ILO (ITC-ILO)
Zambia to host the ILO Global Academy on Sustainable Enterprise Development
Zambia to become the first African country to welcome ILO-supported innovation and best practices in the field of sustainable enterprise development from 31 August to 4 September 2015.
28 August 2015
LUSAKA (ILO News) - More than 140 practitioners, policy-makers, entrepreneurs, business experts and enterprise development practitioners from 15 different countries will gather at the New Government Complex in Lusaka to discuss the latest private sector trends and innovations during the ILO Global Academy on Sustainable Enterprise Development, jointly organised by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITC-ILO) and Zambia’s Tripartite Constituents.
The Sustainable Enterprise Academy will be inaugurated by the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Fackson Shamenda, MP. High on the agenda, youth employment, women entrepreneurship development, global supply chains including agribusiness, leapfrogging technology to boost access to finance as well as developing markets for inclusive green growth and job creation.
The 8th Edition of the Academy, which is taking place outside Turin, Italy for the first time, will serve as a forum for exchange of ideas and new trends in enterprises development; test tools and best practices that will contribute to sustainable enterprises development; and create a platform for knowledge and experience sharing from different institutions and organisations in the field of SME development.
The meeting will also help to analyse opportunities and challenges for the promotion of sustainable enterprise development.
Challenged by high levels of unemployment, many African countries opt to invest in entrepreneurship as a viable means for job creation and sustainable development. Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Africa are a main driver of job creation and as such critical to tackle unemployment and create economic development. In addition, current global trends point towards new business opportunities for SMEs in areas such as green economy and social entrepreneurship. Nevertheless, SMEs in the region are challenged by high levels of informality, low levels of productivity as well as lacking the necessary backing in terms of financial and non-financial support services and an enabling policy, regulatory and legal framework that stimulate entrepreneurship and job creation.
Background info
The ILO has a mandate, reaffirmed in the 2008 Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization, to promote sustainable enterprises as an integral part of the Decent Work Agenda. In addition to this and in the context of the post-2015 development agenda or global action on the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the concerns of many governments and the demand of people in countries in all regions has led to the proposal of SDG #8 specifically to “promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all” including specific targets on social protection and skills development. In this vein the ILO therefore supports governments and organised business and labour to harness business and employment opportunities in a systemic manner through the development of sustainable enterprises with an emphasis on economic, environmental and social impact.
ITC-ILO E-Campus
The Sustainable Enterprise Academy will be inaugurated by the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Fackson Shamenda, MP. High on the agenda, youth employment, women entrepreneurship development, global supply chains including agribusiness, leapfrogging technology to boost access to finance as well as developing markets for inclusive green growth and job creation.
The 8th Edition of the Academy, which is taking place outside Turin, Italy for the first time, will serve as a forum for exchange of ideas and new trends in enterprises development; test tools and best practices that will contribute to sustainable enterprises development; and create a platform for knowledge and experience sharing from different institutions and organisations in the field of SME development.
The meeting will also help to analyse opportunities and challenges for the promotion of sustainable enterprise development.
Challenged by high levels of unemployment, many African countries opt to invest in entrepreneurship as a viable means for job creation and sustainable development. Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Africa are a main driver of job creation and as such critical to tackle unemployment and create economic development. In addition, current global trends point towards new business opportunities for SMEs in areas such as green economy and social entrepreneurship. Nevertheless, SMEs in the region are challenged by high levels of informality, low levels of productivity as well as lacking the necessary backing in terms of financial and non-financial support services and an enabling policy, regulatory and legal framework that stimulate entrepreneurship and job creation.
Background info
The ILO has a mandate, reaffirmed in the 2008 Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization, to promote sustainable enterprises as an integral part of the Decent Work Agenda. In addition to this and in the context of the post-2015 development agenda or global action on the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the concerns of many governments and the demand of people in countries in all regions has led to the proposal of SDG #8 specifically to “promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all” including specific targets on social protection and skills development. In this vein the ILO therefore supports governments and organised business and labour to harness business and employment opportunities in a systemic manner through the development of sustainable enterprises with an emphasis on economic, environmental and social impact.
ITC-ILO E-Campus