Trade & investment
WTO and ICC announce third successful proposal under “Small Business Champions” initiative
The WTO and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) announced today (12 December) that a proposal submitted by Argentina’s Chamber of Commerce and Services and Mercado Libre, an e-commerce company, is the third to be selected under the ICC-WTO Small Business Champions initiative. The proposal is to develop a training programme for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) so that that they can better access global markets.
The proposed “Global SMEs Launchpad” will allow 100 SMEs in Argentina to benefit from tailored training aimed at helping them improve their business skills so that they can showcase their products on a dedicated online platform. The selection of SMEs will be based on specific assessment criteria, such as innovation and creativity. The training programme will focus on enhancing their business skills in areas such as e-commerce, managerial skills, marketing strategies, customer services and corporate responsibility.
WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo said: “This is an excellent initiative, designed to provide SMEs with the necessary skills to connect with global markets. We commend Argentina’s Chamber of Commerce and Services and Mercado Libre for putting forward this proposal and we look forward to its successful implementation. I am very pleased as well that we are announcing this initiative to support SMEs in Argentina during our Ministerial Conference here in Buenos Aires.”
ICC Secretary General John Danilovich said: “We welcome this latest successful proposal as part of the ICC-WTO Small Business Champions initiative. I commend Mercado Libre and the Argentine Chamber of Commerce and Services for developing a programme which has significant potential to enhance the environment and infrastructure needed to boost MSME growth.”
