28th November 2003

The Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNDP and HUN-IDA (Hungarian International Development Assistance Non-profit Company) jointly organized a professional conference in Hungary with the primary aim of informing the private sector about its future possibilities and strengthening its involvement in the frame of the Hungarian International Development Cooperation.
The conference was primarily focusing on institutes dealing with the development of international economic relations as well as on managers representing large-, medium-, small size companies, which in the frame of the current Hungarian concept of international development cooperation, intend to participate especially in those projects (in conformity with the international guidelines) which are designed to be implemented in less developed (compared to Hungary) or the most poverty stricken countries of the world , with the purpose of creating sustainable results and development in beneficiary states.
In his opening address, Mr. Gábor Szentiványi Deputy State Secretary gave an orientation on the concept of the international development cooperation of the Hungarian Government.
Mr. David Chaplin, Regional Manager of CIDA /ODACE/ and Mr. Robert Bourbeau senior expert from Canada emphasized in their presentations the main features of a “development project” and the opportunities local private sector could have in the “Aid Business”.
Mrs. Kristin Duchateau of the Austrian consultancy firm Ecotec made an in-depth introduction of the ways of establishing public partnerships, initiated by the Austrian MFA with developing countries. In her second lecture Mrs. Duchateau also highlighted the lessons and experiences gained through projects executed in Ethiopia, as one of Austria’s priority countries.
In the afternoon session Mr. Rudolf Graf general manager of EWA (Austrian Development Workshop) and Mrs. Elisabeth Leiner from the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs talked about the concept of development cooperation of Austria and also the international development assistance program applied by EWA in Senegal in the frame of its already functioning RDP (Regional Development Program).
In the closing phase of the conference exemplary presentations by Mr. Endre Dévai (Innomed Inc) and Mr. Károly Valentinyi (HAKI) had been made on international aid (medical instrument) and development cooperation (aquaculture) projects successfully carried out in Ethiopia and Vietnam by the two Hungarian enterprises.
The one-day conference was officially closed by Mr. László Vizi Head of Department of International Development Cooperation (MFA) with his comprehensive summary and evaluation of the event.