MSME policies for enabling environment and decent work

The ILO’s technical assistance in this area is aimed at promoting MSME policies that contribute to an enabling business environment and decent work.

This area of work aims to develop new and context-specific approaches to address current and future challenges faced by MSMEs across the globe, in particular an unconducive business environment which impacts on their productivity and competitivity as well as their capacity to create decent work.

We support governments, workers’ and employers’ organisations to develop and implement MSME policies for enabling environment and decent work, based on the 2015 ILC Report on SMEs and Decent and Productive Employment Creation  and in line with the 2007 ILC Conclusions on the Promotion of Sustainable Enterprises which highlights the importance of balancing the needs and interests of enterprises, with social aspirations about decent work, human dignity, and environmental sustainability.

We work with member States to respond to challenges faced by MSMEs and shape a better future for businesses and their workers by:

Understanding the problems and the opportunities: help countries identify barriers and opportunities to business development looking at various elements such as macroeconomic policies, regulations, policy coordination, infrastructure, social protection, access to finance, business development services, employment and skills policies - with a view to providing evidence for new MSME policies for enabling environment and decent work.

Identifying solutions and operationalizing support to MSME policies: based on diagnostics, support constituents to identify ways to correct policy inadequacies that hamper MSME development and to design, deliver and monitor MSME policies for enabling environment and decent work. MSME policies can come in different forms depending on the country situation, including standalone strategic documents and action plans or as part of a wider framework - such as industrial and sectoral policies or national development plans. 

Promoting social dialogue and coordination: facilitate the dialogue and coordination of representatives of the government, employers and workers to bring about a shared understanding of barriers and opportunities to business development, assess the impact of socio-economic policies on MSMEs, and shape concerted solutions that are tailored to each context and countries’ needs. 

View our interactive brochure
Go to country work