A/RES/77/160 GA
Entrepreneurship for sustainable development : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly
77
Session
145
Yes
27
No
4
Abstentions
| Draft symbol | A/C.2/77/L.16/Rev.1 |
|---|---|
| Adopted symbol | A/RES/77/160 |
| Category | NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT |
| P5 Positions |
|
| UN Document | A/RES/77/160 ↗ |
Vote Recorded Vote — A/77/PV.53
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Albania
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Argentina
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Armenia
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Chile
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Croatia
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Eswatini
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Fiji
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Finland
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France
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Gabon
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Georgia
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Germany
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Ghana
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Guatemala
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Guyana
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Haiti
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Hungary
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India
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Israel
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Niger
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Panama
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Peru
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Philippines
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Portugal
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Republic of Korea
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Rwanda
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Saint Kitts and Nevis
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Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
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Senegal
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Serbia
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Ukraine
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United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
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United Republic of Tanzania
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United States of America
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Uruguay
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Uzbekistan
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Vanuatu
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Viet Nam
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Zambia
Full text of resolution
United Nations
A/RES/77/160
General Assembly
Distr.: General
27 December 2022
22-28776 (E) 030123
*2228776*
Seventy-seventh session
Agenda item 18
Sustainable development
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly
on 14 December 2022
[on the report of the Second Committee (A/77/443, para. 32)]
77/160. Entrepreneurship for sustainable development
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 67/202 of 21 December 2012, 69/210 of 19 December
2014, 71/221 of 21 December 2016, 73/225 of 20 December 2018 and 75/211 of
21 December 2020,
Reaffirming its resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, entitled “Transforming
our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, in which it adopted a
comprehensive, far-reaching and people-centred set of universal and transformative
Sustainable Development Goals and targets, its commitment to working tirelessly for
the full implementation of the Agenda by 2030, its recognition that eradicating
poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest
global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development, its
commitment to achieving sustainable development in its three dimensions –
economic, social and environmental – in a balanced and integrated manner, and to
building upon the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals and seeking
to address their unfinished business,
Reaffirming also its resolutions 75/290 A and 75/290 B of 25 June 2021 on the
follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the global
level,
Reiterating the pledge that no one will be left behind, reaffirming the
recognition that the dignity of the human person is fundamental and the wish to see
the Sustainable Development Goals and targets met for all nations and peoples and
for all segments of society, and recommitting to endeavour to reach the furthest
behind first,
Reaffirming its resolution 69/313 of 27 July 2015 on the Addis Ababa Action
Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, which
is an integral part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, supports and
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complements it, helps to contextualize its means of implementation targets with
concrete policies and actions, and reaffirms the strong political commitment to
address the challenge of financing and creating an enabling environment at all levels
for sustainable development in the spirit of global partnership and solidarity,
Welcoming the Paris Agreement, 1 and encouraging all its parties to fully
implement the Agreement, and parties to the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change 2 that have not yet done so to deposit their instruments of
ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, where appropriate, as soon as
possible, and noting the holding of the twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the
Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in
Glasgow, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, from 31 October to
13 November 2021, as well as the twenty-seventh session of the Conference of the
Parties, held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, from 6 to 20 November 2022,
Recalling the Sendai Declaration and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk
Reduction 2015–2030,3 and reaffirming that the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, among
other things, seeks to develop and implement holistic disaster risk reduction
management at all levels in line with the Sendai Framework,
Recalling also relevant strategies and programmes of action, including the Doha
Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries, 4 the SIDS Accelerated
Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway, 5 the Vienna Declaration and Vienna
Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2014–2024,6
taking note of Agenda 2063 of the African Union, and recognizing the importance of
addressing the diverse needs and challenges faced by countries in special situations,
in particular African countries, the least developed countries, landlocked developing
countries and small island developing States, as well as the specific challenges facing
middle-income countries,
Reaffirming the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action,7 the Programme
of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development 8 and the
outcome documents of their review conferences,
Acknowledging that entrepreneurship and innovation are essential for
harnessing the economic potential of each nation and the importance of supporting
mass entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, which create new momentum for
economic growth and decent job creation and expand opportunities for all, including
women and youth, persons with disabilities, older persons, Indigenous Peoples and
those in vulnerable situations,
Recalling relevant agreed conclusions and resolutions adopted by the
Commission on the Status of Women, including the agreed conclusions adopted at its
sixty-first session, entitled “Women’s economic empowerment in the changing world
of work”,9 and the agreed conclusions adopted at its sixty-second session, entitled
“Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of
__________________
1 Adopted under the UNFCCC in FCCC/CP/2015/10/Add.1, decision 1/CP.21.
2 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1771, No. 30822.
3 Resolution 69/283, annexes I and II.
4 Resolution 76/258, annex.
5 Resolution 69/15, annex.
6 Resolution 69/137, annexes I and II.
7 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4–15 September 1995 (United
Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annexes I and II.
8 Report of the International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, 5–13 September
1994 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.95.XIII.18), chap. I, resolution 1, annex.
9 See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2017, Supplement No. 7 (E/2017/27),
chap. I, sect. A.
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rural women and girls”,10 stressing that women and girls, particularly in developing
countries, are important drivers of entrepreneurship and sustainable development,
calling for measures to enable women to leverage science and technology for
entrepreneurship and economic empowerment, and recognizing the importance of
policies and programmes that eliminate discrimination against women and provide
public infrastructure to ensure equal access for women and men entrepreneurs,
Recognizing that multi-stakeholder partnerships and the resources, knowledge
and ingenuity of the private sector, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, the scientific
community, academia, philanthropy and foundations, parliaments, local authorities,
volunteers and other stakeholders will be important in order to mobilize and access
knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, complement the efforts of
Governments and contribute to the implementation of the outcomes of the United
Nations conferences and summits, as well as support the achievement of the
Sustainable Development Goals in all countries, including developing countries,
Underlining the need to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for achieving
sustainable development and to build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions
at all levels, and reaffirming that good governance, the rule of law, human rights,
fundamental freedoms, equal access to fair justice systems and measures to combat
corruption and curb illicit financial flows will be integral to those efforts,
Emphasizing the pivotal role of entrepreneurship in achieving sustainable
development in its three dimensions, and emphasizing that achieving the Sustainable
Development Goals requires the talents, creativity and entrepreneurial vigour of the
entire population,
Expressing concern that multiple simultaneous and interlinked global shocks
and crises, including the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and its
consequences, the adverse impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss,
desertification, pollution and other aspects of environmental degradation, rising
geopolitical tensions and conflicts with widespread effects on people, planet,
prosperity and peace, increasing food and energy prices and supply chain disruptions
are factors driving and compounding increased social and economic instability, which
are disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups, micro-, small and medium-sized
enterprises and in particular those owned by women and young people, including
through business uncertainty, higher operational costs and unfavourable borrowing
conditions, in particular in developing countries,
Noting with great concern the severe negative impact on human health, safety
and well-being caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as
the severe disruption to societies and economies and the devastating impact on lives
and livelihoods, and that the poorest and most vulnerable are the hardest hit by the
pandemic, reaffirming the ambition to get back on track to achieve the Sustainable
Development Goals by designing and implementing sustainable and inclusive
recovery strategies to accelerate progress towards the full implementation of the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development and to help to reduce the risk of and build
resilience to future shocks, crises and pandemics, including by strengthening health
systems and achieving universal health coverage, and recognizing that equitable and
timely access for all to safe, quality, effective and affordable COVID-19 vaccines,
therapeutics and diagnostics are an essential part of a global response based on unity,
solidarity, renewed multilateral cooperation and the principle of leaving no one
behind,
Recognizing that the ongoing crisis can lead to an increase in entrepreneurial
activity, in the form of necessity entrepreneurship, and noting with concern the
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10 Ibid., 2018, Supplement No. 7 (E/2018/27), chap. I, sect. A.
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negative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on necessity entrepreneurs, who often
constitute the majority of the workforce in low and middle-income countries, often
operating informally, and are more vulnerable and left with few avenues to access
support in times of crisis,
Noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated technological change,
having sped up the adoption of digital tools in many areas of life, bringing with it new
opportunities such as, inter alia, the adoption of digital tools for remote work and the
acceleration of digitalization in developing countries, while further recognizing the
contribution of digital technologies to micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises
and entrepreneurs in adaptation to global shocks including through digital marketing,
online sales, e-commerce, health tech and fintech, enabling better access to financial
services as well as facilitating formalization,
Recognizing the important contribution that entrepreneurship makes to
sustainable development by creating jobs, promoting decent work, driving inclusive
economic growth and innovation, improving social conditions and addressing
economic, social and environmental challenges in the context of the 2030 Agenda,
and emphasizing that the role of entrepreneurship, including social entrepreneurship,
and micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises in social and economic development
is more critical than ever in the post-COVID-19 recovery and beyond,
Recognizing also that entrepreneurship can help to address environmental
challenges and advance or promote energy sustainability through the introduction of
new climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies and resilience measures,
delivering energy-efficient products and providing renewable energy equipment, as
well as by promoting environmentally sustainable consumption and production
patterns,
Recognizing further the positive contribution that entrepreneurship can make in
promoting social cohesion, reducing inequalities and expanding opportunities for all,
including women, young people, persons with disabilities and the most vulnerable
people, and reaching the furthest behind first,
Noting the role that entrepreneurship can play in supporting participation in the
labour market for persons with disabilities, and that promoting the feasibility of
entrepreneurship for persons with disabilities will increase awareness of
entrepreneurship as a potential labour market activity, not only for persons with
disabilities, but also for self-employment and micro-, small and medium-sized
enterprises, and noting also that persons with disabilities, including women with
disabilities, face disproportionate and intersecting forms of discrimination, including
in access to financial resources,
Recalling its resolution 71/279 of 6 April 2017 on Micro-, Small and Medium-
sized Enterprises Day,
Recognizing the importance of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises,
which globally represent about 90 per cent of businesses and account for over two
thirds of employment, and emphasizing their role in supporting achievement of the
Sustainable Development Goals, in particular through promoting innovation,
creativity and decent work for all,
Recognizing also the importance of formalizing micro-, small and medium-sized
enterprises, and of encouraging their participation and growth in international,
regional and national markets, including through access for all to capacity-building,
digital government and business and financial services, such as affordable
microfinance and credit,
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Remaining deeply concerned by continued high rates of youth unemployment,
particularly in developing countries, which stifle the transformative potential of
young people in sustainable development,
Recognizing the key role of youth entrepreneurship in sustainable economic
growth and in generating innovative solutions and transformational development, and
taking note in this regard of the Youth Forum Declaration adopted in 2021 in the lead-
up to the fifteenth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development, 11 which set out the priorities and recommendations for a resilient
recovery in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, with youth
entrepreneurship as one of its key components, and welcoming the United Nations
Youth Strategy and the establishment of the United Nations Youth Office,
Reaffirming its commitment to substantially increase the number of young
people and adults who have relevant skills, including foundational learning skills,
transferable skills, technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and
entrepreneurship, and acknowledging the importance of strengthening education
systems, including vocational training, in order to develop relevant skills and
competences for a rapidly changing society and transition to sustainable and digital
economies,
Acknowledging that social entrepreneurship plays an important role in achieving
the sustainable development challenges by applying innovative market-based
solutions to social and environmental problems, while being financially sustainable,
and providing job and income opportunities for disadvantaged groups and those in
vulnerable situations,
Acknowledging also the importance of promoting inclusive development-
oriented policies, including through alternative economic and business models and
concepts that support productive activities, job creation and entrepreneurship,
including social and sustainable entrepreneurship, and creativity and innovation, and
encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small and medium-sized
enterprises, including through access to financial services, including digital financial
services, and the improvement of financial literacy, and in this regard recognizing the
role of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises in promoting inclusive and
sustainable industrialization that could contribute to job creation for all,
Recognizing that businesses will play a central role in the transition towards
sustainable development and a more resource-efficient economy, such as circular
economy, contributing to the achievement of sustainable consumption and production
by adapting their business models and value chains,
Noting with concern that societal attitudes and negative preconceptions, in
particular towards women and girls, including the fear of failure, the lack of
opportunity and insufficient support structures, can undermine efforts to create a
culture of entrepreneurship,
Recognizing the importance of quality, accessible, timely and reliable
disaggregated data for monitoring progress in the implementation of entrepreneurship
policies and their direct and indirect contribution to the attainment of the Sustainable
Development Goals, and addressing sex-disaggregated data gaps, to ensure that no
one is left behind,
1.
Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;12
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11 TD/523.
12 A/77/254.
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2.
Reiterates the need to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable
economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all, in that
regard emphasizes the importance of improved regulatory environments and policy
initiatives that promote entrepreneurship, including social entrepreneurship, and
foster micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises, and stresses the positive role that
entrepreneurship plays in driving job creation, reducing inequalities and expanding
opportunities for all, including for women and youth;
3.
Also reiterates the need to strengthen women’s economic resilience by
supporting them in accessing and mobilizing adequate financial resources and
technologies
and
to
undertake
capacity-building
to
promote
women’s
entrepreneurship and economic empowerment, and, in addition, to empower women
through entrepreneurship by increasing their employment and market opportunities
through targeted education and training and greater legal protections in the
workplace;
4.
Encourages Governments to take a coordinated and inclusive approach to
promoting entrepreneurship involving all stakeholders, while noting initiatives of
civil society, academia and the private sector as important entrepreneurship drivers,
and to develop coherent and targeted policies and strategies, taking into account
national priorities and circumstances, that address the legal, social and regulatory
barriers to equal, effective economic participation, and stresses the need for a
comprehensive and holistic approach to entrepreneurship that includes long-term and
cross-sectoral strategies, including through strengthening disaggregated data
collection to generate better insights for the promotion of sustainable
entrepreneurship and to monitor and evaluate progress in implementation;
5.
Acknowledges that promoting entrepreneurship can stimulate new
production processes and technology development, including the building of
endogenous capacities for enabling climate change mitigation and adaptation and
enhancing energy efficiency, and recognizes that such policies, which could draw on
the initiatives presented in the Global Climate Action Agenda, could help
Governments to meet their targets for the Paris Agreement on climate change;
6.
Also acknowledges that the private sector contributes to the achievement
of sustainable development and poverty eradication, and that partnerships with the
private sector play an important role in promoting entrepreneurship, generating
employment and investment, increasing revenue potential, developing new
technologies and innovative business models and enabling high, sustained, inclusive
and equitable economic growth while protecting workers’ rights;
7.
Further acknowledges the need for Member States to develop policies and,
where appropriate, strengthen national and international policy regulatory
frameworks and their coherence, harnessing the potential of science, technology and
innovation, closing technology gaps and scaling up capacity-building at all levels to
better align private sector incentives with public goals, including incentivizing the
private sector to adopt sustainable practices, and foster long-term quality investment,
taking into account the importance of responsible business practices and corporate
social responsibility, as reflected in the 10 principles of the United Nations Global
Compact and in the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing
the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework, 13 environmental,
social and governance performance standards and greater transparency in supply
chains to end forced and child labour;
__________________
13 A/HRC/17/31, annex.
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8.
Recognizes the vital role of entrepreneurship in the development of
regional economic integration, which can be an important catalyst for implementing
economic reforms, reducing trade barriers and decreasing trade costs;
9.
Invites Member States to strengthen the capacity of national financial
institutions to reach out to those who have no access to banking, insurance and other
financial services, particularly women and women-led micro-, small and medium-
sized enterprises, sustainable and inclusive businesses, and digital entrepreneurs, in
urban and especially in rural areas, including through the use of fintech and
innovative tools, including mobile banking, payment platforms and digitalized
payments, and encourages them to adopt regulatory and supervisory frameworks that
facilitate the safe and sound provision of financial services, increase access to
information to protect consumers and promote financial literacy, particularly for
women, young people and the most vulnerable people;
10. Also invites Member States to support the digital entrepreneurship of
women, including in e-commerce, including for micro-, small and medium-sized
enterprises, to develop local solutions and relevant content, promote innovation and
decent job creation and close the gender digital divide;
11.
Encourages Member States to expand and support the expansion of
alternative sources of financing, including blended finance as well as impact
investing, cooperatives and venture philanthropy, venture capital and angel investors
for start-ups, and diversify the retail financial service system to include
non-traditional providers of financial services, such as microcredit and microfinance,
stresses the value of a sound regulatory framework in this regard, and encourages the
provision of incentives to microfinance institutions that meet national standards for
delivering sound financial services to the poor, with a particular emphasis on women;
12. Emphasizes the important role of national efforts aimed at bringing all
workers from the informal to the formal economy, including the formalization of
micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises, in order to integrate them into national
social security and social protection systems, as appropriate, expand the formal
economy, increase fiscal revenues, increase entrepreneurs’ resilience and their access
to finance and public support programmes, address barriers to continued operation in
the formal sector, and boost growth perspectives, including by simplifying
administrative processes, such as enabling business registration through single-
window and e-registration procedures, notes that recommendation No. 204 of the
International Labour Organization can provide useful guidance on the transition from
the informal to the formal economy, and recognizes that women face unique barriers
to entering the formal workforce;
13. Invites Member States to reduce the structural barriers to women in
transitioning from the informal economy to formal employment and outline measures
to recognize, reduce and redistribute women’s and girls’ disproportionate share of
unpaid care and domestic work, reward and represent paid care work by promoting
decent paid care and domestic work for women and men in the public and private
sectors and by providing social protection, safe working conditions and equal pay for
equal work or work of equal value, thereby facilitating the transition of informal
workers, including those engaged in informal paid care and domestic work, into the
formal economy;
14. Recognizes that technological improvement, particularly through the
diffusion of technology, can provide new opportunities for businesses to improve their
competitiveness, increase their productive capacities and resilience and adapt to
shocks, and in this regard encourages Member States to increase cooperation in
support of technology exchange and transfer on mutually agreed terms, innovation,
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capacity-building programmes and the sharing of best practices for promoting
entrepreneurship, especially in developing countries;
15. Also recognizes the contribution of digital technologies and innovation to
foster entrepreneurship and support the resilience and formalization of micro-, small
and medium-sized enterprises, and in this regard encourages Member States to
support inclusive entrepreneurship through digitalization, including through digital
government services, digital economic services, fintech, scaling up digital skills
training and digital literacy, improved regulatory frameworks and developing targeted
strategies to address digital divides, including the gender digital divide;
16. Highlights the importance of supporting technologies that can have a high
social return, correspond to local needs and contribute to technological upgrading and
social development;
17. Recognizes that entrepreneurs can address sustainable development
challenges by developing effective and simple solutions in the areas of utility
services, education, health care, hunger eradication and the environment, and that
social entrepreneurship, including cooperatives and social enterprises, can help to
alleviate poverty and catalyse social transformation by strengthening the productive
capacities of vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, and producing
goods and services that are accessible to them;
18. Acknowledges the value of entrepreneurship education and the
dissemination of entrepreneurial thinking across all sectors, encourages all relevant
actors to increase efforts to systemically integrate entrepreneurship within the formal
and informal education systems, including through, inter alia, skills development,
career guidance to support entrepreneurship, behavioural approach programmes such
as the Empretec programme and the Entrepreneurship Policy Framework and
Implementation Guidance of the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development and the Start and Improve Your Business programme of the
International Labour Organization, the International Trade Centre programmes to
support trade and international business development for micro-, small and medium-
sized enterprises, capacity-building, professional training programmes, business
incubators and national centres of excellence, as well as online platforms and
e-mentorships, such as the SME Trade Academy of the International Trade Centre,
and encourages cooperation and networking and the sharing of best practices while
fostering innovation and using innovative teaching methods in line with the demands
of the competitive markets and ensuring the full participation of women and girls;
19. Encourages all stakeholders, in particular women and young entrepreneurs,
to apply their creativity and innovation to solving sustainable development
challenges, and emphasizes that local innovation and entrepreneurship systems need
to be able to fully participate in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development,14 including the Sustainable Development Goals, and that
concerted efforts are needed to ensure the participation of all;
20. Reiterates the need for the promotion and advancement of women in
labour markets, including through policies and programmes aimed at the elimination
of structural barriers and stereotypes that women of all ages face in the transition from
school to work, and the need to address challenges faced by women returning from
care-related career breaks and by older women, by providing access to technical and
vocational skills training, as well as access to science, technology, engineering and
mathematics training, entrepreneurship development and job-matching, fostering
women’s empowerment and enabling their full, equal, effective and meaningful
participation and leadership and addressing the multiple and intersecting forms of
__________________
14 Resolution 70/1.
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discrimination and barriers that they face, including violence, and the unequal
distribution of unpaid care and work, and promoting their participation in relevant
decision-making processes;
21. Encourages all relevant stakeholders to further develop financial literacy
and financial education programmes that include an emphasis on the impact of finance
on sustainable development, as appropriate, in order to ensure that all learners acquire
the knowledge and skills needed to access financial services, in particular women and
girls, farmers and those working in micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises;
22. Also encourages Governments to facilitate women’s entrepreneurship,
including by improving access to financing and investment opportunities, tools of
trade, business development and training, in order to increase trade and procurement,
including public procurement from women’s enterprises, including micro-, small and
medium-sized enterprises, cooperatives and self-help groups in both the public and
private sectors such as the Women in Business and eTrade for Women initiatives of
the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the SheTrades
initiative of the International Trade Centre;
23. Further encourages Governments to strengthen science and technology
education policies and curricula to promote girls in science, technology, engineering
and mathematics so that they are relevant to the needs of and benefit women and girls,
and encourages investment and research in sustainable technology that meets the
needs of women, particularly in developing countries, in order to strengthen their
capacities, so as to enable women to leverage science and technology for
entrepreneurship and economic empowerment in the changing world of work;
24. Highlights the importance of developing and implementing policies and
programmes to support women’s entrepreneurship, in particular opportunities for new
women entrepreneurs and those that lead to business expansion for existing women-
owned micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises, and encourages Governments to
increase investments in women-owned companies and businesses, to reduce
unnecessary administrative barriers in the regulatory environment, removing
restrictions that deter women from engaging in business activities, and to create a
climate that is conducive to increasing the number of women entrepreneurs and the
size of their businesses by providing them with training and advisory services in
business, access to finance, administration and information and communications
technology, facilitating networking and information-sharing and increasing their
participation on advisory boards and in other forums so as to enable them to contribute
to the formulation and review of policies and programmes being developed, in
particular by financial institutions;
25. Recognizes that social entrepreneurs, including Indigenous Peoples and
local communities, are agents of change who can drive innovative, economic, social
and environmental solutions and create alternative sustainable models of production,
finance and consumption to respond to social, economic and environmental issues,
while generating value for their community and stakeholders, including the social and
solidarity economy, which can play a role in fostering patterns of development, and
also recognizes the need to implement policies and programmes aimed at supporting
these entrepreneurs, and encourages Governments to set up an environment
conducive to social and environmental innovation;
26. Also recognizes that harnessing entrepreneurial talents among all young
people is vital for increasing productive capacities, developing new forms of
entrepreneurship focused on information and communications technology, big data,
digitization, smart cities and creating start-ups, and generating full and productive
employment and decent work and inclusive economic growth, and encourages
Member States to integrate youth entrepreneurship strategies and innovative
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programmes into their national policies, create a nurturing environment for the full
realization of the rights and capabilities of all young people, and increase investment
in micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises, including through impact investment
favouring the poorest and most vulnerable, entrepreneurial education, youth capacity-
building and information and communications technology;
27. Encourages Governments and all sectors of society to take sustainable
measures to achieve full and productive employment and decent work for persons
with disabilities, on an equal basis and without discrimination on the basis of gender
and disability, including by promoting access to inclusive education systems, skills
development, including technical, vocational and entrepreneurial training throughout
the life cycle, in order to enable persons with disabilities to attain and maintain
maximum independence, notes that further efforts are needed to increase awareness
of the ability of persons with disabilities to innovate and contribute to the achievement
of sustainable development through entrepreneurship, and in this regard calls upon
all stakeholders to establish research on policy support for entrepreneurs with
disabilities and collect data in order to develop or improve programmes, taking into
account their capabilities, skills, socioeconomic status and other personal
characteristics;
28. Stresses the need to highlight the value of entrepreneurship and its
contribution to the 2030 Agenda, including the eradication of poverty in all its forms
and dimensions, by promoting policies, initiatives and programmes that support the
development of an enabling entrepreneurial ecosystem, including by raising public
awareness, reinforcing local support networks and employing specific measures
aimed at removing negative preconceptions and negative cultural biases;
29. Also stresses the need to enhance the alignment of policies, strategies and
initiatives for entrepreneurship, including social entrepreneurship, with the post-
COVID-19 recovery priorities and the 2030 Agenda, and emphasizes that these should
prioritize those in vulnerable situations, who have the greatest needs, necessity
entrepreneurs, including women and young entrepreneurs, and incentivize the
economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development,
adaptation to flexible work environments, including remote work, digitalization,
innovation to access alternative markets and novel financing mechanisms, and the
collection of high-quality, reliable and comparable data, while ensuring an optimal
regulatory environment for entrepreneurs to start and scale up their businesses;
30. Underlines that sustainable entrepreneurship contributes to achieving
Sustainable Development Goal 12, and invites Member States, relevant organizations
and networks to cooperate in sharing and discussing best practices regarding relevant
product information along value chains, including in the context of the circular
economy, as a contribution to achieving sustainable consumption and production, in
line with domestic and international law;
31. Recognizes the potential of entrepreneurship in promoting the availability
and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, including through
capacity-building and support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related
activities and programmes, including water harvesting, environmentally sustainable
desalination technologies, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse
technologies;
32. Also recognizes the contribution urbanization makes to the acceleration of
digitalization, the adoption of new technologies, innovation and information-sharing
within cities, thereby encouraging entrepreneurship and job creation, and the
contribution micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises make to solve societal
problems in cities, and encourages Member States to adopt a multi-stakeholder
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approach towards urban collaborative economy planning for the delivery of the 2030
Agenda;
33. Acknowledges the importance of adopting innovative and sustainable
agriculture and food systems that will contribute to the conservation of biodiversity
and ecosystems, and help eradicate hunger and malnutrition and poverty in all its
forms and dimensions, by harnessing entrepreneurship and innovation in the field of
sustainable agriculture, food technology and agrifood technology;
34. Highlights the importance of calibrating and differentiating between
various types of entrepreneurs, in particular necessity and opportunity entrepreneurs,
in line with their relative importance in the economy, in the design and
implementation of policies and strategies, initiatives and support programmes,
including for responding to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including by
employing specific measures targeting the vulnerable and most affected
entrepreneurs, mobilizing resources, reinforcing local support networks and
prioritizing initiatives and programmes aimed at increasing productivity, access to
support measures and formalization;
35. Calls upon all stakeholders to implement the present resolution as a means
to deliver the comprehensive, far-reaching and people-centred set of universal and
transformative Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda, in which the dignity of the
human person is fundamental, the Goals and targets are met for all nations and peoples
and for all segments of society, no one is left behind and we endeavour to reach the
furthest behind first;
36. Encourages Member States to strengthen and foster investment in research
and development and innovation centres, with an emphasis on multilateralism and
international collaborations in creating innovative solutions to global challenges, to
strengthen their business environment, while encouraging the participation of
underrepresented communities, and to promote the involvement of academia and the
business and financial sectors in the development of an enabling and inclusive
business environment, and invites the international community to support those
efforts including through South-South and triangular cooperation initiatives;
37. Stresses the importance of indicators that can be used to formulate targeted
entrepreneurship policies and measure their impact on the Sustainable Development
Goals, and in this regard encourages Member States, in cooperation with all relevant
stakeholders, to further identify and develop indicators at the national and regional
levels, as appropriate;
38. Recognizes that democratic political institutions, transparent and
accountable public and private entities, effective anti-corruption measures and
responsible corporate governance are key conditions for making market economies
and enterprises more responsive to the values and long-term goals of society;
39. Calls upon the relevant organizations and bodies of the United Nations
system to further recognize and integrate entrepreneurship in its various forms into
their policies, programmes and reports, as appropriate, and invites the United Nations
system, and in particular the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development,
to continue to provide support to and assist Member States, at their request, to
identify, formulate, implement and assess coherent policy measures on
entrepreneurship and the promotion of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises;
40. Decides to continue to consider, as appropriate, the contribution of
entrepreneurship to sustainable development in the follow-up and review framework
of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
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41. Requests the Secretary-General, in collaboration with the secretariat of the
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, to submit to the General
Assembly at its seventy-ninth session a report on the implementation of the present
resolution, including COVID-19-related aspects, effects and responses, and decides
to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-ninth session the item entitled
“Sustainable development”, unless otherwise agreed.
53rd plenary meeting
14 December 2022
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