E-commerce and Digital Economy: Business as Usual?

This event is part of UNCTAD's E-Commerce Week

Businesses large and small face many challenges conducting global on-line business and trade. For many of them, the Internet and mobile networks are integral to the fabric of their global activities.

Yet, they operate in a world where most national and international legal frameworks were not designed with today's technologies in mind, nor in recognition of the vast business and economic opportunities that they have made possible. More recently, it seems that success has wrought even more, new challenges to doing business on-line.

We will ask a panel of businesses and experts to share with us some examples of regulatory obstacles and idiosyncrasies experienced in day-to-day operations.

The aim is to help better understand what governments can do to unleash e-trade and innovation as a means to sustainable growth and development.

Moderator:

• Ms. Lee Tuthill, World Trade Organization

Panelists:

• Mr. Ola Landström, Swedish Board of Trade
  Are European Laws compatible with on-line commerce?

• Mr. Ibrahima DIAGNE, African Alliance for E-Commerce
  An African perspective on the challenges SMEs face

• Mr. James Howe, International Trade Centre
  E-Solutions - Enabling trade through digital channels

• Mr. Usman Ahmed, PayPal (tbc)
  How could governments make life easier for online businesses and trade?

• Mr. Sean Doherty, World Economic Forum
  What are the ingredients for a successful e-trade framework?