The 2024 World Entrepreneur Investment Forum will To the international community, “Leveraging the power of entrepreneurship and innovation, [SDGs]We will place emphasis on including women, youth, people with disabilities and productive families in these efforts.”
The 2024 Global Entrepreneurship Investment Forum was held in Manama, Bahrain from May 14 to 16. The forum was held under the theme of “Achieving the SDGs by Promoting Innovation and Economic Growth.”
According to a UN news article, the Manama Declaration recognizes the role of innovation in driving the development of technologies and products that help solve socio-economic and environmental challenges. It calls on the international community to “promote, harness and advance promising new areas of innovation and [including the ‘orange’ (creative) economy,] Embracing digital transformation, including artificial intelligence [(AI)]Instill smart agriculture practices that will create jobs and achieve economic development.”
The declaration calls on governments, the private sector, academia, civil society, media, international organizations and ecosystem operators “to work together to promote entrepreneurship and innovative enterprises towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” [SDGs] It also sets out a “vision to 2050” and calls on all stakeholders to “work together to foster entrepreneurship and innovation towards achieving the SDGs.”
The Manama Declaration will be presented to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The forum’s discussions were based on a multi-pronged approach to fostering innovation and economic growth, including promoting entrepreneurship as a driver of innovation; encouraging partnerships, collaboration and knowledge sharing; investing in research and development (R&D); and creating a “culture of innovation”.
Looking ahead to the Summit of the Future (SoF), UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged delegates to “find ways to harness the power of entrepreneurship and innovation to make the world a better place for all people and the planet we share.”
The forum’s sessions focused on:
- Building sustainable partnerships and creating a brighter future for Arab and African entrepreneurs.
- An ecosystem that encourages entrepreneurship and innovation.
- Smart and sustainable financial inclusion.
- Enriching lives and realizing dreams through a collaborative journey towards financial independence and inclusive living.
- Harnessing the power of nature for a sustainable future of green and blue economies.
Topics discussed included disruption and innovation, trade and innovation, the role of educational institutions in fostering entrepreneurship and innovation, and leveraging agricultural technologies for food security.
The Arab-African Entrepreneurship Investment Summit and side events on Promoting Economic Independence and Inclusive Lives for Persons with Disabilities and Productive Families were also held, and the International Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ICEI) was officially launched.
The Global Entrepreneurship Investment Forum is organized by the Secretariat of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Investment and Technology Promotion Office in Bahrain in partnership with the League of Arab States, the Bahrain Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Federation of Arab Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and several local, regional and international partners. [UN News Story of 14 May] [UN News Story of 15 May] [UN News Story of 16 May]
