Déclaration conjointe relative aux micro, petites et moyennes entreprises : historique et derniers développements du Groupe de travail informel

This report provides a detailed history and status update on the efforts of an informal Working Group of over 90 World Trade Organization (WTO) Members to support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). It outlines the group's activities from 2018 to early 2020, focusing on improving MSME access to information, trade finance, and global markets, while analyzing the role of regional trade agreements and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these initiatives.

• An informal Working Group consisting of more than 90 WTO Members has been working to establish a set of outcomes to be presented at the WTO's 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) to formalize a work program for MSMEs.
• The informal Working Group's activities since 2018 have focused on several key thematic areas: improving access to information, enhancing access to trade finance, reducing trade costs, facilitating trade, and utilizing the internet as a tool for global market access.
• The group has proposed several specific recommendations for the WTO, including the creation of a database for MSME information, a web platform to list verified international trade resources, and the voluntary inclusion of MSME data in trade policy reviews.
• The report highlights the 'small business lens' principle and Good Regulatory Practices (GRP), which involve conducting regulatory impact analyses to ensure that new trade rules do not disproportionately burden MSMEs.
• Regional trade agreements have increasingly integrated MSME-specific provisions; for example, the CPTPP and USMCA both include chapters on SMEs, although these chapters are generally not subject to dispute settlement mechanisms.
• Trade finance is identified as the third largest obstacle to trade for MSMEs, leading the Working Group to explore measures such as the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) to improve transparency in international financial transactions.
• The COVID-19 pandemic caused the indefinite postponement of the MC12 and the suspension of WTO meetings in March 2020, creating uncertainty about the timeline for formalizing the MSME work program.
• Some WTO Members oppose MSME-specific rules, arguing that WTO regulations should be applied horizontally regardless of company size.

APA

Campos, S. L., Baliño, S., & Bartel, C. (2020). Déclaration conjointe relative aux micro, petites et moyennes entreprises : historique et derniers développements du Groupe de travail informel. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-09/micro-small-medium-sized-enterprises-fr.pdf

Chicago

Campos, Soledad Leal, Sofía Baliño, and Constantine Bartel. Déclaration conjointe relative aux micro, petites et moyennes entreprises : historique et derniers développements du Groupe de travail informel. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-09/micro-small-medium-sized-enterprises-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Campos |first1=Soledad Leal |last2=Baliño |first2=Sofía |last3=Bartel |first3=Constantine |title=Déclaration conjointe relative aux micro, petites et moyennes entreprises : historique et derniers développements du Groupe de travail informel |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=May 2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-09/micro-small-medium-sized-enterprises-fr.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{campos2020dclaration, author = {Campos, Soledad Leal and Baliño, Sofía and Bartel, Constantine}, title = {{Déclaration conjointe relative aux micro, petites et moyennes entreprises : historique et derniers développements du Groupe de travail informel}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-09/micro-small-medium-sized-enterprises-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }