Innovating, Gaining Market Share and Fostering Social Inclusion Success Stories in SME Development

This document represents a contribution made by the Tripartite Committee comprising the Organization of American States (OAS), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) to the fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas Initiative, in Santo Domingo, on 5 October 2011. This initiative for promoting growth and prosperity provides a forum for countries to learn from each other's experience and for them to share lessons learned and best practices as they seek to put broader opportunities within the reach of everyone in the region. Against this backdrop, this document sets out lessons learned and success stories, both in the region and elsewhere, concerning the thematic areas identified as priorities for the initiative. These priorities include promoting the development of micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises by supporting, among other things, their productive linkages and their access to credit and the global market; facilitating trade; training a modern labour force; and developing sustainable business practices