Mr. Carlos Magariños Chairman Emeritus Former UNIDO Director General

Dear Friends,

As a central pillar in the world economy, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a critical role in innovation, advancement and sustainable development worldwide.

In today's increasingly globalized world, SMEs around the world have to unprecedentedly compete globally. They are both the most dynamic and the most vulnerable constituent in the global economy. Therefore, there is a need for a globally coordinated platform to promote the international cooperation and exchange among SMEs that can enable them to better grow. This is a compelling, but also challenging, mission.

Aiming to build such an interactive platform, the Global Alliance of the SMEs (GASME) is both an advocator and a practitioner of international cooperation and exchange among global SMEs. The Shanghai Manifesto on Global SME Cooperation that GASME jointly declared with trade organizations from various countries at the Global SMEs Expo 2009 provided a critical foundation and framework for the collaboration and co-prosperity of SMEs around the world.

The 21st century belongs to the SMEs. I hereby propose that all SMEs work together, learn from and complement each other, and by so doing contribute to the development of their respective national economies.