 (30 June - 2 July 2015) |
UNCTAD's latest Information Economy Report 2015 - Unlocking the Potential of E-commerce for Developing Countries - highlights that some of the greatest dynamism in electronic commerce can be found in developing countries.
Research by eBay suggests that barriers to trading across distance are up to 94% lower for developing countries via electronic market places, as compared to traditional markets. Their research documents the rise of the "micro-multinational", with higher survival rates than their offline peers and reaching high numbers of export markets from an early stage in their life.
Yet the opportunities offered by e-commerce remain largely untapped. Many small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) remain unable to access reliable network services. In the absence of mobile money platforms or postal or parcel delivery services, many SMEs in developing countries find it difficult to make an online presence work for them. Some have suggested the need for an Aid for E-trade initiative to accelerate the global ecommerce revolution.
This session will examine these questions and consider what more can be done to promote aid, investment, technology and knowledge transfer, in what is emerging as a powerful tool for the integration of small firms in developing countries to the trading system.
