UNCTAD eWeek 2023: Closing session
08 December 2023
Mr Hajo Lanz, Director, Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung in Geneva
Mr Jovan Kurbalija, Diplo Foundation
Ms. Damilola Olokesusi, CEO, Shuttlers and eTrade for Women Advocate for Anglophone Africa
Excellencies,
eTrade for all partners,
Distinguished participants
Colleagues and friends,
We have arrived at the Closing Session of the 2023 edition of eWeek. And what a week it has been!
Over 150 sessions were organized by eTrade for all partners, member states, the private sector and civil society. 3,500 people from 159 countries (including Least Developed Countries) engaged in discussions on how to shape the future of the digital economy.
- 28 eTrade for all members actively contributed to the eWeek
- More than 10 reports and publications were launched – including eTrade Readiness Assessments and inter-agency, joint studies like the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report and the Digital Trade and Development Report.
- One quarter of participants were from governments, a fifth from the private sector, another fifth from intergovernmental organizations; another fifth from civils society and academia, and the rest from others (youth, and individual experts.)
- A dozen ministers and vice-ministers joined in person.
- 15 heads or deputy heads of eTrade for all partners played an active role together with 28 of our partners.
- 4 eTrade for Women Advocates and 14 Community Leaders from across the world.
- Leaders of global firms and small businesses from developing countries were in town.
- And we can proudly report a 50-50% gender balance among participants all participants.
I want to sincerely thank my team and all of you for pulling this off. This is multistakeholder collaboration in action!
The week provided a venue for networking, which has enabled many new opportunities for partnerships and joint initiatives that can contribute to the journey of creating a better digital future.
In the sessions, we covered many development dimensions and policy areas – all essential to better shape the future of digitalization.
As I mentioned in my opening remarks last Monday, the stakes are high.
If we manage to harness the opportunities that digitalization brings, we have a very powerful tool that can help us address many of the world's most pressing challenges, including climate change and making trade more inclusive.
But if we fail to do so, further digital transformation may result in even greater market concentration and even greater inequalities. It will also hamper our ability to meet many the Sustainable Development Goals.
It is not possible to cover all the many insights that have been generated throughout the Week. However, in the outcome document – the Geneva Vision on the Future of the Digital Economy – we have drawn together key takeaways, especially from the High-Level Sessions.
Let me briefly refer to some key points in that document.
Firstly, throughout the week, a strong call from all stakeholders was made for the world to come together across geographies, policy areas and stakeholder groups to achieve a holistic approach to harnessing digitalization. We need to connect the dots more effectively. Discussions on charting the course of our digital future need to be multilateral and multistakeholder. And the UN has a key role to play in this context.
Second, the digital and data divides need to be bridged. This means ensuring meaningful and affordable digital connectivity in all countries, including for marginalized and rural communities, as well as access to skills and digital literacy. We must ensure that men and women enjoy equal opportunities in the digital economy, as users, workers, entrepreneurs, and investors.
Third, we need to create a more level playing field for companies to compete in the digital economy. Businesses of all sizes in developing countries should be able to create and capture value. Global governance systems need to be developed to ensure that the activities of the world’s largest digital platforms and the growing reliance on data bring outcomes that benefit people and the planet. Effective competition law and policy and vigorous enforcement are essential in this context.
Fourth, international trade is changing due to digitalization and rules are needed to promote inclusive outcomes. We should live up to the commitment we made in the Agenda 2030 to double the share of LDCs in global exports, especially by harnessing opportunities from digital trade. We also need to ensure effective integration of advanced information and risk mitigation systems with shipping port operations.
Fifth, we have talked a lot about data and artificial intelligence. There is little doubt that the growing availability of digital data offers tremendous opportunities for the common good. But we must ensure equitable distribution of benefits and address risks related to human rights and national security. Data is also at the centre of AI. To achieve the outcomes we want, we must leverage existing and new initiatives to ensure that all countries and stakeholders have a seat at the table when forming governance frameworks. And they must be formed, urgently.
Sixth, we need to better understand the interface of digitalization and environmental sustainability. Digital technologies can be applied to help solve global environmental challenges – including climate change. We also need to be mindful of the environmental footprint of the digital economy itself. Fostering sustainable consumption and production of digital devices and infrastructure becomes key in this context.
Seventh, governments as well as businesses need to have better information on how e-commerce and the digital economy evolves. This points to the need for the generation of relevant and up-to-date statistics on key aspects of the digital economy.
And eighth, lastly, the world must commit to the scaling up of resources that can help to address the needs in countries that are trailing behind in terms of digital readiness. More funding should be accompanied by concerted efforts to ensure effective collaboration among partners, including through the eTrade for all initiative. As a starter, all developing countries that so desire should be able to benefit from an eTrade Readiness Assessment of similar diagnostic study to accelerate their ability to engage in a benefit from digital trade and the digital economy.
Before I close, let me share some key facts taken from our AI generated summaries of the many sessions:
- We had more than 700 speeches. If we put all of them together it would represent more than two volumes of the novel “War and Peace”.
- Digital was mentioned 7’365 times, cyber 233 times, tech 522 and online 577 times throughout the week.
- 3,913 positive arguments were put forward throughout the week, while 1,069 were negative and 1,187 neutral. Participants to the eWeek showed a mainly positive outlook towards their digital future, and this is very reassuring!
In closing, allow me to stress that the success of the eWeek is the result of great teamwork. Let me thank all of you who have made it possible:
- Our donors and development partners, notably the Government of Switzerland, but also the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Estonia, the Republic of Korea, the United States, Afrexim Bank, Omidyar Network, World Bank and UNCDF.
- The Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung, Diplo Foundation, and the Geneva School of Diplomacy.
- A special thanks to all the volunteers who have been with us throughout the week bringing an invaluable contribution. Thank you, Chelsea, Darren, Jade, Thomas, Tina, Pranjali, and Zach!
- All the eTrade for all members.
- The entire team at the CICG conference centre.
- All speakers and participants who have come to Geneva or joined us online to share your experience, wisdom, and ideas to make our dialogues inclusive.
- And last, but not least, all my colleagues in UNCTAD who have conceptualized, planned, coordinated, and implemented the eWeek.
It’s now time for all of us to bid you “Au Revoir” as we say here in Geneva and wish you all a restful weekend and a safe journey back home.
Thank you.
