SESRIC, in collaboration with the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBİA) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, successfully organised a Workshop on “Empowering MSMEs in OIC Member Countries through Green Climate Finance”. The event, held within the framework of SESRIC’s Social Development Capacity Building Programme (SD-CaB) and the Vocational Education and Training Programme for the OIC Member Countries (OIC-VET), brought together 124 experts, executives and academics from TVET National Focal Points and relevant agencies/authorities and national institutions in 30 OIC countries.

The workshop focused on promoting the use of green climate finance mechanisms to support the growth and sustainability of MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises) in OIC countries.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK addressed the opening of the Workshop, emphasizing the critical role of MSMEs in the socio-economic development in OIC countries. She highlighted the importance of coherent policies and capacity building to support MSMEs in adopting sustainable practices and enhancing competitiveness.

During the Workshop, participants engaged in detailed discussions on challenges faced by MSMEs in accessing green finance, share best practices, and identify opportunities for collaboration among stakeholders to enhance support for MSMEs in adopting green practices.

In emerging markets, SMEs generate 7 out of 1️0 formal jobs and make up over 9️0️% of economic establishments in OIC countries. According to the World Bank, an estimated 600 million jobs will be needed by 2030, underscoring the importance of SMEs development.

Key topics covered during the 2-day workshop included:

• Indonesia’s Perspective of Sustainable Finance for MSMEs;
• Climate Smart Finance Efficiency for MSMEs in Türkiye;
• OECD Platform on Financing SMEs for Sustainability;
• The Future of Climate Finance: Opportunities for Green MSMEs in Azerbaijan:
• Climate Smart Financing for MSMEs;
• Leveraging Climate Finance: An Implementation Strategy for Sustainable Business Practices in MSMEs; and
• IsDB’s perspective on Climate and Green finance: Opportunities for MSMEs financing.

The outcomes of this two-day Workshop aim to raise awareness of sustainable practices among MSMEs and facilitate the development of policies and strategies to promote green entrepreneurship and innovation in OIC region.

The presentations of the workshop are available here.

For more information about SESRIC Capacity Building Programmes, please visit: https://www.sesric.org/tcd-cab.php.

Documents

• Program Agenda (English)

Photos