It is generally acknowledged that there has been an exponential growth in the production and supply of digital products as well as in the use of digital technologies in manufacturing and services sectors.
This has led to a rapid growth in digital trade, both within and across borders, in almost all countries. It has been estimated that within the next decade, digital economy would account for almost 25% of global GDP. However, most developing countries do not have the infrastructure, appropriate regulatory regime, or required skills to gain substantially from the new opportunities provided by the global digital economy.
Developing countries are lagging in terms of developing digital infrastructure which has become a prerequisite for industrialization in the global digital economy. This can adversely impact on their trade and industrial competitiveness.
In this context, the workshop brought together senior policymakers from South Asian and Southeast Asian countries to brainstorm on different aspects of digital trade and industrialization; the possible implications of negotiating binding rules on electronic commerce at the WTO; and the way forward for developing countries in designing their digital industrial policies; along with a possible South-South digital cooperation agenda.
The workshop was organised by Unit of Economic Cooperation and Integration among Developing Countries (ECIDC), Division on Globalisation and Development Strategies, UNCTAD in collaboration with Ministry of Commerce, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Export Credit Insurance Corporation (SLECIC) and Centre for WTO Studies.
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