The Coordinator of the Group, Ambassador Matthew Wilson (Barbados), presented a draft Coordinator report that summarizes the work of the Group since its establishment in December 2017. The report will be issued at MC13.

The report refers to the December 2020 package of recommendations and declarations aimed at helping small businesses trade globally, the Trade4MSMEs platform, which provides access to trade information for MSMEs, and databases of MSMEs-related information in  regional trade agreements and WTO trade policy reviews. The text also covers the Trade4MSMEs network, a partnership of international organizations seeking to increase trade opportunities for MSMEs, and initiatives such as the Trade Game, which tests players' ability to navigate the complexities of international trade. Also covered are the Small Business Champions initiative, MSME Day celebrations, and the recent “joint solutions lab” held with the Working Group on Trade and Gender and the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD). In addition, the text maps key ideas that have emerged from discussions in the Group over the past two years.

Ambassador Wilson reported that the WTO and the International Trade Centre (ITC) have joined forces to prepare a compilation of initiatives taken at the national, regional and international level to facilitate access to finance by women-led small businesses. The draft compendium can be found here.

Ambassador Wilson also updated members on efforts to create handbooks for MSMEs and policymakers on the Trade4MSMEs platform and a compendium of good practices related to MSME integration in Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programmes. These programmes allow economic operators that comply with specific requirements to benefit from preferential measures aimed at facilitating customs clearance. The compendiums and the handbooks will be launched during MC13.

Members heard an update from the ITC on the Global Trade Helpdesk, an online platform intended to bring together trade and business information for companies, especially MSMEs. Members were also briefed on G20 discussions on the development of an action plan to upgrade the platform using artificial intelligence. The ITC reported that the platform will be expanded to include information on digital payment coverage, online marketplaces and online payment solutions.

A presentation by the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) Secretariat, housed at the World Bank, highlighted its efforts to support women entrepreneurs by scaling up access to financial products and services, building capacity, expanding networks, offering mentors and providing opportunities to link with domestic and global markets. More information is available at we-fi.org.

The OECD presented two reports entitled “Future-Proofing SME and Entrepreneurship Policies” and the OECD Declaration on Enhancing SMEs and Entrepreneurship Policies for Greater Resilience and Successful Green and Digital Transitions, which were outcomes of the OECD ministerial meeting in June this year. The reports underscore the need to provide targeted support for MSMEs to reflect their diversity and to embed an MSME perspective in broader policies that impact them. They also highlight the need to engage MSMEs in the transition to a green economy by providing access to green finance. The reports also underline the need to reduce barriers to trade and to consider MSMEs in trade agreements.

The WTO Secretariat's Aid for Trade team provided a briefing on upcoming work, including the ninth Global Review of Aid for Trade, taking place in 2024, which will include MSME-related trade information.