"Emerging e-commerce topics and trends", will be the focus of UNCTAD E-Commerce week. Come and join the discussions at the Palais des Nations, Geneva from 18-22 April 2016.
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Join the multi-stakeholder discussions on emerging e-commerce topics and trends in sessions organized by UNCTAD and Partners.
The increasing global relevance of activities and transactions online and the changing nature of the information economy, enhances the importance of coherence between data protection and privacy frameworks that can help foster innovation and trade while at the same time protect against unnecessary intrusions. Recent and expected regulatory changes in the field of data protection and privacy as well as diverging approaches in different parts of the world, call for renewed discussion on possible ways forward.
This ad hoc expert meeting will contribute to ensure global communication on the subject to understand emerging topics in data protection and privacy, new challenges and opportunities, as it relates to unlocking the potential for cross-border trade. Industry players and consumers, as well as governments and international organizations will present their perspectives and outline the latest developments, current practices and relevant frameworks.
The Ad Hoc expert meeting will commence with the presentation of the UNCTAD Study on Data Protection and International Data Flows. Representatives from public and private stakeholders will then take the floor to discuss thematic topics and present their experiences.
Invited delegates include representatives from the African Union Commission, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Commonwealth, the Council of Europe, the East African Secretariat, the ECOWAS Commission, European Union, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the United States Federal Trade Commission, UNOHCHR, International Chamber of Commerce, the Computer and Communications Industry Association, Consumers International, Google, Microsoft, eBay and other e-commerce platforms from developing countries.
E-commerce is spreading quickly around the world, and can be a powerful driver of economic growth, inclusive trade, and job-creation, including at the bottom of the pyramid. However, many e-commerce development challenges remain. Even in countries with good Internet and broadband connectivity, several obstacles keep consumers and companies from maximizing the economic opportunities opened by e-commerce. While some efforts to improve connectivity and unlock e-commerce potential are present, they typically employ a sectoral approach.
Against this background, UNCTAD is taking the lead in exploring possibilities for launching a new global Initiative entitled Aid for eTrade, aimed at unlocking the potential of e-commerce in developing countries.
To launch the initiative, a draft "Call for Action" has been prepared by representatives of governments, international organizations and private sector enterprises involved in e-commerce.
UNCTAD is inviting all stakeholders to review this draft "Call for Action" and contribute their experiences, views and priorities on the Aid for eTrade initiative.
Written comments are welcome and can be sent to ict4d@unctad.org until 10 April 2016.
This day is dedicated to showcasing efforts to improve the quality and availability of statistics on e-commerce and e-commerce readiness of countries. There is growing evidence that e-commerce has a significant impact on enterprise performance. There is also renewed interest in measuring e-commerce and its effects on development.
The first half day of the event is co-organized with NetCommSuisse and will feature the launch of the UNCTAD B2C E-commerce Index 2016, which assesses the readiness of more than 130 countries to engage in e-commerce. It will be followed by presentations of recent data on e-commerce trends and on digital readiness.
The afternoon session, jointly organized by UNCTAD, WTO and UPU, will delve deeper into the challenge of measuring cross-border e-commerce. While few official sources currently gauge the contribution of e-commerce to exports and imports, the event will be able to hear about pioneering experiences from organizations such as the Korea Association of Information and Telecommunication (KAIT) and the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) of Thailand, as well as from the E-Commerce Foundation in Europe.
