Global Policy Dialogue (GPD): "Post COVID-19 Resurgence of MSMEs and Competition Policy." 1-3 Dec 2021 [09h00 Santiago, 13h00 Geneva, 14h00 Beirut, 19h00 Bangkok]

Following the organisation of 5 regional dialogues across the world during the first part of 2021, UNCTAD and the UN Regional Economic Commissions (ECLAC, ESCAP, ESCWA) will bring together representatives and officials of government MSME bodies, as well as competition agency representatives from across the world to discuss how competition policy could support MSMEs post Covid-19.

 

As part of its COVID19 Response project funded by the UN-DESA development account, the Competition and Consumer Protection Policies Branch (CCPB) of UNCTAD has been engaged in discussing with representatives from Competition Authorities and SME agencies how competition policies can support the resurgence of MSMEs post COVID19 crisis.

 

Since 2020, the UNCTAD Competition Policy Team has carried out several activities together with the five United Nations Regional Economic Commissions (UNECLAC, UNESCAP, UNECA, UNECE, UNESCWA):

• a global report on the interlinkage between competition and MSME policies (Phase I of the Project)
• 3 national studies on the impact of COVID19 on specific SME sectors in Brazil, Thailand and South Africa (Phase 2)
• 5 regional webinars on how recommendations from the global report and the three national studies can support the recovery of MSMEs. These brought together policymakers, competition authority and MSME officials, (Phase 2):
  • UNCTAD-UNESCAP ASEAN Regional Policy Dialogue: The Role of Competition Policy in Supporting MSMEs Economic Recovery in the Post COVID19 Crisis - 2 March 2021 (Video recording available here)
  • UNCTAD-UNECA Africa Regional Policy Dialogue: The Role of Competition Policy in Supporting MSMEs Economic Recovery in the Post COVID19 Crisis - 11 March 2021 (Video recording available here)
  • UNCTAD-UNECE Regional Policy Dialogue: The Role of Competition Policy in Supporting MSMEs Economic Recovery in the Post COVID19 Crisis - 25 March 2021 (Video recording available here) 
  • UNCTAD-ECLAC Regional Policy Dialogue: The Role of Competition Policy in Supporting MSMEs Economic Recovery in the Post COVID19 Crisis - 25 March 2021 (Video recording available here)
  • UNCTAD-UNESCWA Regional Policy Dialogue: The Role of Competition Policy in Supporting MSMEs Economic Recovery in the Post COVID19 Crisis - 8 April 2021 (Video recording available here)

 
During Phase 3 (August 2021 - March 2022), UNCTAD CCPB is engaging with specific competition authorities and SME agencies with a small number of Member States from the five regions on how to implement the recommendations of the global report and above mentioned national studies.
 

The GPD will be dedicated to the following interlinked topics and will be divided in three sessions: 

1. The impact of competition policy in the digitalization of MSMEs in the wake of COVID-19. This 1st session is scheduled for 1st December 2021 at 09h00 Santiago, 13h00 Geneva, 14h00 Beirut, and 19h00 Bangkok. Co-hosts are UNCTAD and ECLAC.  

2. Access to finance, Government support in times of COVID-19: This 2nd session is scheduled for 2nd December 2021 at 09h00 Santiago, 13h00 Geneva, 14h00 Beirut, and 19h00 Bangkok. Co-hosts are UNCTAD and ESCAP.

3. Interagency coordination between MSME agencies and competition authorities. This 3rd session is scheduled for 3rd December 2021 at 09h00 Santiago, 13h00 Geneva, 14h00 Beirut and 19h00 Bangkok. Co-hosts are UNCTAD and ESCWA. 

This event will be held at:

09h00-11h00 Santiago Time
13h00-15h00 Geneva Time
14h00-16h00 Beirut Time
19h00-21h00 Bangkok Time

* Simultaneous multilingual interpretation to Arabic, Chinese, French, English, Russian and Spanish will be available.   The event will take place on Zoom.

* Access Programme and Event flyer 

* Please register here to join.