Seminar on "Entrepreneurship for Development": Business Innovation and Partnership for Developing Countries.
Agence française de développement
© Agence française de développement
- from: 09.12.2008
- to: 10.12.2008
- In: Paris
Whether it be a matter of coming up with new financial products and services, supporting local socio-economic development, adapting business models, or supporting social entrepreneurs, businesses from North and South are working together at the heart of a new partnership environment for a fairer, more sustainable form of development.
The aim of the seminar is twofold:
- Report on these changes, and on the commitment made by private businesses to development in the countries of the South;
- Identify and extend lines of partnership between private stakeholders (large-scale businesses, local private sector, etc.), public stakeholders (European and international institutions, European and international financial backers, national / local authorities, etc.), and the voluntary sector, in order to broaden the scope of the movement.
This seminar will be held over two days.
Tuesday 9 December 2008 will cover the theme of "Business innovation for development: the conditions for success", and will be given over to workshops. The introductory plenary session will include Jean-Michel Severino, Director General of the Agence Française de Développement (French Development Agency), Henri de Reboul, Delegate General for "IMS-Entreprendre pour la Cité", and Xavier Musca, Director General of the Treasury and Economic Policy. Thereafter, the day will be given over to 6 workshops covering main areas of business innovation:
- the contribution made by businesses to local development ;
- businesses and essential services: the example of access to water and sanitation ;
- innovative financial products offered for the purposes of development ;
- business products and services being available to poor populations ;
- the role of business in developing fair trade ;
- action taken by businesses in favour of human and social rights.
For each workshop, exchanges will bring together businesses from Europe and from the South, financial backers, non-governmental organisations, researchers, and academics.
The theme for Wednesday 10 December 2008 will be "How to broaden the scope of businesses, and how best to work together". The morning plenary session will see the regrouping of workshops and the reaction of personalities to the contribution made by businesses to attaining Millennium Development Objectives. Present at the opening will be Alain Joyandet, Minister of State for Co-operation and for Francophony, and Claude Bébéar, Chairman of "IMS-Entreprendre pour la Cité". The afternoon session will consist of two round-table discussions between stakeholders from North and South, covering the outlook on changes of scale affecting new initiatives as well as improvements in common working between stakeholders.
- Updated: 31.12.2008
