Intergovernmental group of experts on e-commerce and the digital economy, fifth session

The session will take place during UNCTAD E-commerce Week 2022, which has the overall theme of “Data and digitalization for development”.

The substantive agenda items for the session are as follows:

• Recovering from COVID-19 in an increasingly digital economy: Implications for sustainable development;
• Working Group on Measuring E-commerce and the Digital Economy.

Written contributions

To facilitate deliberations and the informal exchange of experiences and good practices on the topics to be discussed, member States and observers are requested to submit written contributions to the UNCTAD secretariat by Friday, 25 March 2022.

Written contributions that share experiences and good practices with regard to digitalization in the context of the pandemic are particularly welcome, to inform the discussion on the first substantive agenda item, based on the guiding questions approved by member States following the fifteenth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in October 2021, as follows:

• What is the role of digitalization during the coronavirus disease pandemic and during recovery in countries at different levels of development?
• What have been the challenges faced in harnessing digital solutions to cope with the pandemic?
• What are the lessons to be learned from policy responses?
• Moving forward, what is the role of international cooperation?

Participation

This session is open to all member States of UNCTAD. Other organizations, including specialized agencies, intergovernmental bodies and non-governmental organizations in the general and special categories, as well as academia and the private sector, may participate as observers.

Online registration is mandatory for all those wishing to attend the meeting and is required in order to be included in the list of participants.

Logistics

The session will be held with physical participation, in room XIX of the Palais des Nations, and remote participation, through a simultaneous interpretation platform in the six official languages of the United Nations.

A link to the formal virtual meeting will be sent to registered participants, at the email address used for registration, one day in advance of the start of the session.