The Luanda-Bengo Special Economic Zone (ZEE) was chosen by the Global Alliance of Special Economic Zones (GASEZ) as one of the 50 most promising zones in the world.

According to a press release to which ANGOP had access today, the alliance, which is dedicated to promoting a new generation of Special Economic Zones (SEZ), launched its SDG Model Zone initiative on 18 October 2023, during the World Investment Forum of the United Nations Conference on Trade (UNCTAD), in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

At this meeting, the founding members of GASEZ identified 50 Special Economic Zones (SEZ) from around the world that have been chosen as model zones for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The criteria used to select the SEZs nominated as SDG Model Zones were derived from the World Investment Report 2019 of the United Nations Conference on Trade (UNCTAD).

The note points out that these requirements are based on a commitment to sustainable development, promotion of investment in the SDGs, levels of social, environmental, governance, connections, and repercussions.

The GASEZ SDG Model Zone initiatives aim to achieve three main objectives, namely raising awareness of the contributions of SEZs to sustainable development, recognizing the efforts of zones, and sharing elements of good practice that can serve as an incentive for others.

It should be noted that the United Nations Summit on Sustainable Development Goals, held in September this year, encouraged immediate measures to strengthen efforts to fulfill the 2030 agenda.

The Global Alliance of Special Economic Zones (GASEZ) was created in Montego Bay, Jamaica in 2022, by the Africa Economic Zones Organization (AEZO), the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), the Green Partnership of Industrial Parks in China (GPIPC) and the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation, as well as by the National Association of Foreign Trade Zones (NAFTZ), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), The World Free & Special Economic Zones Federation (FEMOZA) and the World Free Zones Organization (World FZO).go