World Trade Organization (WTO) members have backed a draft decision aimed at strengthening the participation of small economies in global trade, a move seen as a breakthrough for least developed and developing nations seeking greater inclusion in the multilateral trading system.
The proposal, agreed during the Committee on Trade and Development’s Dedicated Session on Small Economies on February 17, will be forwarded to ministers for consideration at the WTO’s 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in March. If adopted, it would become the first text advanced to ministers ahead of the gathering in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
The initiative was tabled by the WTO’s Group of Small, Vulnerable Economies, which has long argued that structural challenges such as limited economic diversification, higher trade costs, and exposure to external shocks restrict their ability to compete globally. The draft decision focuses on improving integration into digital trade and enhancing participation in the broader multilateral trading framework.
Under the proposal, the WTO Secretariat will map key obstacles affecting small economies, including trade logistics, connectivity gaps, and complex border procedures.
Members are encouraged to expand trade facilitation reforms, promote the use of digital tools, and improve transparency and traceability across cross-border supply chains to reduce barriers to entry.
Support for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises also forms a central pillar of the initiative. WTO members are encouraged to share policy approaches and regulatory practices that can help MSMEs access digital trade opportunities, a segment increasingly viewed as a pathway for smaller economies to expand their global presence.
MC14, scheduled for March 26 to 29, is also expected to review progress under the Work Program on Small Economies and reinforce commitments stemming from the 2001 Doha Ministerial Declaration, with the aim of ensuring more inclusive and resilient participation of small, vulnerable economies in international trade.
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