The widespread adoption of digital technology is changing the global economy, providing new opportunities for developing countries and making international trade more inclusive, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Despite the fact that e-commerce has been expanding rapidly, in many regions of the world it still represents a small share of the value of international trade and faces several obstacles to its further development.
To seize the opportunity, governments shall implement the appropriate policies and reforms to foster e-commerce, which may include regulatory changes and investment in infrastructure. This session will explore how regional development banks can help achieve this goal and present some of the initiatives that they are currently supporting in their respective regions.
Moderator:
Mr. Antoni Estevadeordal, Manager, Integration and Trade Sector, Inter-American Development Bank
Speakers:
Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, Chief Executive Officer, International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation
Mr. Michael J. Ferrantino, Lead Economist, Global Product Specialist, Trade Policy and Integration, Wold Bank Group
