Webinar on Entrepreneurship in post COVID-19 resurgence: Entrepreneurship and Fintech

Event Description

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) have joined efforts to host a series of special Virtual Roundtable on the impacts on entrepreneurship, needs, and responses on enhancing their role in resilient, green and inclusive recovery. The initiative aims at providing insights to policymakers and MSMEs to better understand and navigate this unprecedented situation.

This 4-parts series will bring together international experts to discuss the role of entrepreneurship in a post-COVID-19 recovery. Experts will be sharing practical experiences and views on challenges and opportunities entrepreneurs are facing and will be likely to face in the current global crisis. They will also debate on policy reforms needed to enhance the role of entrepreneurship in sustainable recovery and advancing the SDG agenda.

Watch the recording here.

Background

The new coronavirus pandemic is having unprecedented impacts across the globe, especially on human health and economic activities. In this context, Governments are intensifying their efforts to combat the global spread of COVID-19 by enacting various measures to support public health systems, safeguard the economy and to ensure public order and safety.

Likewise, entrepreneurs have looked for creative solutions to keep their activities afloat, addressing different challenges they are experiencing. The downturn in the global economy following this huge sanitary and health crisis represents unprecedented challenges, but will provide opportunities as well.

Discussion objectives

The objective of this virtual discussions is to identify and analyse the main impacts of COVID-19 on entrepreneurs and MSMEs, their reactions, as well as the support they have received to face the current situation. Discussions will provide an opportunity for an intermediate impact assessment of the disruption, would help to identify a set of priority policies and measures for immediate basic re-opening measures for small business-owners, in order to facilitate resurgence, and develop a longer- term social and green economic recovery strategy where the entrepreneurship and MSMEs play a central role leaving no one behind. The webinars will also help to raise awareness of challenges on post COVID 19 resurgence of MSMEs and share practices on how they could be addressed to facilitate the role of entrepreneurship and MSMEs in the green and sustainable social and economic recovery.

Content

Simiilar to earlier series, each webinar will last for 1.5 hours and will be co-led by UNCTAD and UNITAR. The platform will be hosted by UNITAR. Spanish and French translation will be provided to the audience.   

The following questions will be addressed in the first webinar on 22 April 2021:

• How is fintech helping entrepreneurs and MSMEs survive during this COVID-19 crisis?
• Do entrepreneurs and MSMEs have a role to play in the recovery response of the fintech industry?
• What policies can governments implement to maximize the benefits of fintech to entrepreneurs and MSMEs?
• What are the key challenges and good practices to be considered to facilitate MSMEs access to fintech?
• What capacity building programmes are available in this regard?

Target audience

The event is open to all and is targeting all entrepreneurship stakeholders, with a particular focus on the following groups:

• Public sector officials;
• International organization;
• Representatives from the private sector, including MSMEs, and academia;
• Civil Society representatives.