Hosting FIATA world congress 2025: Honor and great responsiblity to Vietnam's logistics sector

English - Ngày đăng : 11:18, 12/10/2022

On September 16, 2022, in Busan, FIATA World Congress 2022 officially announced Vietnam was chosen to host the Congress in 2025. This is an honor and pride that confirms achievements of the progress of international integration and linkage that VLA have been implementing.

Expressing joy and excitement at the moment FIATA President - Ivan Petrov announced that Vietnam was chosen to host the next FIATA Congress in 2025 (FIATA World Congress 2025), Nguyen Duy Minh - VLA General Secretary said: “This only is a joy and a great honor not for the logistics industry in Vietnam, but also affirms the position of Vietnam in the international market. From the victory, Vietnamese logistics enterprises need to join forces to organize successfully and make good use of development opportunities from FIATA World Congress 2025.”

FIATA (International Federation of Freight Forwarders) was established on May 31, 1926, is a non- governmental organization, with membership representing forwarders, transporters and logistics providers from over 150 countries. FIATA’s members include 113 Association members and more than 5,500 individual members, representing 40,000 forwarding and logistics companies worldwide. FIATA’s operating principle is “The global voice of freight logistics”. Vietnam Logistics Business Association (VLA) is an official member of FIATA, representing Vietnam’s logistics service sector since May 1994.

With the theme of Consolidation for Global Solutions, FIATA World Congress 2022 (FWC 2022) took place in Busan - Korea from September 15 to 16. With a rich set of agendas and exhibitions, FWC 2022 attracted more than 3,000 delegates, including officials of relevant international organizations, representatives of FIATA member associations, businesses in sectors of transport, forwarding and logistics services participating the congress on-line and in person.

Previously, from September 12-14, the agenda of the 18 Working Groups of the Congress was also held. The Groups showed concerns and discussed many issues of the logistics sector such as challenges in the new maritime world; digital supply chain - opportunities and challenges; geopolitical issues in trade and impacts on the logistics service industry... These are issues that are challenging the world logistics service sector.

The discussions attracted many leading technology companies in the logistics field with the aim of digitizing paperwork as well as speeding up payment transactions between parties. Regarding the digital program, FIATA continues to promote electronic bills of lading (eFBL), data protection, helping businesses prepare for the requirements of ICS-2 version 3, contributing to the US FLOW initiative -FMC... The delegates also expressed their deep interest in shipping lines using the huge profits gained during the Covid-19 crisis to “encroach” on investment in expanding the vertical supply chain - which has been considered unfair competition.

In the role of the National Association of Logistics in Vietnam, Vietnam Logistics Business Association (VLA) participated in the exhibition and organized the delegation, including leaders of the Executive Board and member enterprises to attend meetings of the Congress. In the presentations at the Congress, VLA introduced the image of a peaceful Vietnam with great potential for development, affirming that Vietnam is capable of successfully organizing the FIATA World Congress 2025 event.

Previously, with the determination to win the right to host the Congress in 2025, from mid-2022, VLA sent a registration dossier. VLA determined it would be an opportunity for Vietnam’s logistics and export enterprises to meet and exchange cooperation opportunities with thousands of leading logistics enterprises in the world. And thus, it helps to affirm the position of Vietnam’s logistics sector in particular and to promote the image of Vietnam worldwide.

And there will be opportunities to promote import- export, to improve competition abilities for enterprises and to improve Vietnam’s tourism.

On the basis of Vietnam’s economic development potential, thanks to the prestige VLA has built up lately, together with careful preparation when participating in the Congress this year, the VLA delegation has received great support from FIATA and representatives from different countries. As a result, the Congress has agreed to choose Vietnam as the host for the Congress of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) - FIATA World Congress 2025, which is expected to be held in Hanoi.

After the first time in October 2019 in South Africa, this is the second time VLA registered to be the host of the most important event of the forwarding, logistics and transport worldwide- FIATA World Congress and they succeeded, which showed the Association’s determination to bring Vietnam’s logistics services sector to a worldwide stature. This is a great joy, pride and great responsibility of our country’s logistics service sector in the process of implementing Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance and having deeper international integration.

Great joy, great opportunity and the need for great joining force
Vietnam Logistics Business Association, as a national association of Logistics, has made great efforts in connecting international trade for businesses in the sector. VLA has not only participated in international events and forums, but also looked for opportunities to introduce about Vietnam- a peaceful friendly country with economic development potentials. In 2019, VLA successfully organized the 29th Annual Meeting of the ASEAN Freight Forwarders Association (AFFA AGM 29). With the upcoming FIATA World Congress 2025 event, it is necessary to have guidelines and policies from the Government and consensus from Vietnam’s logistics enterprises for its success.

Nguyen Duy Minh- General Secretary of VLA said: “The benefits from the FIATA World Congress 2025 being held in Vietnam are huge. It is estimated that, on average, about 1,000 representatives of logistics service businesses from other countries attended the congress, being 1,000 bridges for import-export trade among Vietnam and other countries. And other sectors such as restaurant services, hospitality and tourism also enjoy the opportunity accordingly. That is our opportunity, but there are still many difficulties and challenges ahead to overcome. For the successful Congress to be, it is necessary to have great consensus and determination from VLA’s Executive Board, member enterprises and Vietnam’s logistics business community. I believe, when we work together, we will succeed.”

Hong Ut