Schedule of Events

10 A.M. – 10:40 A.M.

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Moderator: Mr. Ayman ElTarabishy, President & CEO, ICSB

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Speakers: 

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H.E. Csaba Kőrösi, President of the General Assembly of the UN (TBC)

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H.E. Lachezara Stoeva, President of the Economic and Social Council (TBC)

H.E. Ambassador María del Carmen Squeff, Permanent Representative of Argentina to the United Nations

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H.E. Ambassador Matthew Wilson, Permanent Representative andAmbassador of Barbados

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Mr. Gerd Müller, Director-General, UN Industrial Development Organization

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Ms. Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of UN Conference on Trade & Development

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Gilbert F. Houngbo, International Labour Organization Director-General

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Ms. Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director, International TradeCentre

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Mr. Li Junhua, under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs

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Mr. Winslow Sargeant, Chair of the Board, ICSB

10:40 A.M. – 11:25 A.M.

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Moderator: Mr. Ralf Bredel, Director and Representative to the United Nations, UNIDO

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Speakers: 

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H.E. Sithembiso Nyoni, Minister of Women Affairs, Community and Small and Medium Enterprise Development, Zimbabwe

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Mr. Racine Sarr, Founder at Shopmeaway, 

Mr. Jo Kyoo-il, Mayor, Jinju City, Republic of Korea 

Ms. Anne Chappaz, Chief, Institutions and Ecosystems, International Trade Centre

Mr. Joel Nelson, Cargill, Global Leader, External Innovation 

Ms. Ibtihel Ben Hadj Mbare, General Manager and Founder of Herbalya 

11:25 A.M. – 12:10 P.M.

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Moderator: Mr. Amson Sibanda, Chief, National Strategies and Capacity Building Branch, Division for Sustainable DevelopmentGoals, DESA and Ms. Virginia Rose Losada WED Global Coordinator, SME Unit, ILO

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Speakers: 

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Ms. Lisa Skeete Tatum, Founder and CEO of Landit 

Ms. Obianuju Uzo-Ojinnaka, Founder at Traders of Africa

Mr. Sandeep Chachra, CEO of ActionAid India

Mrs. Claudia Mazari Torres, Mayor of Puente de Ixtla, Mexico

Ms. Franziska Giffey, Former Governing Mayor of Berlin

Ms. Suyesha Sthapit, Executive Director; Federation of WomanEntrepreneurs' Associations of Nepal (FWEAN)

Ms. Christine Virtucio, CEO & Founder of Virtucio Designs

12:10 P.M. – 12:55 P.M.

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Moderator: Mr. Skye Blanks, ICSB COO

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Speakers: 

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ITC Pre-Recorded Ecopreneur Video

Mr. Muhammad Sarim Raza, Co-founder at Mawesh E- Mandi

Ms. Francesca Milocco (Project Coordinator of NanoValbruna, Board member of ReGeneration Hub Friuli)

Mr. Stefano Cercelletta (Contest Coordinator of NanoValbruna, Board member of ReGeneration Hub Friuli)

Mrs. Laura Segura, Manager of Innovation and Services of the ArgentineIndustrial Union

2:00 P.M. – 2:40 P.M.

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Moderator: Mr. Winslow Sargeant, Chair ICSB

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Speakers: 

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ITC Pre-Recorded Ecopreneur Video

Mr. Muhammad Sarim Raza, Co-founder at Mawesh E- Mandi

Ms. Francesca Milocco (Project Coordinator of NanoValbruna, Board member of ReGeneration Hub Friuli)

Mr. Stefano Cercelletta (Contest Coordinator of NanoValbruna, Board member of ReGeneration Hub Friuli)

Mrs. Laura Segura, Manager of Innovation and Services of the Argentine Industrial Union

2:40 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.

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Moderator: Ms. Analia Pastran, ICSB Director and Co-Chair of theWorld Urban Campaign of UN-Habitat

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Speakers: 

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H.E. Gloria Guevara, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Tourism of SaudiArabia, Sustainable Tourism Global Center (STGC)

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H.E. Orkhan Mammadov (Chairman of the Management Board), The Small and Medium Business Development Agency (SMBDA) of the Republic of Azerbaijan

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Ms. Vanessa Perry, The George Washington University School ofBusiness Vice Dean for Strategy

Mr. Kichan Kim, Founder of Humane  Entrepreneurship, Professor, Catholic University, S. Korea

Mr. Stefano Bonini, Associate Professor of Finance. StevensInstitute of Technology 

Ms. Unatha Lutshaba, South African Cultural Observatory-Executive Director

Ms. Chrystele Sanon, Qwampus Founder, Coach & Teacher

4:00 P.M. – 5:15 P.M.

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Moderator: Winslow Sargeant, Chair ICSB

Speakers:

Mr. Tomas Canosa, Undersecretary of MSME of Argentina

Mr. Hartmut-Heinrich Meyer Professor of Business Administration and Entrepreneurship at FOM, Germany

Ms. Vicki Stylianou, Group Executive, Advocacy & Policy - Australia

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Mr. Jeff Alves, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of the International Council for Small Business

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Mr. Paolo Licata, President BoD & CEO of CO2NVERT

Ms. Martina Tomasetig, HR Manager & Co-founder of CO2NVERT(start-up winner of BAITE Innovation Award)

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Ms. Valentina Larini, technology developer of PeroGreen

Mr. Enrico Montanaro, Co-founder & CEO of Agreen Biosolutions(start-up winner of BAITE Innovation Award)

Mr. Gerhard Andrey, Member of the National Council of Switzerland

Rico J. Baldegger, Director and Professor, School of ManagementFribourg

Mr. Christian Meisel, Professor, Hochschule Magdeburg-Stendal University

Mr. Christoph Winkler, Professor & founding program director of the Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation,Iona University

Mr. Kyle Lyon, Data Scientist, AI and the Future of MSMEs

Ms. Jennifer Kirkland, Entrepreneur, Better Access to Healthcarefor MSMEs

5:30 P.M. – 5:45 P.M.

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Moderator: Mr. Ayman ElTarabishy, President & CEO, ICSB Speakers: ICSB and Youth

Galvanizing MSMEs Worldwide by Supporting Women and Youth Entrepreneurship and Resilient Supply Chains 

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The United Nations General Assembly designated 27 June as “Micro-, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises Day” (A/RES/71/279) to raise awareness of the tremendous contributions of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

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MSMEs and self-employed workers serve a core function in the development of economies. Globally, they represent about 90 percent of all businesses and account for over two-thirds of employment. If adequately supported, they can effectively contribute to the structural transformation of economies and drive inclusive, sustained, and equitable economic growth and jobs. 

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However, multiple simultaneous shocks and crises have disturbed the global working environment for entrepreneurs and MSMEs. In addition, conflicts, commodity dependence, geopolitical tensions, and pandemics drive social and economic instability, making MSMEs extremely vulnerable to rising inflation and supply chain disruptions. 

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Among the most vulnerable, women- and youth-owned enterprises are often at risk of external shocks. This is when the percentage and overall number of business formations by women and youth are increasing worldwide. However, facing limited access to affordable finance, capacity-building support, partnership networks, and global markets, women and young entrepreneurs need help to overcome the numerous challenges that frequently stifle the growth of their businesses, confining many of them to informality or necessity entrepreneurship. 

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Policies that strengthen capacities and support MSMEs development and entrepreneurship for women and youth need to be at the forefront to address those challenges, lower and remove barriers, and provide an operating environment for women- and youth-owned businesses to grow, thus contributing to the full achievement of SDGs 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 and the “leave no one behind” promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

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This MSMEs day will also focus on supporting resilient supply chains to ensure workers and the environment benefit. Supply chains are a critical component of global trade and commerce, and conflicts, disasters, and pandemics can quickly impact their functioning, increasing costs and making transactions more difficult. 

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In addition, competition and concentration of critical operations in international supply chains can pressure suppliers who are pushed to cut costs to stay in business. Poor working conditions, lack of workers’ representation, unfair wages, unsafe working environments, and reduced attention to environmentally-sound practices generate adverse outcomes. A human-centered approach is needed to help improve these conditions. 

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Practices that result in environmental degradation and compromise working conditions will ultimately affect MSMEs and the communities they serve. Therefore, policymakers and businesses must join forces to ensure economically viable, socially, and environmentally sustainable supply chains. 

The International MSMEs Day, observed on June 27th every year, provides an opportunity to highlight the crucial role of MSMEs in sustainable development and advocate for policies that support their growth. The United Nations General Assembly designated June 27th as the International Day for MSMEs in recognition of the importance of MSMEs in promoting economic growth and job creation. Argentina proposed the Day with the International Council for Small Business (ICSB).