  
  
INF/MSME/CN/25  
 
5 March 2024  
(24-2061) Page: 1/3 
  Original: English  
 
INFORMAL WORKING GROUP ON MSMES  
CONVENING NOTICE  
The following convening notice, dated 5 March 2024, is being circulated at the request of the 
Coordinator of the Informal Working Group on MSMEs , Ambassador Matthew Wilson (Barbados) . 
 
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The Informal Working Group on MSMEs will hold its next regular meeting in hybrid mode on 
Tuesday  19 March 2024 , starting at 15:00  (half-day meeting).  
In-person participation is encouraged. For delegates wishing to join remote ly via the Interprefy 
platform, a  technical guide summarizing logistical details for participation in Interprefy meetings will 
be made available on the Members' interactive calendar of meetings, and can also be found at: 
WTO Interprefy Delegate Guide . 
The following items, based on the work program adopted by the Group at its March 2023 meeting, 
are proposed for t he agenda:  
1  IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECEMBER 2020 MSME PACKAGE  
Members will be invited to share updates on actions taken to implement the December 2020 MSME 
package ( INF/MSME/4/Rev.2 ). In particular, Members will be invited to report on:  
 
• Inclusion of MSME information in T rade policy reviews (TPRs)  – Members having undergone a 
Trade Policy Review since our July 2023 meeting will be invited to report on their inclusion of 
MSME information in their TPRs  (Annex 1 of INF/MSME/4/Rev.2 ); 
• Actions taken to support the Global Trade Helpdesk (Annex 2) ; 
• Trade facilitation measures for MSMEs (Annex 3) ; 
• Inclusion of MSMEs in the development of trade regulations to minimize regulatory burden 
(Annex 4) ; 
• Implementation of the 2019 I ntegrated Database  Decision (Annex 5) ; 
• Actions taken to facilitate MSME access to finance, including trade finance, and cross -border 
payments (Annex 6).  
2  THEMATIC DISCUSSIONS  
Under this p illar of the 2023 MSME work program, the MSME Group continues exploring issues of 
particular interest to MSME trade with a view, where relevant, to d eveloping policy guidance.  
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  2.1  Discussion on MSMEs, sustainability and reporting requirements  
Following from points made by participants in the 2022 and 2023 dialogues with the private sector 
on the difficulties faced by MSMEs to meet sustainability reporting  requirements, Kate Kallot, 
Founder and CEO of Amini, and Steven Capell , Vice-Chair of UN/CEFACT  will engage in a discussion 
of the challenges these businesses face and explore actions that could be taken to make this kind of 
reporting more accessible to M SMEs. The discussion will be moderated by Mathieu Lamolle, Senior 
Advisor , Trade for Sustainable Development at the ITC.  
 
2.2  MSME Investment  
Richard Bolwijn , Director of Investment Research at UNCTAD, will present its February 2024 report 
titled Promoting International Investment by Small and Medium -sized Enterprises . This report 
discusses how to reduce  the common investment policy bias in home and host countries towards 
large MNEs, the role of SMEs in South –South and intraregional FDI, and ways and means to 
maximize the development impact of SME FDI. It introduces a new framework to assess the 
relevance  and effectiveness of existing investment policies for the promotion of SME investment and 
presents policy options . 
 
3  STRENGTHENING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND OTHER 
STAKEHOLDERS  
3.1  Presentation by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) on their work rela ted to MSMEs  
Houssem Gharbi, Head of International Cooperation at the Universal Postal Union (UPU), will brief 
the Group on UPU work related to MSMEs and how postal networks can be used to promote MSME 
trade inclusion . 
 
3.2  Presentation by the World Trade Cent re Association  
As part of the continued engagement with the private sector and external stakeholders, Robin van 
Puyenbroeck, Executive Director – Business Development of the World Trade Centre Association 
(WTCA), a not -for-profit with trade service organiz ations located in more than 90 economies, will 
provide a presentation on their work and its efforts to increase MSME international trade through 
business networks.  
 
3.3  MSME Spotlight  
The Institute of Export and International Trade (IOE&IT ) will update the Group on their ongoing 
work and present their 2023 International Trade micro -business awardee, Bob Gokani, owner and 
inventor of EziDrops, a small UK manufacturer of eye and ear drop applicators. As the second MSME 
Spotlight, Bob Gokani w ill present his experience as a micro business in international markets.  
 
4  GOING FORWARD – MSME WORK PROGRAMME PLANNING  
Members will be invited to engage in a discussion on post -MC13 MSME work. As noted in the 
Coordinator's MC13 statement ( WT/MIN(24)/9 ), the Group has  successfully issued one package of 
recommendations and declarations ( INF/MSME/4/Rev.2 ), launched the Trade4MSMEs platform 
(trade4msmes.org), held three Small Business Champions with the ICC and ITC, created two 
databases, and re cently launched two compendia on access to finance by women -led small 
businesses ( INF/MSME/W/46/Rev.1  & INF/TGE/W/7/Rev.1 ) and authorized economic operators 
programs with a MSME dimension ( INF/MSME/W/47/Rev.1 ). The Group has also discussed and 
received presentations on a rich range of topics over the past few years, including cross -border 
payments, digitalization, fragility, informality, i ntellectual property and innovation , low value 
shipments, MSME financing, reg ional trade agreements, rural MSMEs, sustainability, and trade 
facilitation.  
 
Building on this work and following discussions on inclusiveness at MC13, Members will be invited to 
flag topics of particular interest to them and to share their views on how th e Group could best 
structure its work in the coming year or two.  
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  5  OTHER BUSINESS  
5.1  Regular participation by International Organizations  
Given the close collaboration of the MSME Group with other International Organizations (IOs) such 
as support of the Global  Trade Helpdesk, the compendium on MSME Authorized Economic Operators 
(AEO) programs prepared with the support of the WCO ( INF/MSME/W/47/Rev.1 ), and the 
Trade4MSMEs Network, MSME Group members will be invited to consider inviting other inter national 
organizations working on MSME -related issues to participate in MSME Group meetings as observers . 
 
Participants in the Trade4MSMEs network who could be invited to attend MSME Group meetings 
include:  the Asian Development Bank (ADB); European Bank f or Reconstruction and Development 
(EBRD); Inter American Development Bank (IADB); International Labour Organization (ILO); 
International Telecommunication Union (ITU); International Trade Centre (ITC); Organisation for 
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); UN Commission on International Trade Law 
(UNCITRAL ); UN Economic Commission for Africa ( UNECA ); UN Economic Commission for Europe 
(UNECE ); UN Economic Commissio n for Latin America and the Caribbean ( UNECLAC ); UN Economic 
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific ( UNESCAP ); UN Industrial Development Organization 
(UNIDO ); World Bank; World Customs Organization  (WCO); and World Intellectual Property 
Organizatio n (WIPO ). 
 
5.2  Any other business  
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