WT/L/1095  
 
16 September 2020  
(20-6213) Page: 1/2 
   
 
INTERIM REPORT FOLLOWING THE BUENOS AIRES JOINT DECLARATION  
ON TRADE AND WOMEN’S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT  
 
In December 2017, the 118 WTO Members and Observers supporting the Buenos Aires Joint 
Declaration on Trade and Women 's Economic Empowerment  agreed to report on progress 
towards implementation of the joint declaration. The report on progress during this first phase of 
implementation is in its final stage . 
 
Acknowledging the impact of the COVID -19 pandemic on trade and trade -related activities, as 
markets and supply chains around the world have been disrupted. Recognising that the effects of 
crises and economic downturns vary by gender and that women are often differently affected1. 
Recalling the importance of the promotion of inclus ive economic growth and trade policies 
contributing to advancing gender equality and women 's economic empowerment as part of a 
sustainable and inclusive recovery.  
 
During the next phase of implementation, the now 127 Signatories of the Buenos Aires Joint 
Declaration on Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment2 will continue to implement the joint 
declaration  in line with the objectives agreed in 2017:   
 
1. Sharing our respective experiences relating to policies and programs to encourage 
women’s particip ation in national and international trade through World  Trade  
Organization (WTO) information exchanges, as appropriate, and voluntary reporting 
during the WTO trade policy review process;  
 
2. Sharing best practices for conducting gender -based analysis of trade policies and for the 
monitoring of their effects;  
 
3. Sharing methods and procedures for the collection of gender -disaggregated data, the 
use of indicators, monitoring and evaluation methodologies, and the analysis of gender -
focused statisti cs related to trade;  
 
4. Working together in the WTO to remove barriers for women’s economic empowerment 
and increase their participation in trade;  
 
5. Ensuring that Aid for Trade supports tools and know -how for analysing, designing and 
implementing more gender -responsive trade policies . 
 
To advance the implementation of these objectives we will work collaboratively in an informal, open 
and transparent working group at the WTO where members will:  
 
• continue to share best practices, information and exchange views on removing trade -
related barriers and increasing the participation of women in trade. As a first step, and 
recognising that some members have adopted more ambitious or particularly innovative 
initiatives, these members would be invited to s howcase their national and/or regional 
approaches and experiences as potential inspiration and guidance to others;  
 
• consider and clarify, what a 'gender lens ' as a concept  applied to international trade 
would entail, and, secondly, consider specifically ho w a gender lens could usefully be 
 
1 https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news20_e/covid_05aug20_e.htm   
2  https://genderchampions.com/impact/trade  WT/L/1095  
 
- 2 - 
 
  applied to the work of the WTO, with a view to presenting a concept and work plan to 
members at MC12;  
 
• review and discuss gender -related analytical work produced by the WTO Secretariat;  
 
• explore how best to support the delivery of the WTO Aid for Trade work programme.  
 
The working group will convene for its first meeting in the second half of 2020 and establish a 
notional sc hedule of activities and themes for the period until MC12.  
 
Consistent with the first period of implementation, the activities will be voluntary, transparent and 
inclusive. At MC12 we will provide a second progress report towards implementation of Buenos A ires 
declaration, including a forward looking roadmap and implementation plan.   
 
Furthermore, the signatories of the Buenos Aires Declaration recognize the importance of continuing 
to broaden, deepen and coordinate efforts to integrate women 's economic empowerment therefore 
reaffirm their commitment to:  
 
• work together with relevant international organi sations involved in international trade 
capacity building, such as  the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development  
(UNCTAD ), the World Bank  (WB) and the International Trade Centre  (ITC), to ensure 
coherence and complementarity of efforts, initiatives and tools;  
 
• to ensure that technical assistance and Aid for Trade is available to support the analysis, 
design and implementation of an inclusi ve trade agenda.  
 
 
__________