INF/MSME/R/12  
 
5 December 2019  
(19-8389) Page: 1/2 
  Original: English  
 
 
INFORMAL WORKING GRO UP ON MSMES  
OPEN -ENDED REGULAR M EETING OF 27 NOVEMBER  2019 
Summary of discussions  
The following communication, dated 5 December 2019, is being circulated at the request of the 
Coordinator of the Informal Working Group on MSMEs.  
 
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The Informal Working Group (IWG) on MSMEs held its fourth open -ended regular meeting of the 
year on 27 November 2019. The meeting was chaired by Ambassador José Luis Cancela Gómez of 
Uruguay, Coordinator of the MSME Informal Working Group . As at past meetings, the Secretariat 
was invited to sit at the podium.  
 
The meeting focused on discussion regarding the 2019 draft annual report and preparation of a draft 
MSME ministerial decision for MC12 (INF/MSME/W/21). A total of 49 delegations1 attended the 
meeting, including five non-working group members (Burkina Faso, Jamaica, Mauritius, Thailand 
and the United States of America).  
 
1  SUMMARY  OF DISCUSSIONS  
1.1.  The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced its intent to join the MSME IWG as the 91st Member.  
1.2.  The Group provisionally adopted its 2019 draft annual report (INF/MSME/W/18), pending minor 
revisions.  
1.3.  Members reviewed the draft ministerial language circulated in document INF/MSME/W/21. 
Although the IWG will continue to aim for a multilateral outcome, it w as decided that work should 
focus on the preparation of a plurilateral text that IWG members would try to multilateralize once 
the substance has been stabilized.  
1.4.  Two proposals of recommendations, the first on improving the collection of firm -size 
character istics in trade data and the second on MSME and cybersecurity were also discussed 
(INF/MSME/W/19 and Corrigendum 1, and INF/MSME/W/20). It was felt that further discussions 
were needed before recommendations on these issues could be agreed and that these i ssues may 
be better fit for the post MC12 work programme.  
                                                
1 Argentina; Australia; Austria; Bahrain, Kingdom of ; Belgium ; Brazil; Bulgaria;  Burkina Faso ; Canada ; 
China;  Costa Rica ; Côte d’Ivoire; Czech Republic; Ecuador; El Salvador; European Union;  France; Germany; 
Guatemala ; Honduras ; Hong Kong, China; Israel; Italy;  Jamaica ; Japan; Korea, Republic of ; Latvia ; Mauritius ; 
Mexico; Moldova, Republic of; Montenegro; New Zealand; Panama; Paraguay ; Philippines; Russian Federation; 
Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of; Saint Lucia; Singapore; Slovak Republic; Spain; Switzerland; Chinese Taipei;  
Thailand ; Turkey; United Kingdom; United States of America ; Uruguay; Viet Nam (non -MSME Friends are in 
italics ). INF/MSME/R/12  
 
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  1.5.  The Group continued discussions on the new IDB decision, first presented at the 
29 October  2019 plenary meeting (INF/MSME/W/10). Canada announced that it was working on a 
draft recommendation on thi s issue to be discussed at the next meeting.  
1.6.  Private sector involvement with the MSME IWG was also discussed. The Chair suggested that 
the Group organize regular sessions with private sector representatives, back to back with regular 
MSME meetings. Other p ossible approaches flagged included the organization of private -sector led 
workshops, allowing Members to invite private sector representatives to MSME meetings, or the 
establishment of a MSME advisory board as suggested by various business representatives  and as 
done in other international organizations. Strong concerns were expressed about the direct inclusion 
of the private sector in plenary meetings such as that practiced by the WCO and OECD. However, it 
was noted that other methods of information excha nge, such as through dedicated workshops or 
meetings, would be beneficial to the Group.  
2  NEXT STEPS  
2.1.  Looking towards MC12, Members asked that careful attention be paid to the calendar to avoid 
overlapping formal and informal WTO meetings.  
2.2.  The next meeting of the Group will take place on 12 -13 December 2019.  
2.3.  The following dates were proposed for 2020 MSME plenary meetings in advance of MC12: 
13-14  February 2020; 26 -27 March 2020; 29 -30 April 2020; and 12 -13 May 2020.  
 
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