The SDG Secretariat, as the strategic partner, participated in the Brunei MSME Festival 2024 held from 29 February to 3 March 2024 at BRIDEX Exhibition Hall, Jerudong. Throughout the festival, themed “Dare to Transform: Building Sustainable MSMEs”, a series of conferences, forums, and sharing sessions covering various key topics and issues relevant to MSMEs and the general public were held, focusing on how MSMEs can support and inculcate the sustainability culture, among others.

The Brunei MSME Festival 2024 Conference was held on the first day where Yang Mulia Pengiran Hajah Siti Nirmala binti Pengiran Haji Mohammad, Permanent Secretary (Wawasan) at the Prime Minister’s Office and Chair of the Special National Coordination Committee on SDG, delivered remarks during the opening session as the Guest of Honour.

In her speech, she stated that MSMEs have an important role to play in Brunei Darussalam’s sustainability journey, particularly in helping Brunei Darussalam’s economy transform into one that is dynamic and sustainable, in line with Wawasan Brunei 2035. Thus, she encouraged MSMEs to be equipped with innovative operating methods that prioritise sustainability and allow them to remain adaptable to future challenges, and to encourage creating partnerships to catalyse the right ecosystem for local MSMEs to grow. To end her address, she reminded that actions today will have an impact on the world that future generations will live in and called upon all to work together towards a prosperous, sustainable, and resilient future for Brunei Darussalam. The full remarks can be accessed here.

The SDG Secretariat booth also was a point of attention during the booth, attracting visitors who were curious about the SDG.  The SDG booth also had the pleasure of featuring the UN Global Compact, a voluntary initiative featuring businesses committed to implementing sustainable and socially responsible policies, who were present to share companies’ experiences in implementing sustainable policies to visitors.