For the first time in history, countries around the world have set a roadmap on how to support small businesses, setting a path for improving trade in ways that change lives.
The unique needs of small businesses now have a dedicated, global platform: the inaugural Global SME Ministerial Meeting brought together more than 60 countries, giving shape to a roadmap for including small and medium-sized enterprises in international trade policy.
In many countries, small businesses represent 90% of all businesses and account for 50% of jobs, in everything from upstart microenterprises to medium-sized companies with millions of dollars in turnover. Yet their needs are often an afterthought in global trade discussions or get added into broader conversations on trade and finance.
As new and unpredictable tariffs change the way the world does business, small businesses need high-level support more than ever.
When ministers and delegations came from around the world to meet in Johannesburg, they distilled that complex and changing trade landscape into a clear call to action.
The delegates gave the International Trade Centre (ITC) an explicit request ‘to lead in the implementation of this call to action with a view to building the resilience, competitiveness, and long-term success of our SMEs.’
‘We have to ensure this call to action has tangible and measurable results for the next two years and establish a roadmap moving forward,’ said ITC Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton. ‘This is not a one-off; we want to set up an advocacy platform. What we’ve started here is a movement.’
Ministers attending the Global SME Ministerial agreed to advocate for solutions in the digital transformation, access to finance and the green transition, and to work together as a group on next steps.
Dedicated progress in digital, finance and green
Before the next Ministerial in 2027, ITC will share the insights from the Johannesburg meeting and follow up with countries on how they implement the ideas shared.
The focus is on three key areas for supporting small business:
1. Harnessing the benefits of digital transformation
2. Making it easier to access financial services
3. Opening business opportunities from a green transition
ITC research shared before and during the ministerial lays out concrete proposals for progress in each area.
Our latest SME Competitiveness Outlook shows the importance of digital technology for small businesses. Among the 7,200 companies surveyed around the world, more than 80% of those that use technology saw more sales and lower costs. And entrepreneurs who reported having more expert tech skills saw the highest gains.
A white paper on Digital Transformation went a step further, laying out how to make Internet access affordable and reliable. Equally important, the proposals show how and why to nurture digital skills and to make supportive regulations.
A white paper on access to finance calls for working with banks, financial institutions, and regulators so small businesses can more easily get credit and other services. The proposals also call for teaching entrepreneurs to improve their financial skills. That will help make them more attractive customers to banks.
A white paper on green competitiveness found that few small businesses were investing in renewable energy like solar panels, or finding ways to repurpose waste products. Those that did discover this saw their efforts open the door to new markets. Other simple interventions like guiding entrepreneurs through environmental accreditation schemes can also help their products enter new markets. Interventions here would centre on building skills, sharing best practices, and creating clear, balanced regulations.
The ministers agreed to advocate for solutions in all three areas and to work together as a group on next steps. ITC will keep sharing best practices and supporting this with its global public goods in market intelligence, data and research.
The outcome is a shared statement of priorities for small business, backed by political will at the highest level. For the first time, the world has set benchmarks for how to support small businesses, setting a path for improving trade in ways that change lives.