Organizers
Seventh ASEAN Inclusive Business Summit
Ministry of Industry and Commerce of the Lao People's Democratic Republic
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce in the Lao People's Democratic Republic is responsible for managing cooperatives and small and medium enterprises.
The ministry also formulates and establishes policies related to cooperatives, micro enterprises, small and medium enterprises, and entrepreneurship. It coordinates the implementation of these policies, provides support and guidance to its internal organization, manages state property, supervises task implementation, and carries out other functions assigned by the President.
The Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises of the Lao People's Democratic Republic is dedicated to promoting inclusive business practices not only within the Lao People's Democratic Republic but also across the ASEAN region. We recognize the importance of fostering economic inclusivity and empowering small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the ASEAN community.
Through this Seventh ASEAN Inclusive Business Summit, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, together with our ASEAN counterparts, strives to foster economic inclusivity, empower SMEs, and promote sustainable development across the region.
ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (ACCMSME)
Guided by the ASEAN Inclusive Business Framework endorsed at the 49th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting (AEM) in September 2017, the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (ACCMSME) as the main sectoral body responsible on MSME-related policies pursued the promotion of inclusive business model in ASEAN. Since 2018, the ACCMSME in collaboration with iBAN, United Nations ESCAP and OECD has implemented numerous activities to create awareness on the IB model.
Most recently, in 2023, ASEAN at the 55th ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) Meeting, endorsed the Plan of Action for the Promotion of Inclusive Business in ASEAN (2023-2027), outlining priority areas to strengthen regional cooperation on IB, covering policy advisory support to mainstream IB promotion in national economic development policies and the design of specific policy instruments identified in the Guidelines for the Promotion of Inclusive Business in ASEAN.
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) serves as the United Nations’ regional hub promoting cooperation among countries to achieve inclusive and sustainable development. The largest regional intergovernmental platform with 53 Member States and 9 associate members, ESCAP has emerged as a strong regional think-tank offering countries sound analytical products that shed insight into the evolving economic, social and environmental dynamics of the region. The Commission’s strategic focus is to deliver on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is reinforced and deepened by promoting regional cooperation and integration to advance responses to shared vulnerabilities, connectivity, financial cooperation and market integration. ESCAP’s research and analysis coupled with its policy advisory services, capacity building and technical assistance to governments aims to support countries’ sustainable and inclusive development ambitions.
ESCAP leverages its expertise in promoting impact investment, social enterprises, sustainable and responsible business and inclusive innovation to support policymakers develop inclusive business policies and provide a sub-regional platform for sharing knowledge and lessons learned across South-East Asia.
Since 2019, ESCAP, in collaboration with iBAN, has supported governments to enhance the policy environment for inclusive business in South-East Asia, providing country-level analysis and policy advice and promoting regional policy dialogue and knowledge exchange.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) aims to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. The OECD Southeast Asia Regional Programme (SEARP) has been supporting the ASEAN region through policy advice, publications and events since its inception in 2014.
The OECD has been the pioneer of analysis around the issue of social and inclusive entrepreneurship. We provide in-depth analysis leading to tailored and evidence-based policy recommendations to support governments in designing and implementing enabling strategies supporting social entrepreneurship across the world. A specifically developed Better Entrepreneurship Tool helps policymakers and others assess their social enterprise ecosystems. The 2018 SME Policy Index for ASEAN has a dedicated chapter focused on good practices for governments supporting social and inclusive entrepreneurship.
The OECD has been working with businesses, governments, workers and civil society to promote Responsible Business Conduct. The OECD is home to one of the main internationally-recognised instruments on RBC, known as the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, which reflect the expectation from governments to businesses on how to act responsibly and bring together all key thematic areas of business responsibility. Under the Responsible Supply Chains in Asia programme, the OECD, in partnership with the International Labour Organisation and the European Union, and six Asian partner economies, is working with all stakeholders to make the culture of business the culture of responsibility, and keep people at the centre of development.