Why You Need to Rally Behind #EntrepreneursUNite and Goal 8 Entrepreneurs are the key to meeting the United Nations goals for alleviating extreme poverty and creating hundreds of millions of jobs.
By John Rampton Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Later this month, the United Nations will meet to determine the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or the world's "to do' list for the next 15 years. It's critical that entrepreneurs and the jobs they create make the cut. Why? In the next decade, we need 600 million new jobs to employ a rapidly growing global workforce.
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Where will the jobs come from? Contrary to popular belief, it won't be big, global corporations that create the majority of these jobs. Tomorrow's jobs will come from entrepreneurs' their fast-growing startups and small businesses. We know this because, today, entrepreneurs create 70 percent of all new jobs in the world; up to 90 percent in some emerging economies. We simply won't be able to scale without a healthy pipeline of startups and thriving small businesses.
The UN has drafted 17 goals to create a global roadmap of prosperity leading up to 2030, setting international norms that will influence policy decisions at the country level and drive trillions of dollars in domestic spending, private investment and public/private procurement.
One of these goals, Goal 8, will empower and enable people in all economic climates to innovate and create jobs. Getting the goal supported is a first step towards aligning all countries to make the choices that will allow their citizens to have access to investments, technology, talent and the markets to sell their services.
Dell formed a community to champion this goal through the #EntrepreneursUNite campaign, which includes a worldwide petition used to rally support from entrepreneurs, private sector leaders, and concerned citizens for United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8.
"Wherever you are in the world, jobs equal hope and the promise of a better future," said Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell. "It's critical that job creation and support for global entrepreneurs makes it on the list. That's what #EntrepreneursUNite is all about."
Related: Dell Launches Effort Supporting UN's 'Goal 8' to Enhance Global Entrepreneurship
If Goal 8 is passed, it will not only create jobs but tackle extreme poverty and put the world on a more prosperous and sustainable path. Entrepreneurs can grow the world economy and create millions of jobs but only if global leaders, policy makers and the public and private sectors create a better global climate so entrepreneurs everywhere can thrive.
"The private sector has a very important role to play in not only the adoption of the global goals but also in the implementation of them," said Karen Quintos, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Dell. "The real work begins in November and beyond, when the SDGs go from aspirations to blueprints for meaningful change."
Dell's Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Elizabeth Gore, says for entrepreneurs to thrive they need better access to capital, markets and talent. She asserts that technology is the thread to make it all possible.
"Imagine what's possible if we removed the barriers that prevent entrepreneurs from turning their ideas into thriving businesses," said Gore. "More and better jobs for all allow for breakthrough innovations that will change the world and create economic opportunity on an unprecedented scale."
Everyone who cares about job growth and economic opportunity should to go to EntrepreneursUNite.com and put their signature where it counts, as well as spreading the word using #EntrepreneursUNite on social networks. The petition for Goal 8 will be delivered to political leaders in September during the UN General Assembly, the week of Sept. 28.
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