The impact on trade and development of the shift to online commerce will be at the heart of discussions between more than 200 experts from governments, leading e-commerce enterprises, consumer organizations and international development agencies in Geneva on 18–22 April 2016.
The second UNCTAD E-Commerce Week tackles topical issues such as online data privacy, policy discussions about cross-border transfers of data, the growth of e-commerce, and concerns over waning trust in online transactions. The event will also feature consultations with stakeholders on a new global initiative aimed at enhancing the capacity of developing countries to engage in and reap benefits from e-commerce.
In addition, UNCTAD will unveil the 2016 update of its groundbreaking business-to-consumer e-commerce index, which ranks countries on their e-commerce readiness, on the final day of the event.
Programme
Monday 18 April
• The release of new data from a survey of public attitudes in 24 nations towards data protection and privacy on the Internet. The survey explores whether citizens believe that private companies and governments are doing enough to keep their personal information secure and safe online, the extent to which citizens report that their personal data has been compromised, and what they think governments and businesses should do to make data more secure. The survey was conducted by the Centre for International Governance Innovation and Ipsos.
• Presentation of joint recommendations on information and communications technology to Group of Seven leaders by leading IT business associations from Europe, Japan and the United States ahead of the G7 Summit in Shima, Japan, in May 2016.
• Discussions of possible approaches to regulation and trade policies in light of the new trading realities of the digital economy.
• Presentations of the new international frameworks for consumer protection in the digital environment, following the adoption of new guidelines by the UN General Assembly and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Tuesday 19 April and Wednesday 20 April
• Expert Meeting on Data Protection and Privacy: Implications for Trade and Development. This meeting will focus on how to create data protection and privacy frameworks that can help foster innovation and trade while at the same time protect against unnecessary data intrusions.
• The release of a new UNCTAD Study on Data Protection and International Data Flows.
• Speakers include senior representatives of member States and:
| The African Union Commission Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) The Commonwealth The Computer and Communications Industry Association Consumers International The Council of Europe DIGITALEUROPE The East African Community Secretariat The Economic Community Of West African States Commission (ECOWAS) The European Commission | Facebook The Global Commission on Internet Governance The Information Technology Industry Council The McKinsey Global Institute The National Board of Trade of Sweden OECD Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights The United States Federal Trade Commission The World Economic Forum The World Trade Organization |
Thursday 21 April
• Open Consultation Day on the Aid for eTrade Initiative.
• UNCTAD is currently soliciting inputs from all stakeholder groups on a new initiative to bridge the e-commerce divide and enhance the capacity of developing countries to engage in and reap benefits from e-commerce.
• Aid for eTrade is envisioned as a demand-driven mechanism for leading development partners and international organizations, in partnership with the private sector, to make actions more coherent, pool capabilities and resources, and avoid duplication. In order to ensure effective public-private dialogue, a Private Sector Advisory Council will be established, comprising e-commerce platform companies, merchants, payment providers, logistics firms, IT infrastructure and other companies from developing and developed economies.
Friday 22 April
• The Measuring E-Commerce Day will showcase efforts to improve the quality and availability of statistics on e-commerce and e-commerce readiness of countries.
• Release of the UNCTAD B2C E-Commerce Index 2016, ranking 137 countries on their e-commerce readiness.
• Presentation of the Digital Economy and Society Index, developed by the European Commission.
• Presentations of e-commerce statistics in Switzerland, the Republic of Korea and Thailand.
• Discussion on how to measure cross-border e-commerce with experts from Australia, the United States Department of Commerce, Statistics Finland, China Customs, the World Customs Organization and Alibaba Research.
The UNCTAD E-Commerce Week takes place in Room XXIII and Room XXIV (Monday 18 April) and Room XXIII (Tuesday 19 April–Friday 22 April) of the Palais des Nations, Geneva.
