About WEPZA

Founded in 1978 by the United Nations, WEPZA is the private non-profit World Association of Economic Processing Zones and Free Trade Zones. It is an independent association dedicated to the improvement of the efficiency of all Economic Processing Zones (EPZs) through:

Periodic exchange of information at WEPZA Conferences and Workshops
Recruiting and training EPZ Management
Research on markets and trade flows supplied to members as the WEPZADB database
Creation and maintenance of the WEPZA Website on the Internet
Cooperative Transport arrangements to reduce costs
Networks of subcontracting and purchasing among zone factories
Cooperative promotion of EPZs to manufacturers and services providers worldwide
Periodic discussions between EPZs and the manufacturing/services community
Representing Free Zones and EPZs before international bodies in defense of their interests and their freedoms

Following 4 years of study WEPZA was founded at Manila, Philippines in 1978 by the UN as an organization of 29 governments experienced in the development of export processing zones. Recognizing operating deficiencies, it reorganized itself as an independent, private, non-profit association of zones in 1985, and engaged The Flagstaff Institute, a US non-profit research organization, as its manager. Since 1985 WEPZA has reached a total of 60 EPZs with operations in 66 countries as members. The Institute supplies newsletters, a database, training seminars and supporting conferences and workshops around the world in WEPZA's behalf. Through WEPZA, the Institute is also active in educating governments, international organizations, and regional and global trade organizations on the efficiency of EPZs in attracting Foreign Direct Investment to poor countries and the importance of their economic freedoms in many aspects of national and global development.

We have held 21 WEPZA annual conferences and produced full sets of memoirs available to the public thus covering in great detail this new emerging field of EPZs in the world. This is an incomparable record -- no university, no bureaucracy, certainly no multilateral agency has even come close to providing the core knowledge of the EPZ that WEPZA has. Furthermore, we have significantly affected 9 other major conferences by providing support and speakers around the world. At the World Trade Organization Ministerials we have defended EPZ freedom to protect their respective incentives to attract industry. The Journal of The Flagstaff Institute has provided a full breadth of opinion and statistical support to the EPZ movement for 27 years with copies going to members, leading academic institutions, economists and multilateral agencies.

WEPZA's Director

Robert Haywood

Senior advisor to governments and industry on offshore manufacturing sites and policies with emphasis on economic processing zones. Formerly Managing Director of Hong Kong subsidiary of a $600 million enterprise manufacturing electronic components and consumer products, he opened an assembly operation in P.R. China in 1979-81. He is the author and global lecturer on economic development through networks of free zones and EPZs based on his familiarity with over 60 EPZs around the world. Associate Director of The Flagstaff Institute. Director of the WEPZA Secretariat. President of International Parks, Inc. Physics graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Awarded MBA with distinction at Harvard Business School, Faculty. Additional Graduate Study University of Colorado in Business Policy and Economics.

WEPZA's Director Emeritus

Richard Bolin

Senior consultant on industrial development through use of export processing zones and free zones in 50 countries since 1957. Conducted basic study for the Mexican Government in 1964 to relieve unemployment in its northern border region resulting in the creation of 1,400,000 new export jobs in 3700 companies at the start of the 21st century in its "maquila" industry using industrial parks as foci for development. Director of The Flagstaff Institute and editor of its Journal. Co-Director of the WEPZA Secretariat (1985-2003). Chairman, International Parks, Inc. Engineering graduate of Texas A&M and M.I.T. and of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.