In 1998, five regional conferences were held in preparation for the Second International Congress on Technical and Vocational Education (TVE). The Asia-Pacific regional conference focused on challenges of the 21st century, demands of the world of work, and changing patterns in the delivery of training programs. The European symposium covered five themes: vocational education and training (VET) and new technologies, environmental education and training, the changing role of the public and private sectors in VET, internationalization of economic activities and tourism, and noncommercial exchanges and vocational training. The conference held for policymakers and educators from the Arab states focused on the following: policies and strategies of TVE; quality, effectiveness, and relevance of TVE; renovation of TVE processes and contents; and application of informatics, new technologies, and networking in TVE. The African regional conference culminated in the formation of the Nairobi Action Plan for Technical and Vocational Education. The technical meeting on TVE in Latin America and the Caribbean had the dual purpose of discussing the main trends and experiences in secondary education reform in the region and developing a regional vision of TVE. (MN)