The IORA Business and Trade Facilitation workshop, held on 4 - 5 August 2014 at the Hennessy Park Hotel in Mauritius, was jointly organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mauritius, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Secretariat. The project proposal was mooted by the Joint Economic Council, Mauritius (JEC) and the Board of Investment, Mauritius (BOI). The proposal was approved at the third bi-annual Committee of Senior Officials meeting held in Mauritius on 20-21 August 2014.

This workshop followed the first IORA Economic and Business Conference (EBC) held in July 2013 in Mauritius, whereby Member States recognised the importance of harmonised trade practices and business facilitation to foster growth and linkages across the region.

The objectives were:

a. Take forward discussions held in the first EBC on matters of business facilitation as a catalyst to stimulate economic growth and development in the Indian Ocean rim region.

b. Boost public-private sector dialogue on business and trade facilitation.

c. Share experiences and peer-to-peer learning on focused areas of business and trade facilitation.

d. Develop synergies to harmonize trade practices in line with international norms and minimize barriers to trade in the Indian Ocean region.

e. Identification of areas of cooperation among Member States.

The workshop brought together public and private sector delegates from 12 Member States: Australia, Comoros, India, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Malaysia, Seychelles, South Africa, and Tanzania; two Dialogue Partners: France and USA; as well as the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the World Bank participation in this first Business and Trade Facilitation Workshop.