INF/MSME/R/30  
 
11 February 2022 
(22-1264) Page: 1/5 
  Original: English  
 
 
INFORMAL WORKING GROUP ON MSMES1 
2021 ANNUAL REPORT  
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  On 13 December 2017, at the 11th Ministerial Conference (MC11), 88 WTO Members 
representing all major regions and levels of development established the Informal Working Group 
on MSMEs (WT/MIN(17)/58/Rev.1). In their Joint  Ministerial Statement, the "Friends of MSMEs" 
committed to discu ssing and identifying " horizontal a nd non -discrim inatory solutions"  to improve 
the participation of MSMEs in international trade while taking into account the specific needs of 
developing countries.  
1.2.  In a second year of the C OVID -19 pandemic, the MSME Group continued its efforts in a hybrid 
format to supp ort MSME trade as a means of economic recovery and resilience. Focus was centred 
on deliverables for MC12 which was postponed out of concerns regarding the Omicron C OVID -19 
variant.  
1.3.  The following annual report describes the activities of the Group in 2021.  In the run -up to the 
postponed MC12 in early December 2021, The Gambia , Georgia  and Macao, China joined the MSME 
Group, bringing the total to 9 4 members including Ukraine's addition in December 2020.2 The Group 
is chaired by H.E. Mr José Lu ís Cancela  Gómez, Coordinator and Ambassador of Uruguay . 
2  OPEN -ENDED MEETINGS HELD BY THE MSME INFORMAL WORKING GROUP DURING 
2021 
2.1.  The Group held six open -ended meetings during 2021, the first on 18 February, followed by 
4 May, 24 June, 26 July, 24 September, and 8 Novemb er. A series of small group meetings also took 
place throughout the year to advance work on the MC12 Declaration.  
2.2.  On 18 February, the Group held its first open -ended meeting of 2021 to discuss regular work 
for the year ahead (INF/MSME/CN/8/Rev.1). By the February meeting, 94 WTO Members and 
Observers had endorsed the MSME Group's December 2020 Package, including five non -MSME Group 
members, namely Kuwait, Mali, Mauritius, Thailand and Togo. An active discussion on work was held 
by participants, including by African Members and Chad in particular, which represented the LDC 
perspective. For 2021, proposed work focused on implementation of the December 2020 Package ; 
objectives by the MSME Group for the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference; and new proposals of issues 
for consideration by the MSME Group such as cyber readiness and low -value shipments. The Group 
also received update briefings by other WTO committees, includi ng the Working Group on Trade , 
 
1 Previous annual reports include  JOB/GC/207 dated 3 December 2018 ; INF/MSME/R/13/Rev.1 dated 
9 December 2019; and INF/MSME/R/21 dated 15 December 2020.  
2 Members of the Informal Working Group on MSMEs are: Afghanistan; Albania; Antigua and Barbuda; 
Argentina; Armenia; Australia; Bahrain,  Kingdom of ; Belize; Brazil; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; China; 
Colombia; Costa Rica; Côte d'Ivoire; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; El Salvador; European Union 
and its 2 7 Member States; The Gambia; Georgia; Grenada; Guatemala; Guyana; Hondura s; Hong Kong, 
China; Iceland; Israel; Japan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Korea, Republic of ; Kyrgyz Republic; Lao People's 
Democratic Republic ; Liechtenstein; Macao, China; Malaysia; Mexico; Moldova,  Republic of;  Mongolia; 
Montenegro; Myanmar; New Zealand; Nicaragu a; Nigeria; North Macedonia; Norway; Pakistan; Paraguay; 
Peru; Philippines; Qatar; Russian Federation; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint  Vincent and the 
Grenadines; Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of; Singapore; Switzerland; Chinese Taipei ; Turkey; Ukraine; United 
Kingdom; Uruguay and Viet Nam.  INF/MSME/R/30  
 
- 2 - 
 
  Debt and Finance (WGTDF), the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA), and the Standards and 
Trade Development Facility (STDF). Mexico updated the Group on the progress of the Trade4MSMEs 
web platform. Four presentations were given to the MSME Group on low value shipments by the 
Global Express Alliance (GEA); UNECE's Integrated Services for MSMEs in International Trade 
(ISMIT); the OECD Working Group on SMEs and Entrepreneurship; and Canadian cybersecurity 
initiatives and progr ammes for MSMEs. A full summary of the meeting and of presentations received 
is available in document INF/MSME/R/23.  
2.3.  The MSME Group held its second open -ended meeting of the year on 4 May 2021 
(INF/MSME/CN/9). Discussions focused on the road to MC12, inclu ding the development of a joint 
ministerial declaration to take stock of progress achieved and to outline a way forward, with a 
decision to restart work on the ministerial declaration discussed in 2020. It was also determined that 
Trade4MSMEs would be one concrete deliverable by the Group for 2021. Updates on implementation 
of the Package  were also given, including development of the database on the MSME TPR references 
in Annex 1 by the Secretariat and work by C ôte d'Ivoire to bring MSMEs considerations to the 
Working Group on Trade , Debt and Finance (WGTDF). The MSME Group also discussed two new 
proposals by Ecuador on MSME Innovation Policies and by Brazil on Rural -based MSMEs. The MSME 
Group heard presentations from Australia on facilitation of imports of  low-value shipments, from 
TechUK on MSME digital security , and two in relation to Annex 6 of the December 2020 Package , 
presentations from the IFC on supply chain finance and dLocal, a n e-payment company  from 
Uruguay . Finally, the Group discussed the orga nization of MSME Day on 25 June. The MSME Group 
Coordinator suggested launching a "MSME Digital Champion" initiative, potentially in partnership 
with the ICC and/or ITC. A full summary of the meeting and of presentations received is available in 
document I NF/MSME/R/25.  
2.4.  On 24 June  2021 the MSME Group met for the third time (INF/MSME/CN/10/Rev.1). Work 
continued on the Draft MSME Ministerial Declaration. A beta version of the Trade4MSMEs platform 
was also released for testing by interested members and a Trade 4MSMEs hub to coordinate updates 
and content with other international organizations was proposed by Mexico. Regarding 
implementation of the MSME Package , the MSME Group heard an update from C ôte d'Ivoire on the 
proposal it submitted to the WGTDF in relatio n to Annex 6 and from Canada regarding their data 
transfer automation procedure following from the 2019 IDB Decision as proposed in Annex 5 of the 
December 2020 Package . MSME day 2021 was also discussed including the launch of the Digital 
Champions for Sma ll Business Initiative and the Ambassador's Lounge on MSMEs, Trade  and Gender. 
The MSME Group also received a number of presentations, including three on various aspects of 
UNCITRAL's Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR) covering an explana tion of what 
MLETR is; the importance of MLETR to MSMEs; and Bahrain's national experience as the first nation 
to transpose MLETR to domestic law. The Secretariat then presented on a report completed in 2019 
on MSME references in regional trade agreements,  including the updated background database. The 
Group also heard presentations by the ICC on their new High -Level Council on SMEs and from 
Abu Dhabi Global Market on their Digital Lab and SME Platform including the ways it can support 
fintech development. Finally, updates were given on the new initiatives begun by Brazil and Ecuador. 
Brazil gave a presentation on rural MSMEs and agritech in their economy and Ecuador updated the 
group on their recently issued questionnaire on MSMEs and innovation policies an d invited members 
to fill it in the coming months. A full summary of the meeting and of presentations received is 
available in document INF/MSME/R/26.  
2.5.  The fourth MSME Group meeting was held on 26 July 2021 (INF/MSME/CN/11). Work on the 
Draft MSME Ministeri al declaration continued. C ôte d'Ivoire informed the Group of its intention to 
re-submit its proposal to the WGTDF in September as per Annex 6 of the December 2020 MSME 
Package,  and Brazil and Uruguay noted their exploration of automatic data transmission to the WTO 
as put forward in Annex 5 of the Package . The Group also received five presentations, including one 
by WIPO's Director General Daren Tang. DG Tang introduced WIPO's work on developing intellectual 
property tools to support MSME Growth and innova tion, such as the IP Diagnostic Tool and Inventor 
Assistance Program. Related to support of MSME IP, the WTO Secretariat updated the Group on 
discussions at the TRIPS Council. Ecuador shared its national experience regarding the importance 
of rural MSMEs a nd their various projects to support innovation by these businesses. Finally, updates 
were provided on MSME discussions in other WTO bodies, including by the Enhanced Integrated 
Framework on a multi -agency initiative to support least developed country part icipation in trade by 
facilitating the release and shipment of small Package s across borders. The WTO Secretariat also 
updated the Group on the e -Ping platform, including a project to develop a Vietnamese version to INF/MSME/R/30  
 
- 3 - 
 
  make the information more accessible wit hin their economy. A full summary of the meeting and of 
presentations received is available in document INF/MSME/R/27.  
2.6.  On 24 September  2021 the MSME Group held its fifth open -ended meeting 
(INF/MSME/CN/12/rev.1) where they finalized and cleared the text of a Draft Ministerial Declaration 
(INF/MSME/W/36). Discussions in the meeting focused on organization for MC12, including outreach 
and how t o best launch the Trade4MSMEs web platform. Mexico also updated the Group on the 
progress of the Trade4MSMEs platform which had more than 300 identified online resources and 
over 30 MSME trade guides at the time of the meeting. Implementation of the MSME Package  
continues to move forward, and members with upcoming TPRs were encouraged to include 
information as per Annex 1 of the December 2020 Package . The ITC Global Trade Helpdesk team 
also updated the Group on its work and encouraged members to fill in inf ormation gaps as per 
Annex  2. The Group received five presentations in the context of thematic discussions and from 
international organizations. Based on UNCEFACT's Integrated Services for MSMEs in International 
Trade (ISMIT), Brazil first presented their Global Trade Hub to the MSME Group.  Canada next 
presented on their customs procedures for low -value shipments, including duty exemptions, the 
various thresholds applied to these exemptions and de minimis  for courier remission import orders. 
The Coalition to Reduce Cyber Risk, which had previously presented at a meeting of the e -commerce 
JSI, discussed the trade issues cybersecurity threats posed to MSMEs  and the challenge from 
unstandardized cyber securit y regulations.  The final two presentations from International 
Organizations introduced the MSME Group to the UN Global Compact's SME and Africa strategies 
and to UNCITRAL's work on MSMEs.  A full summary of the meeting and of presentations received is 
available in document INF/MSME/R/28.  
2.7.  The final open -ended meeting of the MSME Group was held on 8 November 2021 
(INF/MSME/CN/13). At the last MSME Group meeting before the scheduled 12th WTO Ministerial 
Conference, discussions focused on MC12 and the Group's pl anned events and outreach, including 
the endorsement by Ministers of the Draft MSME Ministerial Declaration (WT/MIN(21)/1); the launch 
of the Trade4MSMEs web platform for WTO Members; and two side events on the margins of the 
Business Forum on 2 December t o inform businesses about this new online resource and to award 
the Digital Champions for Small Business. Mexico provided a last update regarding progress on the 
Trade4MSMEs web platform, including the revised MSME and policymaker roadmaps, their related 
guides, and the resource libraries. Updates were also received on implementation of the December 
2020 Package , including the recently completed database of MSME trade policy review references 
by the Secretariat as per Annex 1. WIPO Assistant Director Genera l, Marco Aleman, joined the Group 
to present WIPO tools and support for MSMEs related to IP management, diagnostics and guides. 
ADG Aleman offered to keep the MSME Group regularly informed with annual updates on WIPO's 
work to develop MSME IP capacity.  A full summary of the meeting and of presentations received is 
available in document INF/MSME/R/29.  
2.8.  Since th e first open -ended meeting of the year, the sponsors of the various texts, and members 
who had submitted comments, also met regularly in an informal context to advance work on the 
MSME Declaration.  
3  IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 2020 MSME PACKAGE  
3.1.  Following endorsement of the MSME Package in December 2020, the MSME Group worked to 
implement the various annexes. To assist with coordination, the Group agreed to an o verview list 
(INF/MSME/W/35/Corr.1) . 
3.1  Annex 1  
3.2.  The Secretariat completed a database of MSME references in TPRs through 2020. Additionally, 
in November 2021 , the Russian Federation and China both noted their inclusion of MSME information 
as per the Annex 1 ch ecklist in their recently concluded TPRs.  
3.2  Annex 2  
3.3.  In September 2021, t he ITC updated the Group on latest developments regarding the Global 
Trade Helpdesk (GTH)  and m embers were invited to submit  information to feed into the GTH as per INF/MSME/R/30  
 
- 4 - 
 
  annex 2 of the 2020 Package . By the end of the year, updates and verifications had been received 
from ten members of the MSME Group.  
3.3  Annex 3  
3.4.  The MSME Group Coordinator made a statement at the 26 -27 January meeting of the Trade 
Facilitation Committee highlighting the importance  of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) to 
MSME trade and calling for its full implementation. Canada then intervened with a statement of 
support. Minutes of the meeting are available in document G/TFA/M/14.  
3.4  Annex 5  
3.5.  In June, Canada briefed the MSME Grou p on their work to automate their data transfer 
procedures following from the 2019 IDB decision. Brazil and Uruguay then notified the MSME Group 
in July 2021 that they too had begun to explore automatic transmission of data to the IDB and on 
12 November, U ruguay entered into a voluntary agreement with the Secretariat for the automatic 
electronic transmission of their tariff and import data to the IDB . 
3.5  Annex 6  
3.6.  In May 2021, Côte d'Ivoire notified the Group on the proposal it submitted to the Working 
Group on Trade, Debt and Finance (WGTDF).  Following comments from some members, 
Côte d'Ivoire re -submitted its proposal in September.  
4  OTHER ACTIVITIES  
4.1  Other  
4.1.  Development of the Trade4MSMEs web platform continued throughout the year and was 
launched on 2 December 2021, with interventions from ICC's Secretary  General John Denton; 
Uruguay's Vice Minister of Foreign Relations Victoria Francolino; and Mexico's Vice Minister of the 
Economy Luz María D e La Mora. The launch featured a demonstration of the Trade4M SMEs platform 
and its information for MSMEs and policymakers, as well as an update from the Global Trade 
Helpdesk (see here for a link to the WTO news item). Additional fundrai sing for Trade4MSMEs was 
also conducted, with funds pledged by Canada and a partnership established with Google. The UK's 
TAF2+ will continue to fund the maintenance and hosting of Trade4MSMEs through the end of 2022.  
4.2.  The Digital Champions Initiative was l aunched in June 2021 on MSME day and called for 
proposals from chambers of commerce, industry associations and NGOs with a MSME and 
digitalization focus. The initiative was developed in collaboration with the ICC and ITC and sponsored 
by Google and Zoom. M ore than 100 proposals were received and four winners were announced on 
2 December at a virtual awards ceremony chaired by the MSME Group Coordinator, with 
interventions from Director General Ngozi Okonjo -Iweala; ITC Executive Director 
Pamela  Coke-Hamilton : ICC Secretary General John Denton; Google's Director of Economic & Trade 
Policy David Weller; and Zoom's Head of Global Public Policy Josh Kallmer (see here for a link to the  
WTO news item including interview videos by the winners).  
4.3.   H.E. Mr José Luís Cancela Gómez was  also invited to participate  in various webinars organized 
by external stakeholders to raise awareness concerning the efforts of the Group, including the 
Aid-for-Trade Stocktaking event in March 2021 and various events at the Public Forum from 
28 September to 1 October 2021.  
4.4.  Additionally, the Coordinator issued three Newsletters to interested external recipients over 
2021. Newsletters covered updates on the work o f the Group and its initiatives, including the 
Trade4MSMEs web platform and the Digital Champions for Small Business.  
4.5.  Lastly of note, the MSME Group's web page was made publicly accessible and is available here. INF/MSME/R/30  
 
- 5 - 
 
  5  CONCLUSION  
5.1.  The Informal Working Group adopted the present Annual Report (2021) at its 8 February 2022 
open-ended meeting.  
__________