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Fourth Inter-American Dialogue of High-Level Msme Authorities Public Policies to Enhance the Competitiveness, Innovation and Internationalization of MSMEs

Economic development
16 April 2015|Event
ECLAC - Washington, D.C.

The Director of the ECLAC Washington Office, Inés Bustillo Moderates Panel on The Challenge of Access to Finance for MSME's OAS Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

THE CHALLENGE OF ACCESS TO FINANCE FOR MSMEs: Innovative Approaches This session will analyze several experiences of successful public policies and programs for expanding access to finance for MSMEs. Innovative financing tools such as “crowdfunding” will be considered highlighting their potential as well as the challenges countries face to regulate them appropriately. The contribution of cooperatives will also be explored.

Moderator: Inés Bustillo, Director, UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Office in Washington D.C.

Crowdfunding: Harnessing its Potential, Addressing its Risks Richard Swart, Director of Research, University of California, Berkeley, Innovation in Entrepreneurial and Social Finance Program

Expanding Support for SMES through Alternative Financial Instruments Alejandro Soriano, Senior Executive, SME Division, Development Bank of Latin America (CAF)

Cooperatives: Addressing the Financial Needs of the MSME Sector Gilles Bernard, Vice-président Performance et Innovation, Desjardins, Canada

Q & A and exchange among participants

Practical information

The IV Inter-American Dialogue of High-Level MSME Authorities and Public Policies to Enhance the Competitiveness, Innovation and Internationalization of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), will be held on April 16-17, 2015 at the OAS headquarters in Washington D.C. with the support of the Department of Economic Development of the OAS Executive Secretariat for Integral Development with funding from the Government of Canada.

The objective of the meeting is to continue the regional dialogue among high-level authorities that has taken place since 2010 on policies and programs to support the innovation and competitiveness of MSMEs. Participants will include high-level authorities responsible for the MSME portfolio and representatives of institutions with programs aimed at strengthening the capacity of this sector, who will have the opportunity to share best practices and identify concrete opportunities for horizontal cooperation.

The Dialogue is expected to conclude with the identification of elements of a plan of action to promote the competitiveness, innovation and internationalization of MSMEs as part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region, as well as mechanisms to follow-up and document the progress made at the national and regional level, including horizontal cooperation initiatives.

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