative recovery plans and speeds up processes towards inclusive, sustainable trade.
- How the pandemic has accelerated automation and contactless technologies
- How have skills requirements changed in the transport and logistics sector and will they ever be the same?
October 7th, 2021
10:00 – 11:30
Nur-Sultan – GMT+6
SESSION 7
TRANS-ASIAN CONNECTIVITY
The session will discuss regional transport opportunities, internal procedures, and current problems with the transit of commodities. The TIR convention is aimed at facilitating international transit through simplified customs transit procedures. All five Central Asian countries have acceded to and implemented the TIR Convention, and it now allows trucks to travel more efficiently to distant markets by exempting customs checks during transit.
15:00 – 17:00
Nur-Sultan – GMT+6
SESSION 8
E-COMMERCE AND LAST MILE DELIVERY
COVID-induced trade disruptions made E-commerce essential rather than optional. They also triggered new business growth opportunities. Companies across the globe seized these opportunities and have continued to transform. This session will explore how to react to future changes in markets.
Panel 1 – Policy and technology solutions to facilitate low-value e-commerce shipments in Central Asia
Panel 2 – Business and technology opportunities for Central Asian businesses to streamline ecommerce logistics, warehousing, and supply chains
October 8th, 2021
10:00 – 11:30
Nur-Sultan – GMT+6
SESSION 9
SUSTAINABLE TRADE: DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMPETITIVE HORTICULTURE SECTOR
Potatoes, onions, and other root crops are staples in the diets of Central Asia, yet frequently these countries are forced to expend hard-earned foreign currency to supplement local production shortfalls. This session will bring together industry and academic specialists to discuss possible avenues to self-sufficiency in potatoes by cultivating better varieties, and improving storage and related logistics practices.
15:00 – 16:30
Nur-Sultan – GMT+6
SESSION 10
WOMEN AND YOUTH IN THE POST-COVID ERA
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic affected the Transportation and Logistics sector globally by slowing down trade operations and core supply chains. Most of the investments and developmental efforts provided by the public sector and international aid agencies were postponed or reconsidered. However, 2021-22 offers the potential for a post-pandemic boost in many economic sectors, including transportation, logistics and trade. With this in mind, all existing and projected trade infrastructure in Central Asian countries will require the input of professional communities such as WiLAT and of the young specialists of Next Generation.
TIMELINE
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan 
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Shymkent, Kazakhstan
Virtual
Event
PARTNERS
MEDIA PARTNERS
