FIATA Geneva Gets Down To CasesEpisode Title 9150970270

  FIATA Geneva Gets To Cases

    After a long journey, as both Italian and Swiss railways decided that this Sunday was the best day for network and equipment maintenance, I arrived in Geneva after dusk.

     On Monday 17th of March at 9 o’ clock, as sharp as a Swiss clock, the FIATA Headquarters’ meeting began with a rather ambitious programme, harbouring the desire to “provide participants with key market trends and trade developments as well as an external outlook in corridors and logistics in an uncertain environment.” Michael McKay kicked the ball with some historical and cultural background for the city of Geneva, a crossroad for the world of trade and an international meeting magnet: 5,000 conferences annually, half a million delegates, 43 high level international organizations based in Geneva . . . shall we name them all? One for all: the Red Cross/Red Crescent.

Turgut Erkeskin     President Turgut Erkeskin welcomed 200+ delegates at FIATA’s HQ from 51 countries: “this year, speakers and moderators have been invited from all over the world” to animate several sessions. Among the achievements of FIATA, Turgut mentioned the excellent work with many international organizations, the achievements in FIATA’s digital policy and risk and insurance and cybersecurity policies. He also gave account of a new regional engagement programme, which – for the first time this year – will see FIATA organizing regional meetings in all regions, starting with Zanzibar, then India, Brazil and Prague in the EU. “FIATA remains focused on trade facilitation,” declared Turgut. Maybe it was not meant in that manner, but in a world which is rapidly changing, his statement sounded as an appeal to preserve the beauty of international cooperation. I am now writing in the middle of the second day of meetings and I can assure you that FIATA tried to preserve such beauty with all hands on deck!