UNSC55 side event on Measuring digital trade

What is digital trade? And what action can countries take to measure, monitor, and respond to the challenges of digital trade?

Digital technologies have made it increasingly feasible for buyers and sellers to place and receive orders globally. They also enable the remote delivery of services directly into businesses and homes. Digitalization is changing how products are purchased and delivered. Yet, it remains largely invisible in macroeconomic statistics.

This side-event to the 55th session of the United Nations Statistical Commission introduces the newly released IMF-OECD-UNCTAD-WTO Handbook on Measuring Digital Trade and showcases several key measurement approaches. Its goal is to help statistical compilers across the world to address policymakers’ demands for better statistics on digital trade, and to ensure that developing economies are not left behind. Focusing on two key criteria – digital ordering and digital delivery across borders – the Handbook clarifies the definition of digital trade, reviews best data sources, and presents advances by countries in the measurement of digital trade.

The Handbook thereby establishes a valuable shared foundation for understanding and measuring digital trade in a way that is consistent with the broader macroeconomic statistics and internationally comparable. Furthermore, it provides a crucial resource for an active programme of technical assistance and statistical capacity-building, through which the four co-authoring partner organizations can support statistical compilers as they seek to measure, monitor and respond to the challenges of digital trade.

Side-events are open to all registered delegates to the 55th session of the UNSC.

Speakers

Mr. Bert Kroese, Chief Statistician, Data officer, and Director of Statistics, IMF.

Ms. Anu Peltola, Acting Director of Statistics, UNCTAD.

Dr. Mohd Uzir Mahidin, Chief Statistician, Malaysia.

Mr. Paul Schreyer, Chief Statistician and Director of Statistics and Data, OECD.

Mr. Vipin Arora, Director, Bureau of Economic Analysis, United States.