Digitalization and the global shift toward services trade present new opportunities for inclusive growth. Yet, many Asia-Pacific countries lack reliable, timely, and sex-disaggregated statistics on digital services trade. This limits their ability to design evidence-based, gender-responsive trade policies that empower women and vulnerable groups.
Objective of the Project
To strengthen the capacity of selected Asia-Pacific countries to measure digital services trade, with a focus on producing sex-disaggregated data, thereby enabling inclusive and gender-responsive trade policy-making.
Activities:
- Diagnostic assessments of national statistical systems
- Technical training and e-learning courses for statistical authorities
- Upgrade and adaptation of UNCTAD’s Trade-in-Services Information System (TiSSTAT) to capture digital trade and gender data
- Pilot implementation in selected countries
- Regional workshops and peer learning exchanges
- Advisory missions and policy briefs to support evidence-based policy-making
Intended Outcomes
- Enhanced national capacity to produce sex-disaggregated statistics on digital trade in services
- Improved use of these statistics in designing gender-responsive trade policies
- Strengthened regional cooperation and knowledge sharing
- Evidence-based policy recommendations supporting women’s economic empowerment and inclusive digital transformation
Link to the SDGs
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Targets include 5.a, 5.b, 5.c, 8.2, 8.3, 9.a, 10.2, 17.11, and 17.18.
Monitoring and Evaluation
- Certificates of completion for at least 80% of participants in training courses
- Number of countries deploying upgraded TiSSTAT systems with sex-disaggregated variables
- Post-workshop surveys assessing improved awareness and commitment to gender-responsive policy making
- Dissemination of national statistics aligned with international standards (BPM6, MSITS 2010, Handbook on Measuring Digital Trade)
- Country policy briefs and presentations delivered at regional workshops
Project Code
2629F
Partners
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
Donors
UN Development Account (18th Tranche)
Beneficiaries
Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Viet Nam.
Additional potential beneficiary countries:
Papua New Guinea; Lao PDR; Bhutan; Cambodia.
[The exact list of countries to be confirmed during the first stage of the project implementation]
Duration
2026-2029