INF/MSME/R/18  
 
28 July 2020  
(20-5228) Page: 1/2 
  Original: English  
 
 
INFORMAL WORKING GROUP ON MSMES  
OPEN -ENDED REGULAR MEETING OF 24 JULY 2020  
Summary of discussions  
The following communication, dated 28  July 2020, 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 second  open-ended regular meeting of the 
year on 24 July 2020.1 The meeting was chaired by Ambassador José Luis Cancela Gómez of 
Uruguay, Coordinator of the MSME Informal Working  Group. As with past meetings, the Secretariat 
was invited to sit at the podium.  
 
Members reviewed the various texts on the table, discussed the mapping of MSME -support 
measures, and discussed next steps . A total of 64 delegations2 attended the meeting, i ncluding 
14 non-working group members ( Bolivia , Plurinational State of ; Botswana ; Burkina  Faso; Comoros ; 
Haiti; Mauritius ; Nepal ; Niger ; Samoa ; Seychelles ; Sudan ; Togo; Ukraine ; and the United  States  of 
America ). 
 
1  SUMMARY OF DISCUSSIONS  
1.1.  Mexico informed the Group that UK funds had been secured via the TAF2+ programme for the 
IT development of an online platform that would link to practical tools for MSMEs and policy makers 
(see INF/MSME/W/3/Rev.2 ). Work is ongoing to develop the content of  the platform and secure a 
vendor to build the platform.  
1.2.  Members reviewed the various texts on the table (INF/MSME/CN/5/Rev.1). Members agreed 
to work towards finalizing the whole package in time for the next meeting planned on 29  September.  
The sponsors and co -sponsors of the various texts were invited to work with delegations having 
submitted comments before the 17 July deadline for comments with a view to presenting clean texts 
by 8 September.  
1.3.  Members were invited to express their views on the publicat ion of Covid -related MSME support 
measures compiled by the Secretariat at the suggestion of Members. Of the 22  delegations – 
representing 49 members – who expressed an opinion, most agreed to have their measures 
 
1 A first meeting took place on 25  February  2020 (INF/MSME/CN/4) to review the various texts on the 
table. No summary was prepared.  
2 Afghanistan; Albania; Argentina; Australia; Bahrain , Kingdom of ; Bolivia , Plurinational State of ; 
Botswana ; Brazil; Burkina  Faso; Canada; Chile; China; Colombia; Comoros ; Côte d'Ivoire; Czech Republic; 
Dominican Republic; Ecuador; El Salvador; European Union; France; Germany; Guatemala; G uyana; Haiti; 
Hong Kong, China; Japan; Korea , Republic of ; Latvia ; Malaysia; Malta; Mauritius ; Mexico; Moldova, Republic 
of; Mongolia; Montenegro; Myanmar; Nepal ; Netherlands; Nicaragua; Niger ; Norway; Pakistan; Panama; 
Paraguay;  Peru; Philippines; Poland;  Russian  Federation; Samoa ; Saudi Arabia , Kingdom of ; Seychelles ; 
Singapore; Spain; Sudan ; Switzerland; Chinese Taipei; Togo; Turkey; Ukraine ; United Kingdom; United  States  
of America ; Uruguay; and Viet  Nam (non -member of the MSME Group are in italics ). INF/MSME/R/18  
 
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  published. Two disagreed. The deadline for m embers to review their measures and express a view 
was pushed to 8 September. A final decision on this issue will be taken at the 29 September meeting.  
2  NEXT STEPS  
2.1.  Invited to express their views on the best way forward on the ministerial package, members 
expressed a clear preference for a formal adoption and presentation of the texts before MC12, ideally 
on the fringes of the December General Council. The Coordinator will hold small group consultations 
before 8 September to discuss the cover declaration of the package.  
2.2.  Several delegations noted that it was important to move on and start regular work again. 
Members were invited to make proposals on issues on which the Group could focus after the summer 
break.  
2.3.  Members agreed with the Chair's proposal to orga nize a meeting with private sector 
representatives in the autumn. October was flagged as a possible date for such a meeting.  
2.4.  The following dates were proposed for MSME plenary meetings in the second half of this year : 
29 September  2020; 26 October  2020; 3  December  2020.  
 
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