Digital Decade of Development for Enterprises (GEOS)

DESCRIPTION

This GEOS program will recognize the UN’s work to support Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day. Small and medium sized enterprises make up a large portion of the economy in terms of productivity as well as employment. Thus, there is a need to focus on the importance of micro-, small and medium- sized enterprises in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular in promoting innovation, creativity and reach SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.

Speakers include

• Lorenzo Tosini, Programme Officer, Investment and Enterprise Division, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

Lorenzo Tosini is managing programmes and projects on entrepreneurship and enterprise development in the Investment and Enterprise Division of the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD), headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

Since 2005, he is in charge of technical assistance projects to promote entrepreneurship and support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries and economies in transition. He has been supervising UNCTAD’s Empretec and Business Linkages programmes and has been coordinating a network of Empretec centers established in over 40 countries.

Mr. Tosini has also been providing assistance to member states on the formulation of national strategies and policies to promote entrepreneurship, including targeted measures for young, migrant and refugee entrepreneurs.

• Dragan Radic, Chief, Small and Medium Enterprises Unit, International Labour OrganizationInternational Labor Organization

Dragan Radic is Head of the Small and Medium Enterprises unit (SME) of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Dragan began his ILO career in 2008 as Senior Specialist for Employers’ Activities.  He was in charge of capacity building of Employers’ and Business Member Organisations (EBMOs) in the area of advocacy, strategy development and membership service offerings in East Asia. In 2012 he moved to ILO’s Central and Eastern European office where his focus was capacity building of EMBOs in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2018, he took the position as Head of the SME Unit in ILO’s headquarters in Geneva.

Prior to joining the ILO, Dragan was a Chief Executive Officer of Accuro Health Insurance in New Zealand and Business Services Manager of New Zealand Nurses Organisation. He holds MBA degree from New Zealand Massey University and Honours Degree in Psychology from Croatia.