Donors Activities in Enterprise Development

World Bank Private Sector Development
Private Sector Development is key to the World Bank's strategy to eradicate poverty. This is to be achieved through accelerated growth with improved distribution and by providing governments with fiscal space to focus on social spending. This recently revised site is an entry point for information on policies, projects, etc. all related to private sector development, including micro, small and medium enterprise development. A truly institutional model for information sharing and clarity.

OECD Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
The interest in Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) has come to the economic and political forefront in most countries. There is now widespread recognition of the importance of SMEs for the economic and social development of advanced and less advanced economies, through their role in job creation, innovation and diffusion of technologies. After more than a year of waiting, the SME Homepage at the OCDE is alive and well and not only showcase the activities of the OECD Industry Committee's Working Party on SMEs, but also serve as a navigational tool for the Internet user interested in SME topics.

ILO's Boosting Employment through Small Enterprise Development
The ILO's Enterprise and Cooperative Development Department (ENTREPRISE) helps member states, particularly developing countries and countries in transition, strengthen their capacity to design, promote and implement enterprise and cooperative development policies and programmes.A very good site. Do not miss their program on "Boosting Employment through Small EnterprisE Development (SEED)" and their "Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB)" program.

In addition to going directly to the topic of your choice, or exploring the site on a geographical basis, you can also click on the What's New image on the left. This will lead you to a list of the recently added sites. On average 15/20 new sites are reviewed each month. Do not forget to send us your suggestions.

Business Environment website
This inter-agency information exchange site has been created to share documents and information about donor-supported work to enhance the business environment to achieve pro-poor growth. It focuses on aspects of the Business Environment that discriminate against small firms and also covers the overall approaches of governments to SME policies and institutions. Very innovative and useful initiative.

Unleashing Entrepreneurship: Making Business Work for the Poor
In this report to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the Commission on Private Sector and Development focuses on how business can create domestic employment and wealth, free local entrepreneurial energies, and help achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Very interesting report which unfortunately did not focus much on the role and importance of microenterprises and the informal sector. Some of the recommendations are very good such as getting an enabling business environment while others, such as formalizing the informal sector or having large enterprises tailor their products to the bottom of the pyramid consumer, could be challenged.

Do not miss the opportunity to explore the other sections of ENTERWeb by clicking on the Menu on the left. You will then be able to visit the most popular sections such as Entrepreneurship, Business Ethics, Knowledge Economy, Globalization, Women and also the new sections on Social Media and Culture and Business.

OECD Financial, Fiscal and Entreprise Affairs
This OECD site covers competition law and policy, financial markets, international investment & capital movements, private sector development, etc. Do not miss the OECD guidelines on multinational enterprises and the report on recent trends in foreign direct investments.

USAID - Economic Growth
A very interesting site presenting USAID strategy for encouraging broad based economic growth and describing USAID experiences in various countries. Do not miss their link to "more agencies information on sustainable economic growth" which leads to USAID gopher and various documents.

International Finance Corporation (IFC)
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest multilateral source of loan and equity financing for private sector projects in the developing world. Their site contains information on IFC projects and policies and also links to other interesting sites such as the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency. Do not miss IFC's annual report as well as the report on the role of Private Sector in Developing Countries.

Europe

Africa

Do not miss the geographical sections where you can find extremely interesting sites with a country or regional focus not included in the thematic sections

Asia

Latin America