E-commerce and Digital Trade
A Policy Guide for Least Developed Countries, Small States and Sub-Saharan Africa

How a global deal on e-commerce can aid domestic capacity development and the measures that need to be implemented by policy-makers in developing countries are vital issues, yet are not well understood.
This policy guide reviews the current regulatory frameworks, legal issues, empirical data, WTO member states proposals, and existing literature on e-commerce and digital trade. It is designed to help policy-makers in capacity-constrained Commonwealth small states, least developed countries, and sub-Saharan African countries to participate effectively in global work on the subject area, including in the context of the WTO work programme on e-commerce.
It also provides an overview of the international support mechanisms that are available to allow e-commerce to stimulate trade and economic performance, through technical assistance, capacity-building, and the facilitation of access to e-commerce by micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, including small producers and suppliers in developing countries, and particularly in least developed countries.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations and Acronyms
1. Introduction
2. Relevance of e-commerce for development and growth
2.1 Scope of e-commerce
2.1.1 Definitions
2.1.2 Types of e-commerce and their economic implications
2.2 Links between e-commerce and economic growth
References
3. Policy frameworks for e-commerce
3.1 Salient features of early adopters
3.2 Policy framework
3.3 Addressing domestic supply side issues for competitiveness
3.4 External barriers in expanding e-commerce
References
4. E-commerce negotiations and interests
4.1 Taking stock of the status of the work programme at the WTO
4.2 Proposals made in the WTO
4.3 Overview of the negotiations on e-commerce outside the WTO
4.3.1 E-commerce in Preferential Trade Agreements
4.4 Identifying areas that could be reinforced to enhance development
Notes
References
5. Conclusions
References
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