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Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Apr25/18) Yerevan, 18 Apr (D. Ravi Kanth) — Several countries have made suggestions at the World Trade Organization to enhance technical assistance and capacity building for bridging the growing digital divide while enabling technology transfer and digital industrialization, at a time when the future of the WTO appears to remain in uncharted waters due to the all-out assault by the United States on the 166-member trade body in pursuit of its allegedly coercive trade policies, said people familiar with the development. These unnamed members also made several suggestions for pursuing the controversial plurilateral agreements like the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement (IFDA), according to a restricted unofficial room document (RD/GC/41) on the dedicated discussion on the work programme on electronic commerce held on 18 March, seen by the SUNS. An unofficial room document is meant only for consultations and does not constitute an official WTO document. The room document suggests that the unnamed members focused on the growing digital divide while offering concrete suggestions on what ought to be the role of the WTO in enhancing technical assistance and capacity building on several fronts, regardless of the seemingly gloomy developments arising from the US administration’s decision to singularly focus on its national re-industrialization goals while squeezing countries bilaterally to provide market access for its farm products, said people familiar with the development. The suggestions made by developing countries during the dedicated session on the electronic commerce work programme on 18 March focused on four areas. These include suggestions on the WTO’s role; the WTO providing a forum for sharing information, best practices and lessons learned on digital industrialization, e-commerce, and emerging technologies; examining better utilization of the WTO rules and promotion of harmonization for digital trade; and leveraging WTO’s advocacy and convening power to promote collaboration for digital transformation. On the WTO’s role for enhancing technical assistance and capacity building, the members made the following suggestions: 1. Expand technical assistance and capacity building either into new or existing WTO programmes, including on skills development. 2. Provide capacity building and training on the use of AI in e-commerce, as well as on its impact and implications. 3. Strengthen the WTO’s Aid for Trade initiative by prioritizing investments in broadband, digital skills training and regulatory reforms. 4. Develop a database on digital trade assistance. 5. Strengthen data collection efforts, particularly in LDCs, to identify areas of comparative advantage and growth opportunities. 6. Mobilize resources for large-scale digital skills programmes, particularly for women, MSMEs, and rural communities. As regards the WTO acting as a forum for sharing information, best practices and lessons learned on digital industrialization, e-commerce, and emerging technologies, the suggestions made by members include the following: 1. WTO Secretariat to create a compendium of policies implemented by WTO developed and developing Members who have successfully introduced policies aimed at fostering digital industrialisation and e-commerce-related technology transfer which Members can use to adapt to their local economies. 2. Organize thematic workshops/discussions and share case studies by businesses and government officials. 3. Promote regional and global technology exchange programmes and extend the Digital Trade for Africa initiative to other regions. 4. Enhance engagement across WTO Committees to monitor progress in digital trade facilitation and capacity- building. HARMONIZING DIGITAL TRADE On the most controversial area of harmonizing a one-size-fits-all approach to digital trade, the unnamed members made these suggestions: 1. Ensure trade rules support, rather than potentially hinder, digital industrialization and growth. 2. Consider/assess the role and impact of the moratorium. 3. Consider making use of new plurilateral agreements as tools to attract investments and technology (IFD and E-commerce Agreements). 4. Promote regional harmonization of digital trade standards. 5. Promote investment in ICT infrastructure and innovation by creating enabling policy and regulatory environments. On leveraging WTO’s advocacy and convening power to promote collaboration for digital transformation, members suggested the following: 1. Convening other institutions with mandates on digital technologies and technology transfer for information sharing; 2. Encouraging partnerships with relevant institutions focused on digital technologies and technology transfer; 3. Organizing session with the main providers of solutions to the digital divide, such as United Nations Development Program, International Telecommunication Union, the World Bank, and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). +
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