WTO - Final Draft MC12 Declaration on MSME's Circulated In a communication dated the 22nd of October, the proponents of the MSME's initiative circulated an unrestricted version of their final draft declaration for the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference.

WTO - Working group on small business discusses preparations for MC12 At their last meeting before the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12), members of the Informal Working Group on Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) on 8 November reviewed the group’s plans for MC12, including the launch of the Trade4MSMEs platform. The aim of the platform is to provide trade-related information to small businesses seeking to reach international markets and relevant information for policy makers.

WTO - Coordinated global response key to MSMEs’ post-pandemic economic recovery Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang highlighted the importance of targeted policies and a coordinated global response to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

WTO - Public Forum discusses how to help small businesses become more resilient Representatives of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) shared stories of resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic at a session held on 30 September at the Public Forum. Following a keynote speech delivered by International Trade Centre (ITC) Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton, panellists reflected on how to help small businesses adapt to changing trade realities, become more resilient and engage more effectively in global value chains.

WTO - Working group on small business finalises MC12 draft declaration Members of the Informal Working Group on Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) announced on 24 September that the Group has finalized a draft ministerial declaration for the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in late November.

WTO - Working group on small business close to finalizing ministerial declaration 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.

WTO - Call for proposals for “Digital Champions for Small Business” initiative The “Digital Champions for Small Business “ initiative was launched today (25 June 2021) at a joint event hosted by the Informal Working Group on Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). The aim of the initiative is to help small businesses go digital and increase their participation in international trade. Proposals on how to help MSMEs address the difficulties they face with digital trade should be submitted by 15 September 2021.

WTO - Working group on small business reviews draft ministerial declaration At a meeting of the Informal Working Group on Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), held on 24 June, WTO members discussed a draft ministerial declaration, a key element in the Group’s preparations for the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12). They also looked at implementation of the package of declarations and recommendations for MSMEs adopted in December 2020.

WTO - Working group discusses roadmap to MC12 and explores new topics At a meeting of the Informal Working Group on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), held on 4 May, WTO members discussed what the Group aims to deliver at the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) and explored new topics to help small business benefit from international trade. The Group also looked at the implementation of the package of declarations and decisions adopted in December 2020.

OECD - OECD SME and Entrepreneurship Outlook 2021 Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs have been hit hard during the COVID-19 crisis. Policy responses were quick and unprecedented, helping cushion the blow and maintain most SMEs and entrepreneurs afloat. Despite the magnitude of the shock, available data so far point to sustained start-ups creation, no wave of bankruptcies, and an impulse to innovation in most OECD countries. However, government support has been less effective at reaching the self-employed, smaller and younger firms, women, and entrepreneurs from minorities. Countries were not all even in their capacity to support SMEs either. As vaccine campaigns roll out and economic prospects brighten, governments have to take the turn of a crisis exit and create the conditions to build back better. The OECD SME and Entrepreneurship Outlook 2021 brings new evidence on the impact of the crisis and policy responses on SMEs and entrepreneurs. It reflects on longer-term issues, such as SME indebtedness or SME role in more resilient supply chains or innovation diffusion. The report contains country profiles that benchmark impact, factors of vulnerability, and sources of resilience in OECD countries, and give a policy spotlight on liquidity support and recovery plans for SMEs.

ICSB - Annual Global Micro Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Report Th report covers a range of submitted papers from many countries, institutions,
organizations, and individuals, which will comprise a collaborative and complete record of the current status of MSMEs. This comprehensive report seeks to amplify the essential findings and events of this year in history for MSMEs.

ITC - SME Competitiveness Outlook 2021: Empowering the Green Recovery The SME Competitiveness Outlook 2021 analyses how small businesses can rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic so they are prepared to face the looming climate crisis. It provides a 20-point Green Recovery Plan to foster competitive, resilient and environmentally sustainable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The report finds that small firms are less resilient to shocks – whether the pandemic or climate change – because they do not have key business fundamentals in place. The report identifies key areas where small businesses with limited resources can invest to seize opportunities of the green transition – and what business support organizations, governments, lead firms in value chains and international organizations can do to empower small firms to be competitive, resilient and sustainable.

OECD - Trade in the time of parcels More parcels are crossing international borders than ever before. While this has given rise to new opportunities, not least for individuals and SMEs who are now more directly engaged in trade, it is also raising new challenges. This paper explores this complex and evolving environment, identifying the types of goods that are traded as parcels and the different actors along the parcels supply chain, as well as the policies to help ensure that parcels get to where they are needed.

ITC - SME Competitiveness Outlook 2020 - COVID-19: the Great Lockdown and its Effects of Small Business The SME Competitiveness Outlook 2020 analyses the impact of the pandemic on small firms, international supply chains and trade. It provides projections and a 15-point action plan for businesses, policymakers and business support organizations to weather the crisis – and gear up for a ‘new normal’ that needs to be resilient, digital, inclusive and sustainable. The report combines analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on firms based on a large-scale global survey, with case studies and a thought leader viewpoint. The projected drop in supply chain trade is evaluated by region, and in 85 country profiles.

UNIDO - Guiding MSMEs’ business recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic To help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) identify potential issues arising from the health crisis and get down to solving them as quickly as possible, the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has published “Guidance for MSMEs business recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic”.

IISD & CUTS - History and latest developments in the Informal Working Group This brief provides an overview of the WTO-related discussions on MSMEs in recent years, with a particular focus on the work undertaken since the last Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in December 2017. It outlines the current state of play as of late March 2020, while providing a detailed overview of the themes addressed to date in those informal discussions and what outcomes have been proposed.

WTO - World Trade Report 2016: Levelling the trading field for SMEs The 2016 World Trade Report examines the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in international trade, how the international trade landscape is changing for SMEs, and what the multilateral trading system does and can do to encourage more widespread and inclusive SME participation in global markets.