Annex-B Jaipur Call for Action for enhancing MSMEs' access to information
Background
The G20 members have recognized the critical role, which MSMEs, including women-owned or women-led MSMEs play in economies. MSMEs' ability to significantly contribute to economic growth can depend on their capacity to integrate into global trade. The G20 members have also recognized that limited or inadequate access to information, finance and markets are three key challenges faced by MSMEs.
Acknowledging that there are several domestic, regional and international portals, such as the Global Trade Helpdesk, Trade4MSMEs and government sponsored platforms that seek to provide trade-related information, we recognize that there is a need to fully address the information gaps faced by MSMEs.
Jaipur Call for Action
In this regard, seeking to promote the integration of MSMEs into international trade, G20 members recognized the importance of taking necessary steps towards increasing the availability of trade and market-related information to them in an accessible manner. Against this backdrop, the G20 members:
1. Recognize the continued challenges posed by information asymmetry to MSMEs and the need to utilize technological tools to bridge such informational gaps for MSMEs seeking business and trade-related information.
2. Support scaling-up an existing portal that is already providing such business and trade-related information to MSMEs.
3. Agree that Global Trade Helpdesk implemented by ITC, UNCTAD and WTO is suited for such an upgrade considering its inclusivity and veritable information provided to MSMEs.
4. Welcome the action plan in this regard by:
a. Calling upon participating members to provide to Global Trade Helpdesk appropriate aggregated trade-related information relevant for MSMEs available on a single portal and/or a non-exhaustive list of links to relevant government websites for MSMEs engaged in trade.
b. Providing access to data or information publicly available on such portals through appropriate technological frameworks pursuant to existing domestic rules and requirements.
c. Making such trade related data/information available in multiple languages to the extent it is maintained as such by respective members, thereby ensuring ease of use by MSMEs.
d. Recommending ITC to work on a detailed implementation plan, in consultation with UNCTAD and WTO1.
e. 1 Such consultations should be done in accordance with Memorandum of Understanding among the ITC, the UNCTAD and the WTO for a Global Trade Helpdesk
f. Recommending ITC to incorporate the principles of technological neutrality, data privacy, data security and reliability while upgrading Global Trade Helpdesk.
5. Invite members of the WTO and UNCTAD, international organizations and other interested parties to contribute on a voluntary basis to support effective implementation of Jaipur Call for Action.
6. Look forward to an annual progress report by ITC to its Joint Advisory Group on the efforts made in this regard beginning from 2024.