C’est en mobilisant les acteurs et les talents de la société civile, aux côtés et en complémentarité des gouvernements et des collectivités publiques, que nous pourrons relever ensemble ces formidables défis que représentent aujourd’hui l’emploi et l’émancipation des jeunes, l’égalité femme-hommes, la transition écologique ou encore l’avenir de l’entreprise.
Countries around the world continue to grapple with the economic and social emergency caused by the pandemic. But looking ahead, this year’s Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) Day—on 27 June—provides an opportunity to embrace SMEs and entrepreneurship as the driving force behind our recovery.
A year ago, entrepreneurs and small business owners found themselves in unchartered waters. Faced with unprecedented restrictions on their activity, the pandemic forced many to close their businesses and turn to governments for support for the first time. Early hopes of a swift recovery after lockdowns were lifted quickly proved to be a false dawn when the pandemic returned in second and third waves. Some small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs were able to adapt and seize new opportunities…
Entrepreneurs have been hit hard by the crisis. Surveys show that since the start of the pandemic, globally, 70-80% of SMEs experienced a serious drop in revenues/sales, and over 40% stopped operations altogether in the first wave of the crisis.
