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MC13 Abu Dhabi Inclusive Trade Action Group (ITAG) Joint statement on Sustainable and Inclusive Trade

February 24, 2024

Australia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico and New Zealand met as the Inclusive Trade Action Group (ITAG) in Abu Dhabi, on the margins of the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) 13th Ministerial Conference, to welcome Australia as a new member of ITAG. ITAG Members also welcomed Australia and Brazil as new members of the Global Trade and Gender Arrangement (GTAGA).

The convening of ITAG members provided an opportunity to reiterate their commitment to fostering open rules-based international trade and economic cooperation among countries, including through their strong support for the rules-based multilateral trading system under the WTO. In that context, ITAG Ministers commended Australia on its work on inclusive trade, and efforts to advance trade and gender equality in international fora.

Building on the Tāmaki Makaurau Joint Declaration on Inclusive and Sustainable Trade endorsed in July 2023, ITAG members have come together to advance sustainable, equitable and inclusive trade outcomes, through actions including:

ITAG members acknowledge the role that micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), including MSMEs that are led and owned by women, persons with disability or other marginalised groups, have in job creation, innovation, economic growth and entrepreneurship. The ITAG members will, accordingly, collaborate to reduce the barriers MSMEs face accessing opportunities in and equitably benefiting from, digitalisation and cross-border e-commerce, as well as financing, and international trade and investment.

ITAG members invite other economies to join our efforts in forging trade that is both inclusive and sustainable, breaking down barriers and fostering employment.

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