Section outline

  • This short course will provide delegates with an overview of the opportunities, challenges, and recent policy debates shaping the digital economy and its implications for trade and sustainable development. It will explore the concept of an inclusive digital economy, examining how digitalization, e-commerce, and digital trade can contribute to economic growth, job creation, innovation, and broader participation in the global economy, while addressing persistent digital divides and inequalities.

    In the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and ahead of the release of the Digital Economy Report 2027, the course will examine how digital technologies can support progress across multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 8 on sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth. It will also highlight UNCTAD's role in international digital policy processes, including the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) process following its 20-year review and the implementation of the Global Digital Compact (GDC), both of which promote a people-centered, inclusive, and development-oriented digital future.

    The course will also present UNCTAD's work on measuring the digital economy, e-commerce, and digital trade, emphasizing the importance of robust and internationally comparable data for evidence-based policymaking. It will conclude with an overview of recent developments in international digital trade governance following the latest WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14), including discussions on e-commerce, the lapse of the multilateral moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions, and the plurilateral Agreement on Electronic Commerce.

    At the end of this course, delegates will have gained knowledge of:

    • The key dimensions of an inclusive digital economy and their contribution to sustainable development.
    • The role of e-commerce and digital trade in supporting economic diversification, competitiveness, and development, particularly in developing countries.
    • The links between digital economy policies, the Sustainable Development Goals, the WSIS process, and the Global Digital Compact.
    • The importance of measuring the digital economy and the role of internationally comparable data in supporting evidence-based policymaking.
    • UNCTAD's work on measuring the digital economy, e-commerce, and digital trade, including its support for developing countries.
    • Recent developments in international digital trade governance, including outcomes related to the WTO MC14, the Joint Statement Initiative on E-commerce, and the Agreement on Electronic Commerce.
    • Emerging policy challenges and opportunities for developing countries in an evolving digital economy and digital trade landscape.