An Israeli initiated UN
resolution on "Entrepreneurship for Development"
Israel, now famously known as the Start-Up Nation, is renowned for its
remarkable spirit of entrepreneurship.
Much space has been dedicated to detailing how
Israel produces more start-ups per capita than any nation on the planet, how Israel
has the third highest number of companies on the NASDAQ, surpassed only by
America and China and how Tel Aviv was named the second most
entrepreneurship-friendly city in the world.
But that is only half the story...
Israel is not only reaping the benefits of a strong
and growing entrepreneurial spirit at home, but is striving to share this
spirit with the world. Israel is
encouraging other nations to support entrepreneurship for economic growth and is
highlighting its crucial role for achieving sustainable development.
As Ron Prosor, the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations stated three
weeks ago, "Entrepreneurship is the key to unlocking the challenges of the
21st century. It should be a central focus of the United Nations’
post-2015 development agenda."
Consequently, Israel is looking to harness its entrepreneurial spirit
for international development and demonstrate how entrepreneurship can be used
to tackle the world's most pressing development challenges; making the
transition from the Start-up Nation to the Development Start-Up Nation. To such
ends, in December 2012, the United Nations approved an Israeli initiated
resolution on "Entrepreneurship for Development". The
resolution was designed to encourage countries to support entrepreneurs as a
means of advancing growth and prosperity in the developing world.
The resolution, initiated, authored and submitted by
Israel to the UN General Assembly marked a significant turning point and itself
constituted a historic landmark for the UN body. Firstly, the resolution was
innovative in and of itself. General Assembly resolutions usually clarify
policies which countries are then to adopt and implement. In this case,
however, the resolution reflected a bottom up process. The resolution was based
upon existing activities undertaken by Israel, through MASHAV - Israel's Agency
for International Development Cooperation, in using entrepreneurship for
development and then shared with the world.
Secondly, the resolution marked the first time in
the UN's history, that the General Assembly recognised the need to promote a
culture of entrepreneurship in the developing world as a means of advancing
economic growth, eradicating poverty and encouraging human development. The
resolution called on developing nations to support entrepreneurship through
numerous measures. For example, through improved regulatory environments, the
strengthening of domestic financial institutions and policy initiatives that
promote entrepreneurship and encourage talented people, including women and
youth, to put their ideas into action.
Finally, the resolution also marked a further shift
in the UN's development approach, away from the provision of aid and towards
empowerment, towards a greater investment in human capital.
As a follow up to the resolution, an event on
"Entrepreneurship for Development" was held at the UN on 26th
June 2013. The conference was co-hosted
by the Israeli Mission to the UN and the President of the General Assembly and
addressed how entrepreneurship can help move developing countries from poverty
to prosperity, using Israel's remarkable success as a model.
The conference featured entrepreneurs from around
the world and representatives from an incredible range of countries. It also
shone a spotlight on Israeli innovation and ingenuity as a model for poverty
eradication and financial growth. The event was divided into an opening segment
and then three panels: one on entrepreneurship for development; the second on
entrepreneurship education and the third on entrepreneurship as a tool for
empowerment.
Entrepreneurship has vast potential to contribute
to the attainment of sustainable development and to change the world. The
realisation of such potential, however, is heavily dependent upon commitment
from governments and effective investment in human capital.
As we look to the future, MASHAV is committed to continuing its investment in human capital and to sharing Israel's expertise and great spirit of entrepreneurship with the world. To date, in cooperation with the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) of the Organisation of American States, MASHAV has reached over 22,500 beneficiaries in Latin America and the Caribbean Islands, training them in entrepreneurship.
The State of Israel, through MASHAV, is striving to encourage and empower a new generation across the devleoping world to push the boundaries, to see new possibilities, and to find solutions to this century's most pressing challenges, to move the developing world from poverty to prosperity.
See the UN webcasts of the event below:
Danielle Abraham is currently a Policy Advisor
to the Director of Policy Planning and External Relations of MASHAV, Israel's
Agency for International Development Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Well said Danielle!
ReplyDeleteFelix