Long abstract

About Statistics Publications & Documents Information by Country

Growing recognition of the economic contribution of SMEs has given rise to a large number of activities in many international organisations, both governmental and non-governmental. In the framework of the preparation of the 1st OECD Ministerial Conference on SMEs held in Bologna, Italy, in June 2000, a first Compendium I was prepared, which collected and classified information on the activities of international bodies and institutions, as well as NGOs, targeted at SMEs. The Compendium provided an overview of work conducted by such organisations on SME issues and policies. Although the mandates of these international organisations differ, it was considered useful to collect and share an increasing volume of information on the work being carried out in what is a multi-faceted subject. By promoting a flow of information, duplication of effort can be reduced and co-ordination and synergy among international organisations/institutions can be improved.