Updated August 27, 2024

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The Cultural Property Advisory Committee will meet September 24-25, 2024 (89 FR 66483) to review new requests for cultural property import restrictions from Lebanon and Mongolia and to review the proposed extension of the cultural property agreement with El Salvador. The Committee invites public comment on these agenda items.

The State Department follows the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (CPIA) when considering cultural property agreements and import restrictions. Requested categories of material will be considered if they meet the criteria for archaeological and ethnological materials in the CPIA.

Lebanon

Protection is sought for archaeological material from the Paleolithic period (approximately 700,000 years ago) to 1774 CE, including, but not limited to, objects in stone (such as tools, statues, figurines, sarcophagi, stelae, architectural elements, seals, amulets, objects of daily use, jewelry, and ceremonial and cultic objects), ceramic (such as vessels, figurines, objects of daily use, and ceremonial and cultic objects), metal (such as vessels, statues, figurines, jewelry, tools, objects of daily use, weapons and armor, and coins), plaster (such as wall paintings and frescoes), glass (such as vessels, seals, jewelry, and objects of daily use), bone and ivory (such as carvings, seals and amulets, jewelry, and objects of daily use), wood (such as panel paintings, icons, and objects of daily use), textiles, manuscripts (on parchment, paper, and leather), and rare specimens of fossilized fauna and flora.

Protection is additionally sought for ethnological material dating from the 17th century until today, including all cultural works, artifacts, and artworks (such as textiles, traditional garments, headdresses, accessories and jewelry, liturgical objects, manuscripts, books, archives, weapons and armor, and objects of daily use) crafted, made, or produced by Lebanese artists, craftsmen, writers, symbolic personalities, or made on the Lebanese territory and considered unique and representative of the diversity of the Lebanese identity and its recognition worldwide (such as works of Gibran Khalil Gibran and famous Lebanese painters).

Mongolia

Mongolia seeks protection of its cultural artifacts including archaeological material, including stone tools and statues; terracotta architectural materials and containers; religious and ceremonial objects; ornaments decorated with gold, silver, bronze, and precious stones; metal objects including coins, equipment, tools, and weapons;  manuscripts and objects used to create or bind manuscripts; wooden objects; carpets; clothing and shoes; and objects made from animal hide, animal skin, and wool.  The protection would also include hand-made ethnological materials including religious figures of deities and other religious objects; shoes and clothes; decorative items; handwritten manuscripts and other literary objects; fine art items; sewn, knit, and embroidered items; items used in traditional ceremonies or festivals; traditional ger housing materials; agricultural equipment; and musical instruments.

El Salvador

Extending the El Salvador MOU would continue import restrictions on categories of archaeological material ranging in date from approximately 8000 B.C. to A.D. 1550 and certain ethnological material, including categories of ecclesiastical material from the Colonial period to the first half of the twentieth century (A.D. 1525 to 1950).

Public Comments

The public may provide written comment in advance of the meeting and/or register to speak in the virtual open session scheduled for September 24, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. EDT.

Public comments on the cultural property agreements should focus on the four determinations in the CPIA.

How to submit written comments: Use regulations.gov, enter the docket DOS-2024-0028-0001 and follow the prompts to submit written comments. Written comments must be submitted no later than September 16, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. EDT.

How to make oral comments: Make oral comments during the Virtual Open Session on September 24, 2024 (instructions below). Requests to speak must be submitted no later than September 16, 2024.

Join the Virtual Open Session

The virtual open session of the Committee meeting will be held on September 24, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. (EDT) using Zoom.

To speak: Registered participants can speak and may be asked questions by the Committee. If you wish to register to speak you must submit your name and organizational affiliation in an email request to culprop@state.gov by September 16, 2024. After you pre-register you will receive an email response with a unique link and instructions on how to participate. Due to time constraints, each participant will have no more than five minutes to speak.

To observe: Anyone may observe the open session through Zoom, but they will not be able to speak. It is not necessary to pre-register to observe. If needed, please request reasonable accommodation by email to culprop@state.gov no later than September 16, 2024. It may not be possible to fulfill requests made after that date.

Zoom Information: https://statedept.zoomgov.com/j/1604232702?pwd=2v0GYfKDYOHP1vJyhSLy0abFy7AIia.1

On March 28, 2024, the U.S. Department of State’s Cultural Antiquities Task Force (CATF) held a virtual training workshop for law enforcement officials from the United States to enhance their knowledge of cultural property of Indigenous and Native Peoples of North America and build their capacity to protect Indigenous heritage by disrupting its trafficking.

The training brought together more than 180 participants  from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the State Department, the Smithsonian Institution, international partners, and representatives from U.S. universities and museums.  Participants heard presentations from government officials and academics on partnerships and collaborations, object handling, and implementation of the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act.  Participants were also able to listen to presentations from and engage with Indigenous speakers on the importance of tribal cultural property and the positive effects of repatriation for tribal communities.

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This training is part of a series of anti-trafficking workshops supported by the CATF and organized by the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum Conservation Institute and Office of Global Affairs, in collaboration with HSI, CBP, and FBI.  These workshops provide law enforcement with knowledge and capabilities to help identify, investigate, and prosecute some of the most-trafficked categories of cultural property.  Established by the State Department in 2004 at the direction of Congress, the CATF comprises federal agencies that share a common mission to disrupt cultural property trafficking in the United States and abroad.  Since its creation, the CATF has supported more than 100 domestic and international cultural property training programs.  CATF is a law enforcement-focused working group of the Cultural Heritage Coordinating Committee (CHCC).  The CATF and CHCC are both managed by the State Department’s Cultural Heritage Center. 

Regarding Native American affairs, the Cultural Heritage Center coordinates with federal, state, and tribal authorities to return foreign materials held in the United States and facilitate the recovery of Native American cultural heritage, including ancestral remains, held in foreign museums or offered for sale in foreign countries.  To help facilitate voluntary returns, the Cultural Heritage Center helps build connections between Native American communities and representatives from foreign museums and collections.

Additionally, the Cultural Heritage Center is expanding efforts to facilitate voluntary returns through engagement with Tribes, international museums, and our U.S. Embassies,  with processes enabled by the STOP Act in December 2022.

The workshop conducted on March 28^th offered a whole-of-government approach to combatting the illicit trafficking of cultural property of Indigenous and Native Peoples of North American and included invaluable and essential input from Native American cultural heritage experts.  

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Macca Malik and Jacob “Kujo” Lyons lead the “Harmony through Breakdance” program, which aims to promote peace and security by harnessing the talents of Nigerian youth through breaking dance. The program engages breakers, coaches, and educational institutions in Abuja and Lagos, focusing on participants from conflict areas through coaching clinics, training sessions, and a culminating peace concert.  The envoys also launched breaking clubs in Abuja and Lagos, promoting breaking as a peacebuilding tool as Nigeria prepares to participate in the International Breakdance championship.

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Written by Claire Rudinsky, a VSFS Intern with the U.S. Department of State. She is currently majoring in International Relations with a focus on Economics at the Joint Degree Programme with College of William & Mary and the University of St Andrews.

The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) has offered programs in nearly 100 countries since 2019, empowering an estimated 25,000 women around the world with the educational and financial skills they need to reach their full economic potential. Many AWE alumni create businesses that highlight aspects or products from their specific culture. One AWE alumni from Zimbabwe, Duduzile Sibanda, has incorporated Southern African culture and traditions in her career as a musician and continued to do so as she established her baking business with the help of AWE.

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For her acapella group Nobuntu, Duduzile Sibanda is pictured in traditional Zimbabwe attire.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, her world-wide acapella tours were canceled, so Sibanda turned to baking and confectionery work, opening up her business Delicious Art by Dudu. She received professional lessons and certification from local Zimbabwean chefs before being selected as a member of the 2020 Zimbabwe AWE cohort.

The AWE program creates an understanding space for female entrepreneurs to learn and aid each other in their businesses. In addition, AWE uses DreamBuilder, a no-cost online learning platform created by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation, to provide access to a variety of classes that cover the fundamentals of business including marketing, financial management, and long-term strategization.

“AWE really changed my approach in so many aspects,” said Sibanda. “How I manage my time, how to balance your book and see if you are making a profit, drawing up a business plan, and even registering my business!”

This year, Sibanda has expanded her audience and is part of the catering team at the Munch and Sip Food and Drink Festival, where the main objective is to showcase traditional Zimbabwean cuisine and culture. The festival was created by a fellow AWE alumni, Mandipa Masuku.

“The social capital I received from the AWE program has been tremendous,” Sibanda said. “I have made connections with so many other women here who I can talk to on a personal level. We all support each other.”

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Delicious Art by Dudu has grown into a family business, with her daughter and niece taking responsibility when Sibanda is pursuing her musical career around the globe.

As touring became available again, Sibanda passed on more of the responsibility regarding her baking business to her daughter and niece so that she could also return to her love of music. As a member of Nobuntu, a five member all female acapella group from Zimbabwe, Sibanda works to share her culture with others around the world. The group’s name, Nobuntu, means “mother of humanity” in Zulu and is meant to capture qualities such as humility, love, purpose, unity, and family from a woman’s perspective. This year, Nobuntu will be touring in Europe from May to July and the United States from October to December. Because of what she learned during her participation in AWE, Sibanda is able to follow her passion and keep her business open and running at the same time.

Cultural heritage can be found in a variety of ways, whether through food, artwork, or music and dance, all of which highlight the traditions that make each country or region unique. Finding avenues to synthesize culture into business, like Sibanda has done through her baking, creates vibrant and impactful communities where people can easily share their heritage with others. AWE works not only to provide economic opportunities to women entrepreneurs across the globe, but to ensure that their businesses have a positive effect on consumers and the public at large.

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(Originally published April 1, 2024)

The Cultural Property Advisory Committee intends to meet virtually on June 4 – 6, 2024, to review (1) a request for import restrictions from the Government of Ukraine, (2) a proposed extension of the U.S. cultural property agreement with the Government of Ecuador, (3) a proposed extension of the U.S. cultural property agreement with the Government of the Kingdom of Jordan, and (4) to review the effectiveness of all cultural property agreements and import restrictions currently in force.  The Committee invites the public to comment on these agenda items and to participate via videoconference in the virtual open session.

The State Department follows the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (CPIA) when considering cultural property agreements and import restrictions.  Requested categories of material will be considered if they meet the criteria for archaeological and ethnological materials in the CPIA. 

Ukraine

Protection is sought for archaeological material from the Paleolithic Period (approximately 1.4 million years ago) to 1774 CE, including metal (sculpture, jewelry, weapons, coins, vessels, and horse fittings and trappings); ceramic (sculpture, vessels, and seals); stone (sculpture, monuments, vessels, tools, and jewelry); bone, ivory, wood, horn, and other organic material; glass and faience; paintings and mosaics.  Ethnological materials for which protection is sought span from the Roman Period (3rd century CE) to 1917 CE and include religious, ritual, and ecclesiastical objects; rare books, manuscripts, and other written documents; architectural elements; objects related to funerary rites and burials, both ritual and secular; paintings; military material; and traditional folk clothing and textiles.  

Ecuador

Extending the Ecuador agreement would continue import restrictions on certain archaeological material ranging in date from about 12,000 B.C. to 250 years ago and certain ethnological material, which may include categories of Colonial period ecclesiastical material and Colonial period secular paintings, documents, and manuscripts dating between A.D. 1532 and A.D. 1822.  The Government of Ecuador has not requested additional categories of material.

Jordan

Extending the Jordan agreement would continue import restrictions on certain archaeological material, which includes objects in stone, ceramic, metal, bone, ivory, shell and other organic materials, glass, faience and semi-precious stone, painting, plaster, textiles, basketry, rope, wood, and leather, ranging in date from about 1.5 million B.C. to A.D. 1750. The Government of Jordan has not requested additional categories of material.

Public Comments

The public may provide written comment in advance of the meeting and/or register to speak in the virtual open session scheduled for June 4, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (EDT).

Public comments on the cultural property agreements should focus on the four determinations in the CPIA.

How to submit written comments:  Use regulations.gov, enter docket DOS-2024-0015, and follow the prompts to submit written comments. Please submit separate comments for each country.  Written comments must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on May 28, 2024.

How to make oral comments: Make oral comments during the virtual open session on June 4, 2024 (instructions below).  Requests to speak must be submitted no later than May 28, 2024.

Join the Virtual Open Session

The virtual open session of the Committee meeting will be held on June 4, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (EDT), by videoconference.

To Speak:  Registered participants can speak and may be asked questions by the Committee.  If you wish to register to speak you must submit your name and organizational affiliation in an email request to culprop@state.gov by May 28.  After you pre-register you will receive an email response with a unique link and instructions on how to participate.  Due to time constraints, each participant will have no more than five minutes to speak.

To Observe:  Anyone may observe the open session by videoconference, but they will not be able to speak unless registered.  It is not necessary to pre-register to observe.  If needed, please request reasonable accommodation by email to culprop@state.gov no later than May 28.  It may not be possible to fulfill requests made after that date.

Zoom Information:  

Topic: Cultural Property Advisory Committee Public Session

Time: Jun 4, 2024 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

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Meeting ID: 160 442 2257

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Kathleen Ash-Milby, U.S. Pavilion Commissioner and Curator noted that “the exhibition, the space in which to place me, is a challenge to all of us to see the world through the lens of Jeffrey’s extraordinary work. It celebrates the resilience of Native people while also surfacing obscured narratives and engaging with difficult histories and contradictions.”  

The U.S. Pavilion was also curated by Abigail Winograd, who also served as a Commissioner alongside Ash-Milby and Louis Grachos.   

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Gibson has two major upcoming commissions in the United States: an exhibition of new work and performance at MASS MoCa opening November 2024 and new works for the facade of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2025. 

On February 22, 2024, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) Cultural Heritage Center (CHC) convened a meeting of the interagency Cultural Heritage Coordinating Committee (CHCC) to discuss threats to Palestinian cultural heritage stemming from the conflict in Gaza; U.S. support for Ukraine’s efforts to protect its cultural heritage from Russian aggression; multilateral engagements with UNESCO and the Group of 20 (G20); and other ongoing initiatives.  CHC Director Eric Catalfamo chaired the meeting on behalf of Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield. 

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CHC Director Catalfamo acknowledged the two-year mark of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and updated members on ECA’s Ukraine Cultural Heritage Response Initiative (UCHRI).  This $10.5 million program, launched in 2023, supports Ukraine’s efforts to protect and repair damage to Ukrainian cultural heritage sites and collections, while expanding public-private partnerships with civil society in Ukraine.  Two new UCHRI projects were launched in February. As part of the State Department’s renewed commitment to UNESCO, ECA is providing $3 million to UNESCO to conserve and restore paintings of the renowned Ukrainian folk artist Maria Prymachenko, whose works were damaged as a result of Russia’s attack on Ivankiv.  ECA is also providing a $640,000 grant to the ALIPH Foundation to help the State Archival Services of Ukraine expand its project to preserve and digitize archival collections to 20 important regional archives.  

CHC’s Director then briefed the Committee on U.S.  participation in the 42nd UNESCO General Conference in November, where the United States was elected to UNESCO’s Executive Board, as well as upcoming G20 and G7 Culture Working Group meetings.  CHCC’s constituent agencies will continue to provide input to guide U.S. government engagement at the G20 Culture Ministerial in Salvador, Brazil, and the G7 Culture Ministerial in Positano, Italy, later this year.   

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"In 6th grade, I ran a track race against a school in Boston where the kids turned up in jeans, hiking boots, and other non-athletic shoes. I realized then that it was unfair that some kids could get injured or not perform well just because their parents couldn't afford equipment that would keep them healthy and speedy. I've been thinking about those kids ever since and wanted to help make sure that other athletes could have their best races regardless of socio-economic issues," he said. 

Fueled by his passion, he worked with Nike Boston EKIN, the Marketing Director at Heartbreak Hill Running Co., the Boston Public Schools Athletics Director, and the Head Coach of Boston Public Schools. Together, they provided high end running shoes to 65 student-athletes from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Nike, impressed by the initiative's success, has already approved re-implementing the program in Spring 2024. Congratulations to Gil for making a difference in his community.

Written by Claire Rudinsky, a VSFS Intern with the U.S. Department of State. She is currently majoring in International Relations with a focus on Economics at the Joint Degree Programme with College of William & Mary and the University of St Andrew.

Implemented in nearly 100 countries since 2019, the Department of State’s Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) has empowered an estimated 25,000 women entrepreneurs around the world with the education and financial skills they need to reach their full economic potential. 

One of the challenges facing many AWE graduates is how to expand their market internationally, which involves the complicated process of exportation. These women are ready to share their products with a larger audience, but the logistical obstacles can sometimes remain. 

In 2020, the Department first worked with The UPS Foundation to offer the Women Exporters Program (WEP) to AWE participants. WEP was utilized in an effort to support and encourage female entrepreneurs to export internationally and compete in the global market. UPS and The UPS Foundation launched the Women Exporters Program to help address the disparity in education and workforce participation between men and women by providing targeted assistance to women-owned small and medium-sized businesses worldwide.

Since 2020, over 850 female entrepreneurs have participated in the WEP supported by The UPS Foundation. In addition to AWE graduates from Mexico and Ecuador, this past year the UPS Women Exporters Program virtual sessions expanded to include AWE alumni from El Salvador, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela, as well. In 2023, the UPS Women Exporters training connected with over 700 business-women from across Latin America, receiving advice from experts in the industry. 

Two AWE alumni, Elizabeth Chavez from Mexico and Isabel Cuichán from Ecuador, shared their transformative experiences with The UPS Foundation and AWE. Looking specifically at WEP, they felt the space specifically for female entrepreneurs allowed them to share their ideas, experiences, and challenges in a supportive environment. In addition, the training also featured more logistical skills such as the exportation and trade process, sustainability, and the technology required in e-commerce.  

Elizabeth Chavez not only manages an artisanal business but also created an NGO, “MujerES Jalisco,” for domestic abuse victims, and began a Latin America centered magazine called “Woman Evolution.” All of her ventures focus on the power that comes from a strong community of women; her business gathers local products made by women in Mexico and ensures that they are sold for a fair price. 

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Two local artisans of Elizabeth Chavez’s business, Woman Evolution; one making handcrafted flowers and another creates woven products

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Another popular product is traditional hand-blown glassware from the Jalisco region of Mexico.

One of the biggest benefits is seeing the real-life impact on the women I work with. You can see it in their body language and their face that they are proud of what they are doing. This also affects the people around them as they discover their own talents as a community of women,” said Chavez. 

The UPS Women Exporters Program focuses specifically on issues of internationalization and business growth, providing month-long training with modules on exportation and e-commerce. Connecting graduates with experts in the field, they are able to explore the reality of running a transnational business; this includes working with the complexities of trade tariffs, customs regulations, and overall logistics for global commerce. 

Isabel Cuichán hopes to make her business, Sacha Cosmestic, a household name not only in Ecuador but throughout the world. Beginning with hand soaps, she now produces shampoo, conditioner, creams, and health foods and teas. Her products are sold in 30 stores throughout Ecuador, and she is partnering with other companies and investors to increase her distribution internally and externally.  

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Isabel Cuichán presents a variety of her Ecuadorian-based cosmetic products.

“My advice is to do something you love so that when there are problems you are motivated to work through them and not abandon your project,” Cuichán said. “It’s hard to believe that your business will actually work, but you need to trust yourself.” 

The AWE program uses DreamBuilder, a no-cost online learning platform created by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management (ASU) and the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation, to teach AWE participants the fundamentals of business not only from a U.S. perspective, but also addressing regional and individual needs. Classes cover topics in marketing, financial management, product differentiation, and other skills essential to starting and maintaining a business. Having this program available online allows AWE to draw from a variety of resources and provide a diverse range of mentors and subjects. 

“Nowadays, it is as important to understand and utilize technology as it used to be to read,” Chavez points out. “There is the issue of constantly evolving technology and social media, which requires us to be adaptable.”

Apart from information on international trade, Cuichán felt inspired to focus more on sustainability after the UPS program. “One of the sayings that stuck with me is that there’s no point in making big gestures if you don’t start small, if you don’t start making changes in your own house.” 

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Cuichán labels her hand-soaps and shows the finished product which comes in a variety of natural scents.

Already, her business Sacha Cosmetic Ecuador sources many of their materials from Amazonian plants, all of which are harvested by local women and families to ensure a natural and ecologically-friendly extraction. After her experiences with AWE and The UPS Foundation, Cuichán has also begun the process to receive fair-trade and organic certification for her products, and she hopes to increase her exports internationally in the coming months. Similarly, Chavez is working on exporting more artisanal goods and reducing the number of intermediaries in the process so that the female workers receive proper compensation. 

“I believe you can always improve, both personally and professionally. It’s never too late to start, and when two women work together, they can move mountains,” said Chavez. 

Written by Carina Rudolph-Math, a VSFS Intern with the U.S. Department of State.

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 The winners of the pitch competition celebrating their accomplishments - Photo credit: Ping Ping Han

As we enter 2024 in eager anticipation of what the new year has in store, the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) revisits some of the many successes of this past year. One particular event, the first-ever Indo-Pacific Women in Tech Summit, comes to mind. The Summit, which took place in Taipei in mid–November, stands as a testament to the progress made towards empowering increased female entrepreneurship as well as efforts of the United States Government to support economic stability, opportunity, and equity abroad. 

The Indo-Pacific Summit gathered together women entrepreneurs and alumni of the AWE program from Brunei, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The inaugural event included networking opportunities, training workshops, and ultimately a pitch competition.

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Shao Hua Huang developing her unique/personalized measuring system - Photo Credit: Shao Hua Huang

One of the many women in attendance was AWE alum Shao Hua Huang, a female entrepreneur from Taiwan who founded Cocoon Bravolution. Her company, which she founded just over a year ago, works to empower women and bra-wearers across Asia through the development of personalized consultation and measuring techniques aimed at matching customers with ideal-fitting undergarments. Through the development of a unique virtual platform, Cocoon Bravolution employs database technology to ensure a perfect fit while maintaining total privacy for customers. Huang remarked on the many challenges of starting a female-run business–particularly one that deals with the often taboo subject of bras. The new fashion tech industry in Taiwan is a largely male-dominated field, meaning Cocoon Bravolution proved to be unrelatable for many of Huang’s peers and potential mentors. The Indo-Pacific Summit for women provided a refreshingly “welcoming atmosphere” and an opportunity to interact with and gain inspiration from like-minded women who could better relate to her business as well as its goals. Similarly, with help from marketing workshops developed through an AWE partnership with Meta, Huang was able to better understand her target audience and the strategies to best reach it. Inspired by the network of female entrepreneurs Huang met through the AWE program and at the Summit, as well as her dedication to promoting inclusivity and empowerment, when asked for words of wisdom or advice she might give to aspiring female entrepreneurs, Huang said “take AWE as an example – women need to help each other.”

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Ping Ping Han presenting at the Pitch Competition - Photo Credit: Ping Ping Han

Ping Ping Han is another impressive AWE alumni, this time from Singapore, who attended the recent Indo-Pacific Summit. Han is the founder of Aloha, a circular commerce platform that helps businesses to Connect, Repurpose, and Monetise recycling actions into revenue generating experiences or recycled products, having served clients from the travel hospitality to technology sectors. As first place winner of the Summit’s startup pitch competition, she recognized the value of the confidence she gained from the Indo-Pacific Summit. Han believes that one of the biggest challenges facing women entrepreneurs is hesitancy and a tendency to “overthink and over-prepare.” Empowered and inspired by the “spirit of camaraderie” which Han found to be remarkably palpable throughout her time as a participant in the AWE program as well as at the recent Summit, she appreciates how important learning to “just go for it” can be.

The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs’ first-ever Indo-Pacific Women in Tech Summit proved to be a major success as it provided a unique opportunity to expand the network of AWE Alumni, collaboratively empowering women from AWE programs all across Asia.