Regional Meeting for Africa on "Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as drivers of productive capacity and job creation"

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Date: - Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

A regional meeting on the theme “Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as drivers of productive capacity and job creation”, was held on 25 March 2012, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The meeting was organized in preparation for the 2012 ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review (AMR), to be held at United Nations Headquarters in New York in July 2012, on the theme: “Promoting productive capacity, employment and decent work to eradicate poverty in the context of inclusive, sustainable and equitable economic growth at all levels for achieving the MDGs”. It will be organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The meeting aims to bring together a diverse and comprehensive range of policy makers from the countries in the region, representatives of multilateral institutions, key donors, representatives of employers, trade unions and other members of civil society and the private sector, to identify trends and challenges in regards to productive capacity, employment and decent work in Africa.

Documents:

Presentations:

  • Opening remarks:
    • H.E. Mr. Maged A. Abdelaziz, Vice President, United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations
    • Mr. Thomas Stelzer, Assistant Secretary-General, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), New York
    • Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
    • H.E. Mr. Ato Ahmed Shide, State Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Ethiopia
  • Panelists:
    • Dr. Talaat Abdel-Malek, Economic Adviser to the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Egypt and Chair of the OECD Working Party on Aid Effectiveness
    • Mr. Godfrey Selematsela, Deputy President, FEDUSA, South Africa
    • Mr. Mario Pezzini, Director, Development Centre, OECD
    • Ms. Nabila Sahnoune, Director of Analysis, Ministry of Industry, Small and Medium Enterprises and Investment Promotion, Algeria
    • Mr. Andreas Klemmer, Senior Enterprise Development Specialist, Decent Work Team for Southern and Eastern Africa, ILO Pretoria
    • Ms. Akila Belembaogo, Head of Liaison Office and Representative to the African Union and UN Economic Commission for Africa, UNICEF
    • Ms. Helena Okiring, Youth Leader, Uganda
    • Mr. Cheick Sidi Diarra, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, United Nations
  • Closing statements
    • H.E. Mr. Maged A. Abdelaziz, Vice-President, UN ECOSOC, Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations, New York
    • Mr. Thomas Stelzer, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Co-ordination and Inter-Agency Affairs , UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)

For more information on the meeting, please contact Mr. Alberto Padova, Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, UN DESA (+1 212 963-4759, @email)