INF/MSME/R/22  
 
18 December 2020  
(20-9198) Page: 1/2 
  Original: English  
 
  
INFORMAL WORKING GROUP ON MSMES  
OPEN -ENDED MEETING OF 11 DECEMBER 2020  
Summary of discussions  
The following communication, dated 18 December 2020, is being circulated at the request of the 
Coordinator of the Informal Working Group on MSMEs.  
 
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The Group held it last meeting of the year on 11 December. A total of 88 delegations1 attended the 
virtual meeting, including 15 non-working group members ( Chad; Egypt; Fiji; Gabon; Jamaica; 
Lesotho; Mauritius ; Oman; Tajikistan; Thailand; Togo; Trinidad and Tobago; Tunisia;  United States 
of America; Vanuatu ). Ambassador José Lu ís Cancela Gómez of Uruguay, Coordinator of the MSME 
Informal Working Group  chaired the meeting and, as in the past, the Secretariat was invited to sit 
at the podium.  
 
1  SUMMARY OF DISCUSSIONS  
1.1.  The MSME Group officially endors ed its first package of recommendations and declarations  
(INF/MSME/3) . Malaysia and Pakistan both abstained from endorsing the package pending review 
by their respective capitals. Ukraine announced its intention to formally support the package and to 
join the MSME Group, making it the 91st member of the Group. Mauritius  also noted their intention 
to endorse the document .2 Endorsement of the package will remain open until 29 January 2021 to 
allow for other WTO Members to join.  A revised version listing additional sponsors will be circulated 
in early February.  
1.2.  Discussion also turned to organization of work for next year and to topics for consideration for 
the Group's future work. The Coordinator suggested to articulate substantive work around three 
main streams: 1) monitoring of implementation of the Group's recommendations and  declarations; 
2) topics for further discussion, such as trade facilitation, domestic regulation, access to finance and 
cross-border payments; and 3) new topics. Several delegates made suggestions for future topics 
including cybersecurity and MSMEs; author ized economic operators (AEOs); Covid -19 and its impact 
on MSMEs; issues connected to MSMEs led by women; capacity building; regulatory development; 
and best practices on government actions related to technological development and MSMEs. One 
 
1 Afghanistan; Albania; Argentina; Australia; Bahrain, Kingdom of; Belgium; Brazil; Brunei Darussalam; 
Bulgaria; Canada; Chad; Chile; China; Colombia; Costa Rica; C ôte d'Ivoire; Czech Republic; Dominican 
Republic; Ecuador; Egypt ; El Salvador; European Union ; Fiji; Finland; France; Gabon ; Germany; Greece; 
Guatemala; Guyana; Honduras; Hong Kong, China; Hungary; Iceland; Ireland; Israel; Jamaica ; Japan; 
Kazakhstan; Korea, Republic of; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Latvia; Lesotho ; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; 
Malaysia; Malta; Mauritius ; Mexico; Moldova, Republic of; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Myanmar; 
Netherlands; Nicaragua; Nigeria; Norway; Oman ; Pakistan; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Poland; Portugal; 
Qatar; Romania; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia, King dom of; Singapore; Slovak Republic; Slovenia; Spain; 
Sweden; Switzerland; Chinese Taipei; Tajikistan ; Thailand ; Togo; Trinidad and Tobago ; Tunisia ; Turkey; 
Ukraine; United Kingdom; United States of America ; Uruguay; Vanuatu ; and Viet Nam (non MSME Group 
members are in italics ). 
2 Mauritius formally submitted their intention to endorse the package following the meeting via a note 
verbale. Additionally, Mali and Togo also submitted their intention to be added to the list of sponsors shortly 
after the meeting.  INF/MSME/R/22  
 
- 2 - 
 
  delegation exp licitly flagged items 4.3, 4.4, 4.6, 4.7, 4.12, 4.13, 4.23, 4.27, 4.28, 4.29, 4.30 and 
4.32 from document INF/MSME/W/29 as topics that should be considered for further discussion by 
the Group. Strong interest was also expressed in continuing the Group's di scussion on MSME access 
to finance and cross -border payments. In addition, reference was made to the G20 MSME guidelines 
as a topic to be presented to, and considered by, the Group. One delegation expressed interest in 
finalizing work on the functioning of  the Group, and another noted the importance of discussing how 
best to multilaterali ze issues discussed by the Group and to bring them to the regular committees 
and councils. Finally, it was noted that the Group's communication with the private sector is b oth 
welcome and important to ensure MSME interests are considered appropriately.  
1.3.  In terms of format of meetings in 2021, the Coordinator suggest ed dedicating  the mornings to 
discussions and presentations on topics for further exploration and new substantiv e issues of interest 
to members and the afternoons to regular work  (monitoring & review of implementation of the 
package, briefings by Committee chairs of regular WTO, update on the Trade4MSMEs platform, 
organization of work, etc. ). He recalled the recent proposal sent by the Global Express Alliance (GEA) 
on streamlined customs procedures for low value shipments . The GEA  had communicated an interest 
in presenting it to the Group. It was suggested that they be invited to give a presentation at a 
forthcoming  meeting.  
1.4.  The coordinator also invited members  of the Group  to submit their Covid -19 related MSME 
government support measures directly to the WTO Trade Monitoring team, with an explicit indication 
that these measures are "MSME specific" , for inclusion in th e online Covid -19 Trade Monitoring 
database . 
1.5.  The Coordinator briefed the Group on the two outreach events organized on 2 December for 
French and English -speaking African countries, and members reported on their individual outreach 
efforts, including contac t with Egypt, Suriname, Portuguese -speaking African countries and Pacific 
Group countries.  Fiji noted its gratitude for the contact it received as well as its interest in the work 
of the Group including its relevance to the Pacific Group's economies.  
1.6.  Mexic o informed the Group that a vendor had been selected to develop the Trade4MSMEs web 
platform . This platform will link relevant trade information, including on how to trade for MSMEs and 
studies and best practices for policymakers . A task force composed of members will be established 
to oversee development of the platform  in 2021.  
1.7.  Finally, the Group adopted its draft annual report (INF/MSME/ W/28/Rev.1 ). 
2  NEXT STEPS  
2.1.  The coordinator recalled that a virtual meeting was scheduled for 15 December with the private 
sector to present the package, to be followed by a press conference. Additionally, the Coordinator 
informed the Group that he had been invited to organize a sess ion during the 23 -24 March 2021 
Aid-for-Trade stocktaking event to discuss actions taken by International Organizations to support 
MSMEs during the Covid -19 pandemic.  
2.2.  The Group's first open -ended meeting of 2021 will take place on 18 February followed by 
meetings on 26 April 2021; 24 June 2021; 25 June 2021 (MSME Day); 28 July 2021; 1 October  2021; 
30 November 2021; and 7 December 2021.  
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