Kyiv, 14 November 2024 – The Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine have together held the seventh national SME “United For Resilience and Recovery” Forum. The event attracted over 200 attendees from Ukrainian businesses, government, international donors, and business associations. 

The forum demonstrated to Ukrainian businesses that joining forces in various ways (creating business associations, cooperation, joint production activities, resource sharing) is the best way to survive and overcome war-related challenges. 

According to the “Assessment of the Impact of the War on MSME in Ukraine”, MSMEs comprise 99.9% of all business entities, provide 74% of all jobs, and generate 64% of the country’s added value. They generate income and support livelihoods, drive poverty reduction, and fuel community empowerment and progress. 

The forum was a platform to discuss the key milestones of MSME support in Ukraine and involved representatives of the government, the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, national businesses and their associations, universities, and international donor partners such as the European Union, USAID, and the European Investment Bank. 

The forum held five major panels: 

1. Economic Recovery: How to Ensure the Resilience of SMEs?; 
2. "Made in Ukraine" Policy for SMEs; 
3. UNDP Sustainable Business Platform; 
4. International Technical Support for Entrepreneurship; 
5. Export Development Tools for SMEs. 

Commenting on the forum, Gennadiy Chyzhykov, the president of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, “I’m grateful to every participant and guest of the 7th National SME Forum! This is a landmark event for the Chamber system that annually determines the direction of our forward movement! I’m sincerely grateful to our partners from the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, UNDP, Governments and people of Japan and Switzerland for their support. We joined our efforts to support Ukrainian businesses. From crafters to industrialists, our entrepreneurs play a key role in Ukraine's unique resilience.” 

Tokita Yuji, Minister, Deputy Head of Mission Embassy of Japan in Ukraine, added that “Japan is deeply committed to supporting Ukraine across various pathways, from demining efforts to aiding micro businesses.” He added that “it is inspiring to assist the people of Ukraine during this challenging period of full-scale war, contributing to reconstruction and fostering resilience. We stand with Ukraine on this journey toward renewal and a prosperous future.” 

John Denton, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce said, “The ICC looks forward to leveraging its expertise and ongoing efforts to support SMEs, through initiatives like the ICC Centre of Entrepreneurship, to harness the power of the private sector to drive economic recovery and resilience in Ukraine.” Denton added: “This is consistent with the founding mission upon which ICC was built, back in 1919 – which is to promote peace and prosperity through trade. As a purpose-driven organization, our North Star is to develop strong private sectors worldwide, which in turn contributes to economic stabilization and development.” 

Speaking at the forum, Jaco Cilliers, UNDP Resident Representative to Ukraine noted that before the full-scale invasion, Ukraine had 1.9 million MSMEs.  

“Following the invasion, 65% of these businesses suspended or ceased operations,” Cilliers said. “There are numerous reasons for this, that I’m sure are well-known to you: from war-torn logistics to critical human capital issues.” 

“But now we can say that, despite the challenges, 76% of MSMEs have retained their workforce levels, demonstrating resilience in the current economic environment. All the same, it’s our mission to provide further support to MSMEs, because they are more than just businesses — they’re catalysts of change; the building blocks of recovery.” 

The Forum is organised as part of the “Transformational Recovery for Human Security in Ukraine” project, with financial support from the Government of Japan and the "Strengthening of SME Business Membership Organisations in Ukraine" project, with the support of Switzerland. 

Media enquiries: Yuliia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Head of Communications; e-mail: yuliia.samus@undp.org