Plenary Sessions
Plenary Session One addressed the issue of how to ensure a sustainable supply of renewable energy, improve access to modern energy services, identify possible areas of regional cooperation to achieve a clean energy integration to build a greener world, and how chambers can play the role as a voice of change at COP28 in Dubai.
Moderated by Mr. Melvin Tan, Managing Director, Cyclect Pte. Ltd. and Vice President of Singapore Manufacturing Federation, the session featured the following speakers:
- Mr. Sushil Chandra Tiwari, Secretary, Water and Energy Commission Secretariat, Government of Nepal.
- Mr. Khurram Sayeed, CEO, Planet Energy Pvt. Ltd / Vice President, CACCI
- Mr. Gyanendra Lal Pradhan, Chairman, Asian Council on Water, Energy, and Environment (ACWEE)
- Dr. Alireza Yavari, Deputy President for International Affairs, ICCIMA / Vice President, CACCI
- Mr. Homer Yu, Vice President, Kowloon Chamber of Commerce (KCC)
Plenary Session Two discussed how to promote the entrepreneurial spirit in the region – particularly young and women entrepreneurs – through, for instance, mentorship and access to capital and markets, in order to make them effective and sustained contributors to the economic growth of their respective communities and the national and regional economy as a whole.
With Mr. Suraj Vaidya, Former President, FNCCI as Moderator, the session featured the following speakers:
- Prof. Pramod B. Shrestha, Ph.D. (Engineering Management, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada) Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University
- Mr. Allen John Ku, Vice-President, EVERIII & Partners / Director, Startup Island Taiwan (The Intersection of Innovation & Technology)
- Mr. Sanjeeb Panthee, Good Return
- Ms. Sudha Shivkumar President, FICCI Ladies Organization
- Ms. Narin Shahrokhi Kabir, ICCIMA
Plenary Session Three featured speakers who elaborated on their thoughts and ideas on how to assist businesses, particularly the SMEs which comprised majority of chambers’ constituencies, adequately equipped to participate in the international market through, for instance, digital transformation, mediation and dispute resolution capability, and labor mobility and skills development to meet new business and market demands.
Moderated by Mr. Kush Kumar Joshi, Former President, FNCCI/Managing Director, Nepal Ekarat Engineering Co. Pvt. Ltd., the session included the following speakers:
- Ms. Deborah Lockhart, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Disputes Cetner (Mediation/Dispute Resolution)
- Mr. James Shi Chu, Secretary General, Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce (CNAIC), Taiwan
- Dr Gunveena Chadha, Assistant Secretary General and Coordinator International Division, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)
- Dr. Posh Raj Pandey, Executive Chairman, South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment
- Dr. Yubaraj Khatiwada, Former Finance Minister of Nepal
Plenary Session 4 featured company CEOs and business leaders who shared their insights on what they think are the development challenges and opportunities faced by the region, including – but not limited to – food safety and security, tourism, supply chain resilience, climate change, cooperation in healthcare, the impact of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, and China’s economic growth.
Moderated by Mr. Peter McMullin AM, President, CACCI, the session featured the following speakers:
- Mr. Jemal Inaishvili, President Emeritus, CACCI / Former CEO, Poti Sea Port
- Mr. Samir Modi, Immediate Past President, CACCI / Executive Director, Modi Enterprises
- Mr. Lennon Tan, President, Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF)
- Mr. Padma Jyoti, Chairman, Jyoti Group / Past President, FNCCI
