The official launch of the SMART Myanmar project was held in the Myanmar capital city of Yangon on March 20, 2013. The event, attended by over 300 participants and guests, was officiated by the Chief Minister of Yangon together with high-ranking representatives from the EU Office, the German Embassy, and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce in Myanmar Business (UMFCCI).

SMART Myanmar is the abridgement for “SMEs for Environmental Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency Myanmar”. Also attending the launch are representatives of the implementing consortium of partners led by sequa gGmbH of Germany, UK’s Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Germany’s Gesamtverband (Confederation of the German Textile and Fashion Industry), the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia & the Pacific (ADFIAP), UMFCCI and the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA). Also attending were representatives of Associate partners, GIZ of Germany and the Netherlands’ CBI (Center for Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries).

Aside from the official project launch, the partners’ mission to Myanmar also afforded them to meet with to: (a) sign the cooperation agreement (b) organize the project steering committee and (c) draw up the project work plans. The timing also provided ADFIAP the opportunity to conduct, as part of the project, seminars for the Myanmar Banks Association (MBA) and the UMFCCI/MGMA on green financing and sustainable consumption and production (SCP) principles and practices, respectively.

The 3-year project, funded by a grant from the European Commission under its SWITCH-Asia Programme http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/asia/regional-cooperation/environment/switch_en.htm, specifically aims to improve the competitiveness and resource-efficient production and consumption of sustainably-manufactured garments from Myanmar.