MENA – Women in business:2009 Business Forum and Women Business Leaders

MENA – Women in business:2009 Business Forum and Women Business Leaders

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<h2>Table of Contents</h2>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_the-2009-mena-oecd-business-forum"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">The 2009 MENA-OECD Business Forum</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_the-women-business-leaders-summit"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">The Women Business Leaders Summit</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_mena-100-awards-ceremony-of-the-mena-100-business-plan-competition-winners"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">MENA 100: Awards ceremony of the MENA 100 business plan competition winners</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_launch-of-the-mena-oecd-business-council"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Launch of the MENA-OECD Business Council</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="#w_high-level-meeting-of-the-mena-oecd-responsible-business-network"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">High-level meeting of the MENA-OECD Responsible Business Network</span></a></li>
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<h2 id="w_the-2009-mena-oecd-business-forum">The 2009 MENA-OECD Business Forum</h2>
Organised as part of the <a href="http://www.oecd.org/document/51/0,3343,en_34645207_34645466_43182899_1_1_1_1,00.html|2009">MENA-OECD Ministerial Conference</a>, the 2009 Business Forum of the MENA-OECD Investment Programme brings together members of both the private and public sector to work together to
<ul>
<li><b>Strengthen public-private dialogue</b> through high-profile debates between business and government leaders</li>
<li><b>Generate new business opportunities</b> and sector-specific contacts, and</li>
<li><b>Foster exchange and learning</b> in areas such as leveraging technology for business, competitive clusters, or responsible business conduct</li>
</ul>
The MENA-OECD Business Forum seeks to coalesce strong private sector support for investment reform in the MENA region, and maximise the impact of business messages on MENA and OECD political leaders present at the 2009 MENA-OECD Ministerial Conference.

Main conclusions from panellists and participants will be summarised in a Business Statement released in parallel to the Ministerial Declaration.
<h2 id="w_the-women-business-leaders-summit">The Women Business Leaders Summit</h2>
As underlined by the <a href="http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/19/30/39796894.pdf">| Declaration on Fostering Women’s Entrepreneurship</a> in the MENA Region, women continue to represent an underutilised reservoir for job creation and economic growth in the region.

The 2ND MENA-OECD Women Business Leaders Summit continues the commitment of members of both the private and public sector to work together to support women’s entrepreneurship through:
<ul>
<li><b>fostering greater awareness</b> of the benefits of entrepreneurship among women</li>
<li>realising policy reform to <b>remove gender-related obstacles to entrepreneurship</b></li>
<li><b>facilitating the exchange of best practices</b> between MENA and OECD countries on fostering women’s entrepreneurship</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="w_mena-100-awards-ceremony-of-the-mena-100-business-plan-competition-winners">MENA 100: Awards ceremony of the MENA 100 business plan competition winners</h2>
The winners of the <a href="http://www.oecd.org/document/30/0,3343,en_34645207_34645590_43214878_1_1_1_1,00.html|MENA">100 business plan competition</a> will be presented during an awards ceremony.

The MENA-OECD Enterprise Financing Network©, in co-operation with the Islamic Development Bank and the MENA Centre for Investment, is launching the MENA 100 Business Plan Competition that addresses innovative entrepreneurs, from the 18 Arab countries participating in the MENA OECD Investment Programme.

The primary objective of the MENA 100 business plan competition is to <b>encourage existing and inspire potential entrepreneurs</b>, and connect the top 100 in the Middle East and North Africa region with potential sources of finance to generate business transactions.
<h2 id="w_launch-of-the-mena-oecd-business-council">Launch of the MENA-OECD Business Council</h2>
After its <a href="http://www.oecd.org/document/5/0,3343,en_34645207_34645590_43439493_1_1_1_1,00.html|preparatory">meeting in Paris on 1 October 2009</a>, the MENA-OECD Business Council will formally launch during the 2009 MENA-OECD Business Forum. The purpose of the MENA-OECD Business Council is to create policy advocacy for senior business leaders from the region and OECD countries. The Business Council will give its members a concerted and thus more powerful voice in the policy dialogue in the region.
<h2 id="w_high-level-meeting-of-the-mena-oecd-responsible-business-network">High-level meeting of the MENA-OECD Responsible Business Network</h2>
With a view to actively engage both private and public sectors in responsible business conduct, the co-ordinating committee of the <a href="http://www.oecd.org/document/47/0,3343,en_34645207_34645590_41565551_1_1_1_1,00.html|MENA-OECD">Responsible Business Network</a> brings together national, regional and international partners.

The network will conduct a high-level meeting at the MENA-OECD Business Forum to assess and exchange responsible business practices in the MENA region.

To know more about this event: "Event:The 2009 Business Forum and Women Business Leaders Summit