INF/TGE/W/3  
 
30 April 2021  
(21-3683) Page: 1/2 
Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender  Original: English  
 
 
PROPOSAL FOR A FRAMEWORK TO DELIVER AN AMBITIOUS MINISTERIAL OUTCOME ON 
TRADE AND GENDER FOR MC12 AND BEYOND  
ELEMENTS TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE INFORMAL WORKING GROUP ON TRADE AND GENDER  
Communication from the Co -Chairs of the Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender - 
Botswana, El Salvador,  and Iceland  
_______________  
 
 
1.1.  The Informal Working Group (IWG) on Trade and Gender was created in the WTO on 
23 September  2020. Its work is based on  the objectives of the 2017 Buenos Aires Declaration on 
Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment and of the Interim Report establishing the Informal 
Working Group (WT/L/1095/Rev.1).  
1.2.  There is a need for the WTO to design solutions to address issues related t o women’s economic 
empowerment. This is even more crucial today because of the detrimental impact of the COVID -19 
pandemic on women. Through the work of the Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender, the 
WTO can play a role in mitigating these effects on women. It can also act on a long -term perspective 
not just to restore economic balance in favour of women but also to consolidate current actions and 
leap them forward.  
1.3.  Within this context, the Co -Chairs of the IWG on Trade and Gender believe that there i s a need 
to have a high -level ambition at MC12 to deliver on women’s economic empowerment.  
1.4.  The IWG on Trade and Gender has so far worked on the basis of a Work Plan 
(INF/TGE/W/1/Rev.2) adopted as the planning guide for this year and to organize and focus its work 
towards MC12.  
1.5.  This Work Plan is based on the agreed work pillars contained in the Interim Report 
(WT/L/1095/Rev.1): (i) experience sharing; (ii) considering the concept and scope for a 
"gender  lens"; reviewing analytical work undertaken;  (iii) and  contributing to the Aid -for-Trade Work 
Programme.  
1.6.  The substantial technical work currently taking place within the IWG on Trade and Gender will 
inform the content of the MC12 outcome, but Co -Chairs believe that Members could already consider 
and adopt a f ramework supporting the concrete actions and the substantial focus that would be 
included in the MC12 outcome of the IW G on Trade and Gender.  
1.7.  Co-Chairs therefore propose that the framework of the IWG's MC12 outcome be based on 
four pillars.  
1.8.  The IWG on Trade and Gender could adopt a Joint Ministerial Statement with supporting 
recommendations, combined with a roadmap taking work beyond MC12 and towards MC13. 
This package should include concrete actions.  
1.9.  The IWG on Trade and Gender could also start to e xpand and promote participation from all 
WTO Members. The  Co-Chairs propose that they gather additional support from non -Group Members 
and invite them to join the IWG on Trade and Gender before or at MC12. Gradually , expanding INF/TGE/W/3  
 
- 2 - 
 
  participation to the whole WTO membership could constitute  one of the key goals and actions of the 
proposed roadmap.  
1.10.   Given the limited time towards MC12, the Co -Chairs propose to begin working, along with the 
Secretariat, on a first draft of the Joint Statement and Roadmap that would include various options 
and proposals for the Members of this Group to consider. This draft will be based on the IWG on 
Trade and Gender ’s current technical discussi ons and Work Plan.  
1.11.   Co-Chairs propose to share this draft proposal with the I WG on Trade and Gender before the 
summer break to deliver a final outcome before the end of November and for Ministers to adopt at 
MC12.  
1.12.   Ensuring visibility is also key. Therefore , Co-Chairs propose to create the same level of 
traction and involvement that the WTO had at Buenos Aires in 2017 and to organi ze a high -level and 
pivotal event to launch the IWG's Joint Statement and the Roadmap, with the idea of inviting an 
international ly recogni zed gender champion to support our MC12 outcome and our work.  
 
__________