Training programs for budding businessmen

The UN office for South-South Cooperation and the Shenzhen Youth Federation jointly launched a program aimed at training young entrepreneurs in developing countries, especially Africa.

At the Youth Climate Summit held at the UN headquarters last month, Jorge Chediek, director of UNOSSC, and Chen Daixing, a member of the Standing Committee of the Shenzhen Youth Federation from China, made the announcement of 10,000 Youth Entrepreneurs for the South, or YES.

Chediek said YES will address climate action by supporting young entrepreneurs who are developing innovative solutions to tackle the issue.

In particular, he said the program will support the development and adoption of green and renewable technologies, foster the resilience of smallholder entrepreneurs against climate change, and support initiatives that help to reduce carbon emissions.

For his part, Chen said in the past 40 years, young people and entrepreneurs were the main force behind Shenzhen's fast transformation from a fishing village to a technology center.

He said the Shenzhen Youth Federation can mobilize a vast pool of successful Chinese technologies and entrepreneurs to support their African counterparts' endeavors.

Shenzhen can provide the UN with "Chinese wisdom" in its efforts to promote sustainable development, Chen added.

According to Chediek, the YES program will provide a "one-stop shop" to support both emerging and established young entrepreneurs in developing countries.

Over a five-year period, it aims to help train 10,000 young entrepreneurs, providing them with increased knowledge and enhanced skills in areas of finance, innovation and digital technology, he said, adding that the program plans to support the incubation and funding of 100 innovative development solutions and business ideas.

YES is the entrepreneurship pillar developed under the 2017 UNOSSC Youth4South Advanced Youth Leadership Program.

Supported by the Finance Center for South-South Cooperation, Youth4South has been working with many Chinese partners, including the China Institute for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture and the Peking University Institute for South-South Cooperation and Development.

Chediek said that UNOSSC and the Shenzhen Youth Federation developed the program with support from the African Union Commission, the Economic Community of West African States and the UN secretary-general's youth envoy office.