21 Oct 2018

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi is in Geneva, Switzerland attending the World Investment Forum

While in Switzerland, President  Dr Masisi will hold also other high level talks with business leaders from across the globe.

The high level conference is organised by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and set to take place from today (October 22) until October 26 in the UN Headquarters and an international business, economic development and diplomacy hub.

The forum biennially gathers more than 5 000 investment stakeholders from all over the globe.

This year’s forum held under the theme; Investing in Sustainable Development, will address global challenges for international investment in the new era of globalisation and industrialisation. Investment stakeholders will gather to brainstorm solution-orientated initiatives and build global partnerships to advance prosperity.

Several heads of State and Government have confirmed attendance including those from Southern Africa; Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi and Kenya as well as others from Armenia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Macedonia, Sierra Leone and the host Mr Alain Berset of Switzerland.

President Masisi will today attend the grand opening of the forum, which will be preceded by the 2018 UN Investment Promotion Awards.

Held since 2002, the awards celebrate the exchange of best practice in investment promotion.

The awards will be presented to investment promotion agencies for excellence in promoting investment in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

President Masisi is one of the three high level dignitaries selected to present one of the three awards.

Soon after the awards, President Dr Masisi will have a meeting with President of the Swiss Confederation Mr Berset.

He will have a breakfast meeting with Messrs Ian and Lucas Lundin of the Lundin Group.

Lundin mining is a diversified Canadian base metals company with operations in Chile, the US, Portugal and Sweden, primarily producing copper, nickel and zinc.

Lucara Diamonds, which operates the Karowe |Mine in Botswana, is a subsidiary of Lundin.

President Masisi  will also meet with the director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Mr Francis Gury, director general of the UN Office in Geneva Mr Michael Moller, who will take him on a historic guided tour of the UN grounds.

President Dr Masisi will also meet the director general of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

He will have a discussion with secretary general of UNCTAD Dr Mukhisa Kituyi before proceeding to meet Mr Michael Reybier, owner of La Reserve Hotel to discuss among others, interest of the Reybier Group for activities in the hospitality business in Botswana and interest of the Swiss Medical Group for activities in the health sector and farming in Botswana.

President Dr Masisi will wrap up the days activities with a meeting with Batswana living in Switzerland at a reception hosted by Ambassador of Botswana to Switzerland Dr Athalia Molokomme.

One of the highlights of President Dr Masisi’s visit will be tomorrow’s  breakfast meeting with select Swiss businesses.

The event will be themed around luxury goods, precious and semi-precious stones, high-end tourism and economic diversification.

Dr Masisi will also witness the signing of the Declaration on Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment.

The signature of the declaration is set to open doors for women entrepreneurs in Botswana to be able to take advantage of markets globally.

Once Botswana is signatory to the declaration she will link her women to capacity building programmes and training, which will support the already business friendly environment that Botswana government is pursuing.

President Masisi is expected to participate at the Global Leaders Investment Summit connecting nine speakers including President of Armenia, Sierra Leone, Prime Minister of Lesotho as well as CEO of De Beers and Ethiopian Airways.

He is also expected to visit an agro-business farm on the outskirts of the city.

He is accompanied by Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation Dr Unity Dow, Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Alfred Madigele, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Ms Bogolo Kenewendo. ENDS