HANOI, 30 July 2021
A total of 16 participants (10 women, 6 men) from the Vietnamese private sector, attended the ASEAN Solutions for Investments, Services and Trade (ASSIST) Train-the-Trainers Workshop for Vietnam, which was held virtually on 30 July 2021. Participants consisted of representatives from the Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs Council (VWEC), SMEs Promotion Center, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Vietnam Association for Intellectual Women, as well as legal practitioners, consultants/trainers, and business owners. In addition, there were 2 ASEAN Secretariat officers who joined the training as co-trainers. The training workshop was held following the ATR-ASSIST Outreach Event in Vietnam, which was also held virtually on 27 July 2021, and aimed at creating greater awareness on the existence, functioning and trade facilitation benefits of the two primary trade facilitation instruments developed by ASEAN with support from the ASEAN Regional Integration Support from the European Union (ARISE Plus), known as ASSIST and the ASEAN Trade Repository (ATR, available at https://atr.asean.org).
With support by the European Union (EU), the training workshop was organized in collaboration between the ARISE Plus and the VWEC. Welcoming remarks were delivered by Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Deputy Director and Vice Chairwoman of VWEC, ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs’ Network (AWEN) Focal Point for Vietnam; and Ms. Hasduna Putri Adamy, Expert under the ARISE Plus Regional Project, who was also the trainer for this training. Mr. Paolo R. Vergano, ARISE Plus Key Expert on Trade Facilitation, delivered the closing remarks and encouraged participants to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by ASSIST to interact with ASEAN Governments in relation to intra-ASEAN cross-border trade issues.
This training caters primarily to the private sector, and is designed to benefit and help participants to develop, organize and deliver training modules on how to use ASSIST, a free, online, non-binding and consultative mechanism which can be used by ASEAN businesses to lodge complaints to ASEAN governments in relation to intra-ASEAN cross-border trade issues (for Trade in Goods and Trade in Services). Simulation exercises using hypothetical case studies were also conducted to give participants a better understanding of the step-by-step ASSIST process. Participants of the training workshop are expected to become trainers and conduct future capacity building exercises on ASSIST to the benefit of their Vietnamese colleagues, members of their trade associations/business organizations, and fellow entrepreneurs. That is why the training is conducted with a smaller group of participants, so as to maximize focus and individual involvement.
The ARISE Plus Regional Project will remain available to work with the private sector to advance ASSIST by holding regular outreach and awareness creation events and training of trainers, in cooperation with the respective private sector stakeholders, gearing towards greater intra-ASEAN trade and regional economic integration.
