Ministry Statements & Speeches:
On 26 February 2024, Australia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico and New Zealand met as the Inclusive Trade Action Group (ITAG) in Abu Dhabi, in the margins of the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13), 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 welcomed Australia to ITAG and commended Australia’s work on inclusive trade, and efforts to advance trade and gender equality in international fora.
Australia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico and New Zealand undertook to build on progress through ITAG to promote sustainable, equitable and inclusive trade outcomes, building on the Tāmaki Makaurau Joint Declaration on Inclusive and Sustainable Trade(external link), in particular, but not limited to:
- Collaborating on areas of mutual interest to progress sustainable and inclusive trade action, guided by the ITAG 2022-2024 work plan(external link), including through bilateral, multilateral and plurilateral fora including the CPTPP, APEC, OECD, the Pacific Alliance, the UN and the 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.
Australia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico and New Zealand 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 have in accessing opportunities in and equitably benefiting from, digitalisation and cross-border e-commerce, as well as financing, and international trade and investment.
Australia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico and New Zealand invite other economies to join our efforts in forging trade that is both inclusive and sustainable, breaking down barriers and fostering employment.