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Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Apr20/21) Geneva, 24 Apr (D. Ravi Kanth) – The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and lockouts, is to hold week-long virtual meetings beginning on 27 April, on a range of issues about e-com trade in a world under the COVID-19 pandemic. The subjects and issues listed by UNCTAD to be addressed during the week-long meetings, and the list of speakers and panellists, have raised considerable disquiet among leading developing country delegations and some civil society groups on the objective of the UNCTAD secretariat and the agendas and programs and policies it is trying to promote. Those familiar with the planned agenda note and issues selected and framed for discussion noted that despite the gross disparities and asymmetries in digital access in developing countries, particularly Africa, the list of issues to be addressed and speakers listed for various sessions and panels, all seem to be those favouring or supporting the e-com agenda of the industrialized countries. Developing country trade envoys say there are no speakers on panels to voice contrary views, such as those voiced by India and South Africa in official documents at the World Trade Organization. These envoys say that judging by the framing of issues and the speakers chosen for various sessions for the week- long meetings ending on 1 May, it looks as if UNCTAD has avowedly embraced an agenda advanced by the developed countries for promoting e-commerce. They note that this comes at a time when the COVID-19 has led to a huge debt crisis in the developing countries running into trillions of dollars, and UNCTAD’s latest update of the Trade and Development Report has called for the creation of an independent, inter-governmental debt-relief agency to oversee debt relief programs for overcoming the worst existential health and economic crisis, the focus via e-com week. (See SUNS #9107 dated 24 April 2020). Key developing country envoys who do not want to be identified ahead of their taking a public position next week, say that instead of devoting all its resources to build a global solidarity movement for addressing the health and economic crisis in developing countries based on UNCTAD’s latest update on 23 April, the UN organ is promoting e-commerce as sought by the European Union and other e-commerce supporters from developed countries. For the e-com week, the Director of the UNCTAD Division on Technology and Logistics, Ms Shamika N. Sirimanne, appears to have selectively excluded from the virtual discussions trade envoys from India and South Africa, and experts on the dangers posed by e-commerce commitments being sought at the WTO as well as civil society representatives with sceptical views, said an analyst, who asked not to be quoted. Sirimanne is a Sri Lankan by origin. On UNCTAD’s virtual e-week on 27 April, the proceedings will start off with a discussion on “trade facilitation and expedited shipments – lessons learned from the Covid-19 crisis.” Shamika N. Sirimanne, Director of the UNCTAD Division on Technology and Logistics, will make opening remarks on how the Covid-19 is pushing the world towards a new paradigm that calls for harnessing expedited shipments. The session will focus on issues involving harnessing expedited shipments, and the speed and volume of cross- border e-commerce, especially in developing countries. The speakers for the first session include Mr. Constantin Ciuta, ASYCUDA Senior Customs Advisor, UNCTAD; Mrs. Rosine Uwamariya, Commissioner for Customs Services, Rwanda Revenue Authority; Mr. Steven Pope, Vice President Go Trade, Deutsche Post DHL Group; Mr. Stefan Krawczyk, Associate General Counsel & Head Government Relations International, eBay; Javier Garcia, Customs Expert, Universal Postal Union; and Carlos Grau Tanner, Director-General of the Global Express Association. The second session on 27 April will address “Digital for development in times of the COVID-19 crisis: The role of development cooperation,” in which participants will focus on the need for donor agencies to discuss the COVID- 19 pandemic. Proper donor cooperation strategies, especially with regard to the digital dimension of development, are imperative. The speakers include Shamika N. Sirimanne, Director of Division on Technology and Logistics, UNCTAD; Stephan Bethe, Head of Division “Trade Policy”, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany; Kate Wilson, CEO, Digital Impact Alliance; and Frank Matsaert, CEO, TradeMark East Africa. More importantly, the second session will feature “a dialogue on the role of trade and digital policies in dealing with the economic fallout of the pandemic in Africa. The dialogue will hear perspectives from leaders in international organizations, government, business and the tech community, who will share their views on the role of trade and digital policies in making economic growth and development more resilient and inclusive in these uncertain times.” The speakers include Mr Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General, Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA); Dr. Eleni Gabre-Madhin, Founder and CEO, Blue Moon, Ethiopia; and Ms. Clarisse Irabagiza, eTrade for Women Advocate for Anglophone Africa & Founder and CEO, DMM.Hehe, Rwanda. At the third “High Level Live Session – Coping with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis in Africa: What role for trade and digital policies?,” UNCTAD’s secretary-general Dr Mukhisa Kituyi will provide his assessment on how “the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading” with significant human and socio-economic effects on the African continent. The session will call for “making regional and international collaboration more necessary than ever.” On the second day on 28 April, the first session will commence with discussions on “Real-time economy – a boost to e-commerce?” – which will be led by the Republic of Estonia. The session will focus on “the concept of real-time economy (RTE) and how governments and businesses can enable this cross-sectoral and borderless approach in the benefit of e-commerce.” The speakers for the first session on the second day include Mr. Christian Minoungou, Senior Policy Officer from the Department of Infrastructure and Energy, African Union Commission; Mr. Jean Bertrand Azapmo, Principal Adviser to the African Union Commissioner for Trade and Industry; Mr. Franck Mertens, Team Manager, Finnish Patent and Registration Office; Mr. Mark Hoyland , CEO, Aurora Solutions; and Ms Shamika N. Sirimanne, Director of Division on Technology and Logistics, UNCTAD. The second session on the second day will also include discussions on how, in the face of COVID-19, economies across the globe are working to shift gears. In the age of social distancing and quarantine, the digital economy in Africa offers opportunities at scale to generate employment. Other sessions on the second day include empowering women digital entrepreneurs, and digital payments for MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises). The third day’s sessions at UNCTAD’s virtual e-week include competition and consumer protection in times of COVID-19, “Understanding e-commerce in Africa: Launch of the Africa Marketplace Explorer,” and “Who owns the data? What is the role of intellectual property?” On the fourth day, the e-week will cover issues such as “Building a measurement tool that drives the development of an inclusive digital economy,” and a “High Level Live Session” – “Renforcer le commerce electronique dans la CEDEAO” in French. And finally on the last day of e-week, UNCTAD will debate on issues such as “digital economy and continental integration: creating value for Africa,” and value of the “cyber-security and privacy in digital e-commerce space.” If the fears and disquiet of analysts and several developing country diplomats turn out to be justified, UNCTAD which hitherto was strongly defended by civil society groups in the North and South against attacks by rich countries, may find in future CSOs ranged against it.
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