Remarks on 25th Session of the Inter-Governmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts (ICSOE) of Southern Africa

I will begin by saying “a hearty good morning to you all”.

It is a pleasure to join the Government of Eswatini and UNECA in welcoming you to the 25th session of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts for Southern Africa, here in Ezulwini.

On behalf of my colleagues from UN agencies, funds and programmes in the Kingdom of Eswatini, as well as on my own behalf, I wish to express our sincere appreciation to UNECA for its kind invitation to attend this meeting and to the Government of Eswatini for the strong cooperation and collaboration that we enjoy to continue to improve the lives of the people of Eswatini.

The theme of the 25th Session of Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts (ICSOE), “Strategies and policies for the integration of MSMEs in the industrialization process”, is highly relevant in Southern Africa and is in line with our combined efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

SDG target 8.3 specifically calls upon all of us to “promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small-and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services.”

The theme of this session is relevant to the aspirations of the Kingdom of Eswatini where, under the Government’s Strategic Roadmap 2019 – 2023 and as it is the case in other parts of SADC, the MSME sector has been singled out as a significant contributor to inclusive economic growth, wealth creation and in creating the much-needed jobs, especially for the youth.

It is important and timely that this session of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts focuses on the policies, strategies and other imperatives that should be put in place to foster the growth of the MSME sector. Indeed, the crucial role of MSMEs in the national economy depends on the roles of governments, the private sector and the public at large in harnessing and optimizing the sector’s growth and development.

In fact, to underscore the recognition and the importance of this key sector of national and global economies, the UN General Assembly in its 74th Plenary meeting held on 6 April 2017 and in Resolution 71/279, declared 27 June to be observed as the “Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day”. In that Resolution, the General Assembly recognized the need to focus on the importance of MSMEs in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in promoting innovation, creativity and decent work for all.

The UN General Assembly further invited Member States, organizations of the UN system, other international organizations, civil society and other relevant stakeholders to raise public awareness on MSMEs by fostering research and policy discussions in close collaboration with the private sector.

We are aware of the many barriers that hinder the growth of the MSME sector. Such barriers include access to finance,  the need to enhance entrepreneurial skills, limited awareness of innovation needs, and so on. Government policies are therefore needed, and they should be based on a sound understanding of the circumstances under which small enterprises operate.

The UN is continuously assessing emerging approaches and technologies that can add value to the achievement of the SDGs in partnership with the public and the private sectors. We invest in innovation to find the best solutions to achieve better development results and design more inclusive processes in partnership with non-traditional partners such as the private sector, financial institutions, academia and think-tanks.

In our current 2016-2020 UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the UN in Eswatini seeks to support the Government in increasing employment opportunities and sustainable livelihoods for the youth, women and vulnerable groups. We recognize that economic growth is critical for the absorption of the many young people who wish to enter the labor market each year. As such MSMEs, including small holder farmers offer potential for increasing economic growth and providing employment opportunities, particularly for the youth and women, while providing sustainable livelihoods in rural areas.

In this regard, and as an example, the UN system in Eswatini continues to provide support to the Ministry of Agriculture and related parastatals to enhance business practices of smallholder farmers, many of whom are women. This includes supporting Government’s efforts to link small holder farmers to markets, agro-processors and dealers through the Eswatini Agricultural Development Programme. Additionally, the UN continues to support the development of innovative enterprises that contribute to the achievement of the SDGs, especially in the areas of renewable energy and environmental sustainability. This particular project is piloted with the Royal Science and Technology Park (RSTP) and targets youth and women. It is yet another example of UN partnership with the private sector – in this case a commercial bank - to provide access to finance to eligible enterprises owned by youth and women.

We are aware of and commend the Government’s continuous efforts to identify and develop models for financing MSMEs. The UN country team in Eswatini stands ready to partner with other UN organizations at the regional and sub regional levels such as ECA to provide technical support, in this regard. 

As clearly outlined in our programme of work, this inter-governmental meeting is aimed at identifying national and regional level strategies and attendant policies to elevate and strengthen the contribution of MSMEs to industrialization as well as economic and social transformation in the Southern Africa region.

I personally look forward to robust discussions on these issues over the next few days, and by the end of the meeting, to concrete recommendations and outcomes on strategies and policies for the integration of MSMEs in the industrialization process.

Again, on behalf of the UN system in the Kingdom of Eswatini, it is a pleasure and an honor to join you in this 25th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials. I wish you very fruitful discussions. Thank you.