Enabling Indigenous Trade 2025

1.2 International programmes and initiatives Outside the WTO, international and regional organizations have promoted various initiatives to elevate the importance of Indigenous inclusion in trade. Examples of some prominent initiatives are set out below. International Trade Centre (ITC) –The ITC is a multilateral agency with a joint mandate from the WTO and UN Trade and Development. It provides tailored support and opportunities for micro, small and medium- sized enterprises (MSMEs), business-support organizations and policy-makers in developing and least developed countries. –The ITC recently developed an Indigenous Peoples and Trade Strategy through consultation with Indigenous leaders and small-business owners in Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and Africa. Projects to support Indigenous cocoa and textile cooperatives in Ecuador and Guatemala are currently being implemented. –At the 2024 WTO Public Forum, the ITC, the WTO and WIPO hosted an immersive exhibition space on Indigenous Peoples’ unique contributions to trade, through traditional cultural expressions and fashion. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) –The OECD is an intergovernmental organization with 38 member countries that work together to provide advice on international standard-setting. –The OECD is undertaking work on several areas of Indigenous trade, including Indigenous representation in trade policy-making, inter- Indigenous trade and investment, an Indigenous trade data review and Indigenous trade challenges and policy responses. As part of this work, it is also categorizing and reviewing Indigenous-specific provisions in regional trade agreements. –In March 2024, the OECD hosted online meetings with Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders from the Americas and the Pacific to help members better understand Indigenous interests in trade. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) –APEC is a voluntary, consensus-based decision-making forum comprising member economies from the Asia-Pacific region. Its meetings are hosted by a different member each year, and although its decisions carry political weight, they are ultimately non-binding. –Some APEC economies – such as Australia, Canada, Chile, Chinese Taipei, New Zealand and Peru – have supported the participation of Indigenous People in the region’s trade and economic agenda and undertaken projects to support Indigenous business. –It was in the margins of APEC that the Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Cooperation Arrangement (IPETCA) was developed in 2021. –In 2023, the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand hosted the first ministerial Dialogue with Indigenous Peoples during APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in San Francisco. –In recent years, Australia (in collaboration with the World Economic Forum) and Canada have partnered with co-sponsoring economies to host workshops on Indigenous trade and economic inclusion, laying the foundation for an Indigenous workshop to become a regular fixture on the APEC calendar. International and regional organizations have promoted Indigenous inclusion in trade. Enabling Indigenous Trade: Actionable Guidance for Governments 10