The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has been implementing a work programme supporting small-scale traders, through the COMESA Simplified Trade Regime (STR) and COMESA Trade Information Desks (TIDs) at key border crossings in the COMESA region. The COMESA STR and TIDs were further strengthened by the Regulations on Minimum Standards for Treatment of Small Scale Cross Border Traders adopted by the COMESA Council of Ministers at the Thirty-Third Council meeting held in December 2014.