INFORMAL WORKING GROUP ON TRADE AND GENDER

INFORMAL WORKING GROUP ON MSMES

JOINT COMMUNICATION

The following communication, dated 8 December 2025, is being circulated on behalf of and at the request of the Co‑Chairs of the Informal Working Group (IWG) on Trade and Gender, Ambassador Ana Patricia Benedetti (El Salvador), Ambassador James Baxter (Australia) and Ambassador Clara Delgado (Cabo Verde) and the Coordinator of the Informal Working Group on MSMEs, Ambassador Matthew Wilson (Barbados).

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This joint communication constitutes a proposal to design and develop a new compendium on "Empowering Women to trade through Digitalisation: Policy Insights".

1  OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE

_     i._        This joint proposal intends to support the implementation of the IWG Work Plan 2025‑2026 (_INF/TGE/W/10/Rev.2 – to be circulated early December) and the MSME Group Coordinator's Report (_INF/MSME/W/64/Rev.1).

_    ii._        The compendium will map all WTO Members' and Observer Governments' trade policies, initiatives or programmes focusing on supporting women, including women‑led MSMEs, in all aspects of digitalisation (including e‑commerce and trade in technology products).

_   iii._        Other WTO stakeholders such as international and regional organizations, development banks, private sector, (etc.) would be invited to contribute to the compendium based on information they have already collected on Members' policies, initiatives and programmes. They would also be invited to add information about their own trade policies, initiatives and programmes that support women in digitalisation into the compendium.

_   iv._        The scope of the compendium will reflect Members' priorities and objectives. It may, for example, include trade policies that support women in digitalisation, such as export preparedness and support programmes and e‑commerce and gender chapters in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). It may also include other policies that impact women's ability to engage in digitalisation and trade, such as those related to education and skills training, workforce participation, access to technology, cybersecurity, e‑payment systems, and access to finance.

_    v._        The compendium will include information focusing on women entrepreneurs, including women‑led MSMEs, and other groups such as women workers, young women, women‑led startups, women in the green economy, indigenous women, women in rural areas and women farmers.

2  PROPOSAL

_     i._     The development of the compendium will proceed along two lines of work:

·_        Inclusion of information already collected by Members and WTO stakeholders such as the International Trade Centre, the International Telecommunication Union, the World Intellectual Property Organization, the Universal Postal Union, the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation and by other WTO stakeholders to be identified.

·_        Collect new information and data using a survey to be circulated and shared with WTO Members, Observer Governments as well as other WTO stakeholders invited to participate in this exercise.

3  FORMAT AND DISSEMINAtION

_     i._     The compendium will first be developed as a joint official document by the IWG and the Informal Working Group on MSMEs, following previous practice.

_    ii._     Upon Members' approval and adoption of the formal document, the WTO Secretariat will transform it into an online searchable database, following previous practice.

_   iii._     A dissemination plan will be developed upon approval of the proposed work path included in this concept note.

_   iv._    The dissemination of the compendium will also be done through the WEIDE Fund network of entrepreneurs as well as the "Trade4MSMEs" platform, the WTO MSME Group's gateway to trade information for MSMEs and Policymakers.

_    v._        Other dissemination channels to be identified.

4  TIMELINE AND DELIVERY

_     i._     Timeline

·_        Discussions on proposal from December 2025‑March 2026 within both groups.

o_   Circulation of approved proposal/concept note in early December to both groups following consultations between the IWG Co‑Chairs and the Coordinator of the MSME group held on 3 December 2025.

o_   First presentation by IWG Co‑Chairs at the group's meeting on 10 December 2025.

o_   Note: Other timelines for discussions to be added based on the chairs and coordinator's consultations.

·_        Launch of initiative at MC14 (side event of 25 March 2026).

·_        Launch of work in April 2026, following MC14, including the selection and coordination with approved partners (see point 2.i above), the design and roll out of the survey, etc.

·_        First draft of compendium to be circulated to the IWG and the Informal Working Group on MSMEs for review in July 2026.

·_        Final draft of compendium to be circulated in September 2026.

·_        Launch of compendium at WTO Public Forum 2026 (tbc – depending on the dates of the event).

·_        A more detailed timeline will be prepared by the WTO Secretariat upon the approval of the way forward.

_    ii._     Delivery

·_      The work will be supported by the Secretaries of the Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender and the Informal Working Group on MSMEs, as well as other partners.

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