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:

• Collaborating on areas of mutual interest to progress sustainable and inclusive trade action, guided by the ITAG 2022-2024 work plan, including through bilateral, multilateral and plurilateral fora (such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Pacific Alliance, the United Nations (UN) and the World Trade Organization (WTO)),
• Advancing sustainable and inclusive trade research and policy analysis, such as through ITAG reviews of the CPTPP, through the OECD, the UN and the WTO in order to improve trade policy and ensure that the benefits of trade and investment are shared inclusively and equitably.
• Supporting the GTAGA, including its implementation, its review and its work plan, acknowledging that gender equality and women’s economic empowerment are vital to economic growth and investment.
• Enabling and empowering Indigenous Peoples, promoting Indigenous Peoples’ perspectives and voices, and recognising and respecting the importance of developing, expanding and facilitating trade and investment opportunities for Indigenous Peoples including through Indigenous-led processes.
• Recognising the urgency of climate change and its impacts globally, as well as other critical environmental challenges such as biodiversity loss and pollution, leading, pursuing and promoting mutually supportive policies in inclusive trade and environment, and exploring opportunities for trade-related initiatives that tangibly address sustainability challenges and support greener economies.
• Upholding and promoting labour rights in international trade, pursuing innovative inclusive trade policy and promoting responsible business conduct.

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.