The E-Commerce and Development Report focuses on trends in information and communications technologies (ICT), such as e-commerce and e-business, and on national and international policy and strategy options for improving the development impact of these technologies in developing countries.

The 2004 edition presents:

• A discussion of recent trends and developments in the area of ICT, e-commerce and economic development, including aspects of ongoing international discussions on Internet governance;
• Analyses of the use of ICT by the SMEs of developing countries and policies and strategies for the development of a national ICT sector;
• A study of the impact of digital and Internet technologies in the creative industries (in particular in the music industry) and their application to online higher learning;
• A chapter on government e-commerce applications in e-procurement; and
• An analysis of the legal issues and challenges of data privacy and its role for information society development.