INF/ECOM/46  
14 November  2019 
(19-7789) Page: 1/2 
 Original:  French  
 
  
JOINT STATEMENT ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE  
COMMUNICATION FROM CÔTE D'IVOIRE1 
The following  communication, dat ed 14 November  2019, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Côte d'Ivoire . 
 
_______________  
 
 
Côte d'Ivoire has decided to join the Joint Initiative on Electronic Commerce Group , in order to 
actively  participate  in the work aimed at establishing multilateral rules on this matter, for a number 
of reasons . 
First, our delegation considers that examining all e -commerce issues in a single f orum , as is now 
the case , not only provides us with an outlook  and overall assessment  of all aspects of e -commerce 
and related interactions, but it is also beneficial for small delegations, such as ours, that cannot 
attend  several simultaneous meetings at the World Trade Organization ( WTO). 
In addition, and above all, Côte d'Ivoire is taking part because  the digital economy and e -commerce 
are increasingly permeating and transforming all sectors of the economy and all commercial 
transactions  and shaping more and more global value chains . This creates opportunities, but  more 
importantly, it creates  various challenges for developing countries , like Côte d'Ivoire . Various types 
of obstacles are slowing down the establishment of an effective ecosystem that would allow our 
country to fully exploit its e -commerce potential.  
This is why Côte d'Ivoire has decided to take part in this group's discussions at the WTO : to ens ure 
that such challenges are taken into consideration during our deliberations, with a view to reducing 
them as much as possible . 
Against this backdrop , the issue of development seems crucial and  cannot  be treated  as a peripheral, 
secondary issue.  
The issu e of development and special and differential treatment must be taken into consideration in 
all areas  of our discussions . 
We must examine development issues  and address, inter alia , the following : 
1.  Digital and physical infrastructure, logistics and cross -border payment solutions,  as 
meeting the demands of e -commerce requires having a comprehensive, quality digital  infrastructure.  
2.  Support for national digital network s. The WTO Secretariat should be responsible for 
identifying and cataloguing the various pro grammes, which are sponsored primarily by donors and 
are aimed at providing Internet access, promoting the Internet in rural areas and among 
disadvantaged groups,  providing  technical assistance and implementing  pilot projects for the 
development of e -comme rce, for the benefit of requesting member countries.  
3.  Establishment of a forum  for inter -institutional cooperation . In a world where economies 
are increasingly interdependent and interconnected, participation in e -commerce appears to be a 
                                                
1 Statement delivered at the E -Commerce Joint Statement Meeting on 24 September  2019.  INF/ECOM/46  
- 2 - 
  right. In this res pect, the need to establish a legal framework to facilitate e-commerce  will inevitably 
have to be accompanied by the establishment of a multilateral cooperation forum  for the various 
institutions involved in this area. The forum  should also encourage exchanges of experience, help to 
secure e -transactions and, above all, promote national micro, small  and medium -sized enterprises 
(MSMEs ) and national frameworks for data use , as well as  facilitate technology transfer.  
4.  Establishment of a fund to support the integration of developing countries, such as  
Côte d'Ivoire, and the least -developed countries ( LDCs ) into the digital economy and 
e-commerce . Anything that is urgent and will help to ensure universal benefits from the  digital 
economy.  
5.  Healthy competitive practice ; and other strategies for development . 
In conclusion, having multilateral rules that help to  strengthen e -commerce and its regulation on a 
global scale is not only desirable,  but also necessary,  given the structural transformations brought 
about by  the infrastructure of e -commerce , affecting  the production  and distribution  of goods and 
services , as well as  payment  for goods and services . But such rules will  have to be drafted  from a 
development a nd cooperation perspective  to ensure that  e-commerce is a real instrument for 
inclusive development and a useful complement to physical transactions in goods and services.  
To conclude, I wish to thank Germany for funding  the study assessing Côte d'Ivoire's  readiness for 
e-commerce , which will be conducted  by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development 
(UNCTAD ). 
 
__________