The 3rd TIWG meeting was convened at Kevadiya, where the G20-SIRU team actively engaged in the meetings and negotiations. They provided valuable assistance to India's presidency in addressing the priority issue of DPIIT within the TIWG. With the participation of over 75 delegates from G20 member countries, invitee countries, regional groupings, and international organizations, the meeting focused on consensus-building regarding global trade and investment matters, while also aiming to accomplish action-oriented proposals put forth by the Indian Presidency.
The team undertook the task of drafting a comprehensive communique for the Trade and Investment Working Group, specifically addressing Priority Issue 3, which pertains to the integration of MSMEs in international trade. This communique presented India's submission to the TIWG, highlighting the challenges faced by MSMEs in global trade and proposing effective solutions to facilitate their integration into global value chains. Following the submission, the team diligently analyzed responses from each country, gathering insights to develop persuasive arguments for negotiations with G20 member countries. Notably, one proposal focused on the development of a user-friendly Meta Information interface, consolidating trade and market-related information for MSMEs on a single online portal, serving as a comprehensive One-Stop Hub. To realize this concept, the team collaborated closely with international partner ITC Geneva, knowledge partner ICRIER, and technical partner Microsoft, creating a proof of concept (POC) for the portal.
Based on the opinions and suggestions expressed by G20 member and invitee countries in these discussions, the Indian Presidency formulated concrete action-oriented proposals for each priority issue. These proposals encompassed the development of High-Level Principles for the Digitalization of Trade Documents, an Action Plan to Create a Meta Information Interface for MSMEs, a generic mapping framework for GVCs, G20 Regulatory Dialogue, and the preparation of a Compendium on best practices for Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs).
Considering these developments, the current focus of the presidency during the 3rd meeting was to build consensus among G20 member countries for the eventual adoption of these proposals. The final TIWG meeting is scheduled to take place in Jaipur, Rajasthan on August 21-22, 2023, followed by a Ministerial meeting on August 24-25, 2023. The working agenda aligns with the Prime Minister's vision for G20 outcomes to be action-oriented and address the challenges faced by the Global South.
