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IV Inter-American Dialogue of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Authorities Concludes at the OAS

The IV Inter-American Dialogue of High-Level Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Authorities concluded today at the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS), with a call from member states to continue and strengthen the dialogue with the creation of three working groups in key areas identified as strategic to support the development of MSMEs and an agreement to hold the meeting every two years.

The meeting, co-organized by the OAS, included the participation of vice-ministers and executive directors from MSME support institutions and partner organizations, including the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations (ECLAC), the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), the World Bank, and the Center for the Promotion of Micro and Small Business in Central America (CENPROMYPE), as well as renowned academic institutions such as the University of California-Berkeley, Duke University, Tecnológico de Monterrey, the University of California San Diego and Babson College, among other partners.

The three panels covered in today’s session addressed common challenges faced by entrepreneurs in the region: “the challenge of access to finance for MSMEs;” “Internationalization of MSMEs;” and “MSME support institution and horizontal cooperation experiences.” Authorities and experts presented an overview of the current situation in the Americas, provided examples of solutions and innovative programs to address these challenges, and identified areas for potential cooperation.

In closing the meeting, the delegation of Belize presented a proposal, which was unanimously approved, to continue to hold the Inter-American Dialogue of High-Level MSME Authorities every two years with the support of international and regional organizations working in the field, academia and other stakeholders. In addition, the Belizean government proposed the creation of two working groups on: Strengthening MSME Support Institutions, and Innovation and Internationalization of SMEs.

A third working group was proposed by the delegation of Mexico on micro-enterprises, taking into account the needs of female entrepreneurs. The working groups are intended to ensure proper implementation of the initiatives stemming from the Dialogue by countries, with assistance from relevant stakeholders.

Finally, the Government of Mexico offered to host the V Inter-American Dialogue of High-Level Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Authorities in 2017.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-142/15