Collaborating with ESCAP (Economic and Social Committee for Asia and the Pacific) Trade & Investment week
held in the United Nations Centre in Bangkok, Thailand between the 30th of October and the 1st of November 2017.
The Taskforce of Youth and Women Entrepreneurship joined the ESBN (Escap Sustainable Business Network) taskforces meeting,
sharing the initiatives conducted in 2017, followed by the Trade and Investment Committee meeting and concluding
with the participation in three panels on Youth Entrepreneurship and Digital Economy
held in the United Nations Centre in Bangkok, Thailand between the 30th of October and the 1st of November 2017.
The Taskforce of Youth and Women Entrepreneurship joined the ESBN (Escap Sustainable Business Network) taskforces meeting,
sharing the initiatives conducted in 2017, followed by the Trade and Investment Committee meeting and concluding
with the participation in three panels on Youth Entrepreneurship and Digital Economy
"“DEVELOPMENT THAT MEETS THE PRESENT NEEDS WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE ABILITY OF FUTURE GENERATIONS TO MEET THEIR OWN NEEDS”
OUR COMMON FUTURE-UNITED NATIONS WORLD COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENT & DEVELOPMENT 1987 REPORT
Dialogue on Youth and Digital Economy
Realizing the Growth Potential of Young Entrepreneurs
for Sustainable Development
United Nations, Conference Room 4, Bangkok, Thailand, 1 November 2017
Realizing the Growth Potential of Young Entrepreneurs
for Sustainable Development
United Nations, Conference Room 4, Bangkok, Thailand, 1 November 2017
The purpose of this event is to promote dialogue about the opportunities and challenges faced by young entrepreneurs in a rapidly changing economic environment, where advances in information and communication technologies are spurring new ventures in multiple sectors at an ever-increasing speed.
Asia and the Pacific has the largest number of young people in the world - 717 million of the population is between 15-24 years old, corresponding to 60% of the worlds’ youth. In India, nearly 50% of the population is below 25 years of age. The energy and transformational drive of this large cohort of young people has the possibility to help rapidly drive development and transform societies in the region. Quality education and an enabling business climate for young people to start up, finance and run their enterprises will be key to tapping this growth potential. The ‘millennials’ that are entering business today have the possibility to drive rapid development of more sustainable ways of delivering products and services. To tap this potential, policy makers need to stay ahead and ensure that policies, infrastructure and financing sources meet the needs of budding young entrepreneurs in the new digital economy.
The importance of youth is also recognized in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which sets out to ‘substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship’ by 2030.
Panel 1: Young Digital Entrepreneurs in Asia Pacific
The digital economy has a huge growth potential. In this round table, young entrepreneurs from a variety of digital sectors will present their journeys and discuss opportunities and challenges for young digital entrepreneurs in Asia-Pacific. They will discuss how technology can transform regional economies and societies, and what policies would be needed to maximize the developmental potential of young entrepreneurs and tap the opportunities of this fast-growing sector.
Panel 2: Improving Access to Finance for Young Entrepreneurs
Access to adequate financing is vital at every stage of a business, in particular at the start-up phase. From early stage seed financing to growth funding to listing a company on a stock exchange, a developed financial sector is necessary to promote growth of entrepreneur innovation. Panelists will discuss solutions to increase access to finance and mentoring support for young start-ups, and how financing can accelerate the development of innovative, digital entrepreneurship.
Panel 3: Enabling the Growth of Young Digital Entrepreneurs
The panel will discuss the obstacles faced by young entrepreneurs in the region, especially in the LDCs. From access to finance and quality education, to infrastructure, including the quality and speed of broadband, the panellists will discuss a range of challenges preventing further growth and development. The session will explore avenues for the creation of an enabling, growth conducive environment. The aim is to identify solutions to common obstacles facing young entrepreneurs in the region and inspire action by policymakers to unleash the developmental potential of young entrepreneurs.
Read Further: www.unescap.org/events/youth-and-digital-economy
Tweet: https://twitter.com/UNESCAP/status/926398124867780608
Tweet: https://twitter.com/UNESCAP/status/926289052021788673
Tweet: https://twitter.com/UNESCAP/status/925635901471956992
Asia and the Pacific has the largest number of young people in the world - 717 million of the population is between 15-24 years old, corresponding to 60% of the worlds’ youth. In India, nearly 50% of the population is below 25 years of age. The energy and transformational drive of this large cohort of young people has the possibility to help rapidly drive development and transform societies in the region. Quality education and an enabling business climate for young people to start up, finance and run their enterprises will be key to tapping this growth potential. The ‘millennials’ that are entering business today have the possibility to drive rapid development of more sustainable ways of delivering products and services. To tap this potential, policy makers need to stay ahead and ensure that policies, infrastructure and financing sources meet the needs of budding young entrepreneurs in the new digital economy.
The importance of youth is also recognized in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which sets out to ‘substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship’ by 2030.
Panel 1: Young Digital Entrepreneurs in Asia Pacific
The digital economy has a huge growth potential. In this round table, young entrepreneurs from a variety of digital sectors will present their journeys and discuss opportunities and challenges for young digital entrepreneurs in Asia-Pacific. They will discuss how technology can transform regional economies and societies, and what policies would be needed to maximize the developmental potential of young entrepreneurs and tap the opportunities of this fast-growing sector.
- Ms. Shannon Kalayanamitr, CEO and co-founder, IKIGAI group
- Mr. Siva Devireddy, founder, GoCoop, India
- Mr. Pedro Eloy, CEO Pelham Grey, Chair Taskforce on Youth and Women Entrepreneurship ESBN
- Mr. Shahab Shabibi, co-founder at Machine Ventures, Philippines
- Mr. Miguel Lopes, Vice-President Product Line Management Applications Dialogic USA, Member Taskforce Youth & Women Entrepreneurship ESBN
- Mr. Simon Lacey, Vice-President, Trade Facilitation & Market Access, Huawei Technologies
Panel 2: Improving Access to Finance for Young Entrepreneurs
Access to adequate financing is vital at every stage of a business, in particular at the start-up phase. From early stage seed financing to growth funding to listing a company on a stock exchange, a developed financial sector is necessary to promote growth of entrepreneur innovation. Panelists will discuss solutions to increase access to finance and mentoring support for young start-ups, and how financing can accelerate the development of innovative, digital entrepreneurship.
- Ms. Pahrada Sapprasert, Director, 500 Startups / 500 TukTuks, Thailand
- Mr. Nitij Pal, Corporate Lawyer and founder of ICT Incubator in the Pacific
- Ms. Isabella Carvalho Silva, EY & Angel Investor
- Ms. Shriya Damani, Director & CEO, Skyquest Technology Group, India
- Mr. Syed Musheer Ahmed, General Manager, FinTech Association of Hong Kong
Panel 3: Enabling the Growth of Young Digital Entrepreneurs
The panel will discuss the obstacles faced by young entrepreneurs in the region, especially in the LDCs. From access to finance and quality education, to infrastructure, including the quality and speed of broadband, the panellists will discuss a range of challenges preventing further growth and development. The session will explore avenues for the creation of an enabling, growth conducive environment. The aim is to identify solutions to common obstacles facing young entrepreneurs in the region and inspire action by policymakers to unleash the developmental potential of young entrepreneurs.
- Mr. Chinawut Chinaprayoon, Director, New Ventures and Entrepreneurship, National Science Technology and Innovation Policy Office, Thailand
- Mr. Htun Htun Naing, President, Myanmar Young Entrepreneurs Association, Myanmar
- Mr. Hans Lukiman, Director International Affairs, Indonesia Young Entrepreneur Association - HIPMI, Indonesia
- Mr. Savinda Ranathunga, UNDP´s Regional Youth Project on Leadership, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Mr. Laurent Timmermans, Managing Director ATHENASIA, Member Taskforce Youth & Women Entrepreneurship ESBN
Read Further: www.unescap.org/events/youth-and-digital-economy
Tweet: https://twitter.com/UNESCAP/status/926398124867780608
Tweet: https://twitter.com/UNESCAP/status/926289052021788673
Tweet: https://twitter.com/UNESCAP/status/925635901471956992
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Committee on Trade and Investment
Asia Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2017
The Committee on Trade and Investment is one of the nine committees that make up the subsidiary structure of the Commission.
It is held every other year. The fifth session of the Committee will refer to the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2017: Channeling Trade and Investment into Sustainable Development as the background document
The Committee on Trade and Investment is one of the nine committees that make up the subsidiary structure of the Commission.
It is held every other year. The fifth session of the Committee will refer to the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2017: Channeling Trade and Investment into Sustainable Development as the background document
Moderator
Dr. Shamshad Akhtar
Under-Secretary-General of United Nations and Executive Secretary,
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
Panel
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Read Further: http://www.unescap.org/events/committee-trade-and-investment-fifth-session
Tweet: https://twitter.com/ARTNeTontrade/status/925215577307623424
Tweet: https://twitter.com/ARTNeTontrade/status/925208591232991232
Tweet: https://twitter.com/UNESCAP/status/925191627978575872
Dr. Shamshad Akhtar
Under-Secretary-General of United Nations and Executive Secretary,
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
Panel
- H.E. Mr. Arjuna Sujeewa Senasinghe, State Minister of International Trade, Ministry of Development Strategy and International Trade, Sri Lanka
- H.E. Mr. Swarnim Wagle, Vice-Head, National Planning Commission, Nepal
- Mr. Pedro Eloy, CEO Pelham Grey, Chair Taskforce on Youth and Women Entrepreneurship ESBN
- Mr. Paul Baker, International Economics Ltd.
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Read Further: http://www.unescap.org/events/committee-trade-and-investment-fifth-session
Tweet: https://twitter.com/ARTNeTontrade/status/925215577307623424
Tweet: https://twitter.com/ARTNeTontrade/status/925208591232991232
Tweet: https://twitter.com/UNESCAP/status/925191627978575872
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Joint Sessions of ESCAP Business Advisory Council
and ESCAP Sustainable Business Network (ESBN)
and ESCAP Sustainable Business Network (ESBN)
The ESCAP Business Advisory Council (EBAC) held its thirteenth session in Bangkok, Thailand on 30 October 2017, jointly with the 4th session of the ESCAP Sustainable Business Network (ESBN). The meeting reviewed updates of the work of the ESBN taskforces and future initiatives; potential reform of the EBAC/ESBN governance structure; as well as the organization of the Asia-Pacific Business Forum
and future EBAC/ESBN meetings.
Read Further: http://www.unescap.org/events/reshaping-business-engagement-achieving-sdgs-esbn
and future EBAC/ESBN meetings.
Read Further: http://www.unescap.org/events/reshaping-business-engagement-achieving-sdgs-esbn
