Working
Group on Small Business Close to Finalizing Ministerial Declaration
·
MC12
draft declaration on small business
·
Implementation
of the package of recommendations and declarations
·
MSMEs,
IP and innovation
·
MSMEs
discussions in other WTO bodies
·
Innovation
and rural MSMEs
·
Background
Members of the Informal Working Group on Micro, Small and
Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) on 26 July moved closer to a final draft
ministerial declaration for the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12). The
Group also reviewed the implementation of the package of declarations and
recommendations for MSMEs adopted in December 2020. New topics, such as
intellectual property rights and innovation in relation to MSMEs, were also
discussed.
Group
members discussed the draft declaration (INF/MSME/W/33/Rev.2)
for MC12, focusing on reaching consensus on a few bracketed areas of the text
where an issue is still under consideration. They resolved differences on most
parts of the text while agreeing to further consultation on a few remaining
issues.
The
Coordinator of the Group, Ambassador José Luís Cancela (Uruguay), urged members to intensify the
consultation with each other before 1 September. He said he plans to discuss
with all concerned parties between 1 and 6 September to finalize the agreed
language for the declaration so that the text could be adopted at the next
Group meeting on 24 September.
The
draft declaration states the Group's commitment to address challenges facing
MSMEs seeking to trade internationally. It recognizes the negative impact of
COVID-19 on small business and the need for a global coordinated response to
help MSMEs recover from the pandemic. It also takes stock of the Group's work
since it was established at the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires
in December 2017, including the adoption of a package of six recommendations
and declarations in December 2020.
Group
members reiterated the importance of monitoring the implementation of the
package of recommendations for MSMEs. They discussed the format of an overview
to easily track actions taken to implement the package.
Uruguay
and Brazil provided updates on their preparations for setting up automatic
transmission of tariff and trade data to the WTO's Integrated Data Base (IDB).
Keeping the IDB fully up to date was one of the package's recommendations so
that MSMEs can have access to reliable and comprehensive information on tariffs
and other market access data.
Côte
d'Ivoire said it will submit in September its proposed roadmap to help MSMEs
gain access to trade finance. This was first discussed at the Working Group on
Trade, Debt and Finance in May. The proposal builds on the Group's text on
access to finance adopted in December 2020.
The
Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Daren
Tang, introduced the organization's work on developing intellectual property
(IP) tools (such as the IP
Diagnostic Tool) to support MSMEs' growth and innovation. He
also said an important area of WIPO's work is helping evaluate intangible IP
rights of MSMEs to facilitate their access to funding. Noting the importance of
MSMEs in both developed and developing countries, he expressed his intention to
work with all WTO members to distribute WIPO's IP tools to local MSMEs in a
tailor-made approach that fits each country's situation.
Several
members praised WIPO's tools and its new focus on the nexus of IP and MSMEs.
The coordinator pointed to the synergy between WIPO's and the Group's work and
called for further cooperation on this issue.
The
WTO Secretariat updated the Group on discussions at the TRIPS (trade-related
intellectual property rights) Council, noting a total of 116 interventions on
the issue of MSMEs and innovation since 2014. Those interventions touched upon
a wide range of topics, including how national strategies help MSMEs deal with
the complexity of navigating IP systems, technical assistance and the linkages
with e-commerce.
Several
members joined the coordinator in support of more synergies between the TRIPS
Council and the Group's work.
The Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF,
a multi-agency initiative supporting the participation of least developed
countries in international trade) briefed the Group on its "ASYCUDA-CDS
Communication Platform Project" in Vanuatu, developed in partnership with
the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the Universal Postal
Union. The platform is a management system for better integration
of postal services with customs and more efficient border clearance for MSMEs.
The project could be replicated in other countries, the EIF said.
The
WTO Secretariat introduced the new Vietnamese version of the e-Ping platform,
an online alert system that helps companies follow new developments on standards
and regulations for traded goods. The platform helps Vietnamese MSMEs assess
the impact of new requirements on their exports and react accordingly. Viet Nam
thanked the WTO Secretariat for the pilot phase and looked forward to it being
extended to other sectors.
Ecuador
shared its experience of projects supporting MSMEs' innovation in rural areas,
in particular in the flower and agri-business sectors. Several members
supported its activities in this area.
The
Informal Working Group on MSMEs was launched at the 11th Ministerial Conference
in December 2017. The Group aims to identify and address obstacles to MSME
participation in international trade. It currently consists of 91 WTO members
and is open to all members.