Date
Location
The thematic exhibition "Micro, small and medium enterprises in the sustainable development of society", dedicated to the Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day, opens from June 21 to July 24 in the International Organizations reading room (room 207g).
This Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly on April 6, 2017 (resolution A / RES / 71/279) and is celebrated annually on June 27. It was celebrated for the first time in 2017.
The purpose of the Day is to emphasize the important role of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the economy and development of any country, as well as in the common cause of achieving the goals of sustainable development.
The criteria for determining the size of business in each country are different. According to the European Commission classification, micro enterprises are the enterprises which include less than 10 employees and have the annual turnover of less than 2 million euros, in small enterprises there are less than 50 employees and the annual turnover is less than 10 million euros and in the medium-sized enterprises there are up to 250 employees and the annual turnover is less than 50 million euros. This division is very conditional, as it depends on many factors - business culture, the population of the country, the development of industry, the level of international economic integration.
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises are the foundation of the economy of most countries of the world, including developing countries. According to the International Small Business Council (ICSB), about 90% of all enterprises employing about 70% of the working-age population belong to the category of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, and these enterprises account for 50% of the GWP.
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises play a crucial role in achieving the sustainable development goals, primarily by promoting innovative and creative approaches and creating jobs. Jobs are necessary for the most vulnerable groups of the population and are often the only source of income in rural areas. They are very important for social development, and play a decisive role in the fight against poverty. Therefore, in most states, supporting small businesses and private enterprises is considered as a strategically important task.
Despite this, micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises face serious obstacles when trying to obtain financing, which significantly limits the prospects for their growth and development.
According to the World Bank, from 200 to 245 million enterprises looking for financing do not have access to credit. In the most difficult situation there are enterprises that are not officially registered. Their share is 74% of the total number of enterprises and 77% in developing countries.
Recognizing this fact and the importance of the principles of responsible entrepreneurship, the United Nations suggests to states to encourage the formalization of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, provide them the access to investment and concessional lending, and develop international cooperation among enterprises of different countries.
Small and medium-sized enterprises in Belarus make a significant contribution to the development of the national economy. The share of small and medium businesses in our country is about 24% of GWP, 40% of proceeds from sales, 37% of investments in fixed assets, 28.5% of tax revenues, and more than 42% of foreign trade. In the sphere of small and medium business currently more than 30% of the labor force are employed.
In 2016, the Small and Medium-sized Business Development Program for 2016-2020 "Small and medium-sized business in the Republic of Belarus" was adopted. In 2018 there is a discussion of the strategy for the development of small and medium-sized businesses until 2030 "Belarus is a country of successful entrepreneurship".
The exhibition presents about 80 documents in Russian and English languages: books, periodicals, brochures, booklets.
The exposition includes the following topics:
- Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and their contribution to sustainable development
- Public and private partnership and its role in the modern economy
- Basic forms and mechanisms for supporting small and medium-sized businesses
- Small and medium-sized business in the Republic of Belarus: state and development trends
- Development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in selected countries of the world
Useful Links:
Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day (June 27)
Sustainable development goals
UN Development Programme
International Labour organization
UN Global Compact
International Council for Small Business (ICSB)
The SME Finance Forum
Documents
Resolution of the UN General Assembly on the Establishment of the Day (A/RES/71/279)An Agenda for Sustainable Development for the period up to 2030 (A/RES/70/1)
Small and medium-sized enterprises and decent and productive employment creation
The opening hours of the exhibition corresponds to the library’s opening hours.
Entrance to the exhibition is available by the library ticket or ticket of the library's social and cultural center.
For more info: (+375 17) 293 27 34.
