Micro, petites et moyennes entreprises : principaux développements et mise à jour des discussions menées par le Groupe de travail informel avec les membres de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce

The document details the progress of the WTO's Informal Working Group (IWG) on MSMEs, highlighting a set of six recommendations adopted in December 2020 to improve transparency, trade facilitation, and access to finance. It extensively analyzes the disproportionate negative impact of COVID-19 on MSMEs, particularly those led by women, and outlines national and international policy responses. Future goals include the launch of the 'Trade4MSMEs' platform and further exploration of digitalization and cybersecurity.

• The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted MSMEs due to their high labor intensity and low cash reserves; a study by the Asia Pacific MSME Trade Coalition found that 50% of participating MSMEs had less than one month of liquid reserves.
• Women-led MSMEs faced higher vulnerability during the pandemic; in Africa, they were 5.9 percentage points more likely to close than those led by men, and in Uganda, 61% of women-led small businesses generated no income compared to 22% of men-led businesses.
• On December 11, 2020, the IWG adopted six voluntary and non-binding recommendations covering transparency, trade facilitation, access to finance and cross-border payments, market information, and inclusion in regulatory development.
• To improve transparency, the IWG recommended collecting and cataloging MSME-related information through the Trade Policy Review (TPR) mechanism, using a specific checklist divided into background information, market framework, and public programs/policies.
• The Global Trade Helpdesk (GTH), a joint initiative by ITC, UNCTAD, and the WTO, serves as a one-stop shop to simplify market research for MSMEs through nine integrated tools, including TradeMap and the Market Access Map.
• The IWG encourages the full implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and the acceleration of MSME digitalization to ensure trade is as seamless as possible.
• To reduce regulatory burdens, the IWG recommends that members engage MSMEs throughout the national regulatory process, publish draft regulations, and conduct impact assessments on MSMEs.
• The IWG supports the full implementation of the 2019 decision on the WTO Integrated Database (IDB) to ensure MSMEs have access to up-to-date information on tariffs and other trade-related charges.
• The IWG is promoting the use of the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) and other digital instruments to overcome MSME constraints in accessing trade finance and cross-border payments.
• A new online platform called 'Trade4MSMEs' is being developed to provide a curated selection of training, tools, and research for both MSMEs and policymakers.

APA

Mukiibi, J., & Sajous, L. (2021). Micro, petites et moyennes entreprises : principaux développements et mise à jour des discussions menées par le Groupe de travail informel avec les membres de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-06/msmes-working-group-discussions-wto-members-fr.pdf

Chicago

Mukiibi, Julian, and Leslie Sajous. Micro, petites et moyennes entreprises : principaux développements et mise à jour des discussions menées par le Groupe de travail informel avec les membres de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-06/msmes-working-group-discussions-wto-members-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mukiibi |first1=Julian |last2=Sajous |first2=Leslie |title=Micro, petites et moyennes entreprises : principaux développements et mise à jour des discussions menées par le Groupe de travail informel avec les membres de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=April 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-06/msmes-working-group-discussions-wto-members-fr.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mukiibi2021micro, author = {Mukiibi, Julian and Sajous, Leslie}, title = {{Micro, petites et moyennes entreprises : principaux développements et mise à jour des discussions menées par le Groupe de travail informel avec les membres de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-06/msmes-working-group-discussions-wto-members-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }