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Work Programme on Electronic Commerce  
21 February  2023  Original: English  
 
 
 
MINUTES OF THE MEETING  
DEDICATED DISCUSSION ON ELECTRONIC COMMERC E 
HELD IN THE CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD AND IN VIRTUAL FORMAT ON 21 FEBRUARY  2023 
Chairperson: H.E. Ms Usha Dwarka -Canabady  (Mauritius ), Facilitator of the  
E-commerce Work Programme and the Moratorium  
1.1.  The Chairperson  commended Members for their active engagement and constructive exchange 
of views during the previous session of the Dedicated Discussion held in January  2023 on consumer 
protection. All delegations had welcomed the experience sharing exercise and the discussions, as 
reflected in the circulated minutes (WT/GC/WPEC/M/1). During the January discussion , reference s 
were made  to enhancing inter -agency cooperation on consumer protection . As facilitator, she had 
suggested organizing, at  an appropriate time, a workshop involving relevant international agencies  
in order to provide an opportunity for Members to hear  more about the work being undertaken in 
the respective areas . Any workshop would be over and above the  already agreed topics for the first 
part of 2023. She invited Members to  reflect on this further and to  revert to it following  the present 
meeting's  discussion on the digital divide.  
1.2.  She said that , as it was indicated in the convening notice,  the present meeting would focus on 
the digital divide  and that this was  a broad issue covering a wide list of topics  including  digital 
infrastructure, connectivity, digital skills, capacity building and technical assistance, among others. 
She recall ed the broa der context in which the discussions were taking place  and noted that since 
the previous  meeting,  Members  had participated in an informal meeting on WTO reform focused on 
development. As a participant in that event, she had heard  several references to elem ents which 
were pertinent and relevant to  the current discussion . Issues related to the digital divide and 
connectivity were also being raised in other areas of WTO's  work, for example , Aid for Trade. This 
indicated  that there was a general interest across the Membership to address and to delve deeper 
into the se issues . She hoped that  the meeting would take advantage of th ose synergies and that 
Members would make a substantive contribution . She referred to the submissions from India  and 
the OECS countries which had been received as inputs to the discussion . India's submission on the 
Role of Digital Public Infrastructure in Promoting E -Commerce  was circulated on 9 February in 
document WT/GC/W/863 , while the submission of the  OECS titl ed, Experience Sharing from 
the OECS on E -Commerce Development Challenges , was circulated on 17  February in 
document  RD/GC/19.  
1.3.  The representative of India delivered the following statement:  
1.4.  Thank you for organizing  this session and after several years we  are seeing that the Work 
Programme on E -Commerce is truly getting reinvigorated , as per the mandate of the General Council 
Decision contained in document WT/L/274 dated 30 September 1998. This has been a key ask of 
my delegation for several years. We are glad to note that our position on this topic has found 
resonance. I can also see the interest which Members have reposed. In the first session on 26th of 
January and today's session too, we see a large number of Members participating. I was wondering 
whether room W will be enough for the next session,  or if should we move to CR, because if other 
people come it will be difficult for them to be accommodate d here in this room. We welcome , 
Madam  Chair, the General Council discussions  on the Work Programme on E -Commerce and we hope 
that the other bodies who have been given the mandate to further take up this work , that is the 
Council for Trade in Goods, Council for Trade in Services, Council for TRIPS and the Committee on WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  Trade and Development , will also add this item to their agenda on a standing basis and will have 
relevant submissions.  Chair, ahead of this session , where the theme i s digital divide , we submitted 
our paper WT/GC/W/863 titled Role of Digital Public Infrastructure in Promoting E -commerce . Let 
me first talk about the star k digital divide the world faces today and I will then explain our approach 
on using Digital Public I nfrastructure to address and solve this problem. We have not only looked at 
our own experience, but while preparing this paper, we also had an opportunity to look at 
experiences which are in the public domain from various countries, including developing as  well as 
developed countries. Accordingly, we prepared this paper which you have just mentioned, 
WT/GC/W/863 , and it has examples and experiences of India and one example from an EU member 
state. Let us first reflect  on the problems.  
1.5.  Let me refer to the latest statistics of ITU which is kind of repository of this information. 34% 
of the world's population does not use the Internet. But there are stark regional differences. While 
Internet usage in the developed countries is 90%, it is only 20% in the LDCs.  Our position , maybe 
10 years back , was not very different. India is a vast country with 1.4 billion people,  and we were 
facing the same problem. Therefore, we decided in 2014 -15 that we will have a different approach 
which is not completely dependent on t he market but provides for the basic infrastructure for that 
sector to grow. In this approach, there was true democratization of technology and its use. To give 
more context, let us take the example of trade in goods. Let us say if countries tried to engag e in 
trade without constructing ports first. Let 's say coastal countries would not have built an international 
infrastructure  and not invested in ports which initially come in as public infrastructure and public 
investment. We have seen the negative impact  on global trade when a ship was stuck in the Suez 
Canal. So, imagine that we would not have invested in these canals or waterways to carry the goods 
which are involved in the trade. Instead, if we would have straight away pursued rulemaking, even 
the coas tal countries would not have been able to benefit from the power of trade. Such a scenario 
would have negatively impacted the overall global trade, not just those particularly lacking in this 
infrastructure. Even if exporting countries have infrastructure,  the importing countries need to match 
the infrastructure to receive those goods. Hence without this infrastructure, certainly global trade 
would not have increased.  
1.6.  So it is in this context , I would  like to quote what our Prime Minister said while assumi ng the 
G20 presidency in November 2022 :1  
"Digital transformation is the most remarkable change of our era. And the proper use 
of digital technologies can become a force multiplier in the decades -long global fight 
against poverty. But these benefits will be realized only when the digital access is truly 
inclusive and when the use of digital technology is really widespread. Unfortunately, 
till now, we have seen this powerful tool only from the criteria of simple business, 
keeping this power tied in the ledg ers of profit and loss. India's experience of the past 
few years has shown us that if we make digital architecture inclusive, it can bring about 
socio economic transformation. Digital use can bring scale and speed. Transparency 
can be brought in governance . India has developed digital public goods whose basic 
architecture has inbuilt democratic principles. These solutions are based on open 
source, open APIs, open standards, which are interoperable and public. "  
1.7.  Chair, this is the Digital Public Infrastructure approach we have highlighted through our paper. 
Digital Public infrastructure (DPI) refers to specific kinds of Digital systems which have society -wide 
use and are interoperable i.e., ability to combine with  other and additional systems, allowing them 
to be built upon to create new applications/use cases. The aspect of public in digital infrastructure 
means that it has the classical characteristics of non -excludability and  non-rivalrousness . 
Non-excludability  means that it is not possible to exclude any individual from using the infrastructure 
while non -rivalrous means that one's usage of the infrastructure does not affect its availability for 
others.  Let me touch upon some of the basic features of what consti tutes a good Digital Public 
Infrastructure. We have listed six of them in our paper: (i) commonality and interoperability; 
(ii) modular design. Instead of being rigid and monolithic, the design should be flexible, to cater to 
the diverse requirements of di fferent geographies; (iii) inclusive and equitable. It should be usable 
for all without any regard to economic or social differences; (iv) highest standards of protection of 
rights and privacy. I  cannot stress enough the importance of this; (v) competition  and public agency. 
The phrase competition is tasked with some sensitivity in WTO discussions for developing countries. 
But let me repeat that it is very important to ensure that competition and public agency interface is 
 
1 https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1876347  WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  there. Countries need to have nece ssary regulatory framework to take care of competition; and 
(vi) usage of non -proprietary components. This can only aid interoperability, scalability and 
reduce  costs.  
1.8.  Now, let me touch upon some of the examples of Digital Public Infrastructure, which we have 
brought in, which is in true sense bridging the digital divide in several areas. The first one is Aadhaar, 
a 12-digit unique identity  number that can be obtained vo luntarily by the citizens of India based on 
their biometric and demographic data. This unique identity can be used by an e -commerce consumer 
or customer or seller for reliable authentication . The second  is bank accounts, which is what we call 
Jan Dhan accounts .2 It stands for people's own money and in their own account. In less than three 
years since the program started in the year 2015, 460 million individual accounts were opened 
during that period. 46 0 million would be more than the total population of most of the Members 
sitting in this room – this gives you a sense of the scale. One basic feature is that 56% of these 
account holders were women and 67% of these 460 million account holders were in rura l and semi 
urban areas. And they were getting the banking services right at their doorstep. Jan Dhan Accounts, 
Aadhaar -based authentication and Mobile -first design dubbed India's JAM trinity has significantly 
reduced financial divide using digital infrastr ucture and led to a digital payments' revolution in the 
country. This design also help s reduce the need of having brick and mortar banking services as these 
services were being provided right at the doorstep with the help of banking correspondents. Third, 
India's Unified Payments Interface now accounts for 40% of global digital real time payments. Just 
this morning, India and Singapore linked their payments systems in a ceremony witnessed by 
Hon'ble Prime Ministers of both India and Singapore. It is good to  note that economies like Singapore 
also acknowledge the value of the idea of DPIs .3 If any person in Singapore wants to remit money 
to India, or conversely, any person in India wants to remit money to Singapore, this low -cost, 
real-time transfer of money  is possible in P2P or peer -to-peer mode via UPI. In fact, the People to 
Merchant (P2M) payments had already started sometime back.  
1.9.  One Nation One Ration Card program, another example of DPI, was instrumental in ensuring 
food security for 800 -million Indi an citizens during the pandemic, who received free foodgrains from 
the government.  The next one is a CoWIN platform, which came as a boon during the COVID -19 
period. This platform was used to centrally track and administer more than 2.2 billion doses of 
vaccines and issued digital certificates to each for those doses. This platform is now extensively 
being used for maintaining the medical records and further delivery of medical services. Open 
Network for Digital Commerce, which is under development, is an i nitiative to promote open 
networks for all aspects of exchange of goods and services over digital or electronic networks. I had 
touched upon this in my last intervention on 26  January. The paper we submitted quotes examples 
from the EU as well. This shows that the conception of Digital Public Infrastructure is broad in nature. 
I am referring to Estonia, where we really found the X -Road initiative  very interesting, very usable 
and user friendly. I  would request the member country if they can show some more experiences 
from their side of how Digital Public Infrastructure has worked in their country. We also take note of 
the paper submitted by the Organization of East Caribbean States and congratulate them for the 
detailed information. This paper also inc ludes a conception similar to Digital Public Infrastructure.  
1.10.   Coming to an end chair, we believe that WTO can play a key role in mainstreaming ideas such 
as Digital Public Infrastructure. This organization can promote discussions on technology 
requirements , technology  transfer  possibilities. The Committee on Trade and Development could 
hold experience sharing systems by Members on how they have benefited from such government 
interventions. Last but not the least, we have posed five guiding questions in our paper. If Members 
can deliberate on these questions, it will benefit us collectively.  
1.11.   The representative  of Antigua and Barbuda , on behalf of the OECS , delivered the 
following  statement:   
1.12.   Madam Chair, thank you for the floor. I speak on behalf of the OECS  WTO Members. We have 
just heard from India 's 1.4 billion people ; we now move to the other end of the spectrum recognising 
some of the smallest Member States of the WTO.  At the outset, we continue to commend you for 
your sterling efforts, including the momentum that you have injected into our work. The OECS also 
aligns with the statement by Trinidad & Tobago on behalf of CARICOM. We have put forward some 
experiences and id eas in document RD/GC/19.  The broad objective is to give the WTO 's Membership 
 
2 https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1854909  
3 https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1900976   WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  a panoramic view of the state of e -commerce readiness in the OECS, along with some concrete 
suggestions on actions which can be undertaken to further our discussions, particularl y on something 
as important as the digital divide. In the OECS, as is the case with many other developing countries, 
the digital divide is pervasive, meaning that there are many gaps and limitations which prevent us 
from fully maximizing the benefits of e -commerce and digital trade. However, we did not want to 
approach our discussions today as if to suggest that we were seeking to exercise little to no agency 
in addressing our many constraints. We  have been active in many respects as well and are 
undertakin g efforts to bridge the digital divide, including with respect to the roll out of infrastructure, 
addressing gaps in the digital payments space, and updating the legal and regulatory framework 
which are some of the fundamental building blocks to adopt and maintain a robust e -commerce and 
digital trade ecosystem. So as not to take the floor a second time, I also want to say a few quick 
words on India 's submission, contained in document WT/GC/W/863. Digital  public infrastructure, 
from our vantage point, is pe rhaps the holy grail of a thriving digital and e -commerce ecosystem. 
We face many of the issues addressed in India 's paper, including gaps in areas such as access to 
the internet. On this particular issue of access, some 3.6 billion people in the world are  unable to 
access the Internet. A lack of access to the Internet means that there are still too many people who 
are excluded from the wealth of information available online, thus limiting their opportunities to 
learn and grow, and to fulfil their potential . In this vein, c losing the digital divide requires global 
cooperation, leadership, and innovation in finance and technology.   
1.13.   Speaking of global cooperation and the issue of access in the same b reath, back in 2020, the 
OECS signed an agreement with UNICEF  and the ITU with respect to the UNICEF -ITU global initiative 
(Giga) t o enhance the connectivity of schools and develop digital public goods.  This initiative aims 
to connect every school to the Internet and every young person to information . We can also id entify 
with the disparity in e -commerce readiness set out in India 's paper, limited access to digital solutions 
and many of the other issues raised. We also thank India for sharing so eloquently some of its 
national initiatives. On the specific questions p osed by India, we hope to have another opportunity 
to respond to those as we are still discussing them with our capitals. Our own Room Document may 
also go some way towards addressing some of India 's questions. Across the OECS, there has been 
a clarion cal l for improving digital inclusion, developing 21st century skills, and creating opportunities 
for our peoples, including , and especially children and young people , to harness their innovative 
skills. With all of this in mind, permit me to invite my colleag ue, Joel, to take us through the 
OECS ' submission.  
1.14.   Thank you, Ambassador Murdoch. Thank you also , Madam Chair , for extending this courtesy. 
I will try to be as brief as possible. As developing Members, we thought it important to place before 
the WTO 's Membership, concrete and empirical evidence of the state of e -commerce in our group of 
countries, including with respect to how they are experiencing the digital divide and the actions 
which are being undertaken to bridge the same.  My ambassador  spoke about t he value of global 
cooperation. Over the past two years, we have partnered with the Commonwealth Secretariat, the 
World Bank, UNICEF, the ITU and several other international organisations on e -commerce and 
related initiatives. The overall objective of thes e initiatives is to better situate our countries to benefit 
from the opportunities of e -commerce and digital trade. This is out of a recognition that we are faced 
with a deep and pervasive digital divide across many of the foundational elements of e -commer ce 
and the digital economy, meaning that the basic preconditions are not yet in place to bridge the 
digital divide.  According to the World Bank, the foundational elements of e -commerce and the digital 
economy include digital infrastructure, digital platforms, digital financial services, digital skills and 
digital entrepreneurship.  The Bank has concluded that OECS countries continue to lag significantly 
across most of the digital economy foundations, including in comparison to peers at similar levels of 
socioeconomic development.  Given the World Bank 's assessment, we approached the 
Commonwealth to conduct an Assessment of Digital Trade and E -commerce Readiness and 
Associated Capacity Building Needs in the OECS . E-commerce readiness in the OECS was asse ssed 
against six pillars as follows:  
- Pillar 1: National ICT infrastructure and accessibility ;  
- Pillar 2: Logistics and delivery ; 
- Pillar 3: Citizens' readiness for e -commerce ;  
- Pillar 4: Business readiness for e -commerce ; 
- Pillar 5: Financial and banking ec osystem to support e -commerce ; and,   
- Pillar 6: E -commerce policy and regulation . 
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  1.15.   For this exercise, we developed a newly constructed A -Z Gap Index (AZGI), which reflects the 
extent to which OECS e -readiness has been achieved in each pillar . In percentage terms, 0% 
represen ts full e-readiness (no gaps) , while 100% represents a full lack of e -readiness. Therefore, 
the closer a pillar is to 100% provides a picture of the extent of lack of e -readiness, and the closer 
to 0% does the opposite . The regional A -Z Gap Index for each pillar across each of the six countries 
was 74% . This suggests that the extent of the e -readiness gap in the OECS, or dare I say, the digital 
divide, stands at 74% for the pillars covered, demonstrating significant gaps in the OECS. No OE CS 
country has an e -readiness gap below 50%, with the lowest gap at 69% and the highest gap at 
81%. Pillar 2, Logistics and Delivery  represented the pillar with the most severe gap, with an index 
of 86% . Pillar 1 , National information and communication tec hnology (ICT) infrastructure and 
accessibility, with a commendable Index of 49%, was the best -positioned pillar as it related to 
e-commerce readiness across the subregion.  No other pillar came close. The relatively good 
performance of this pillar, in the g rand scheme of things, is a demonstration of the impact of the 
liberalization of the telecommunications sector, although as I would demonstrate shortly, there still 
remains constraints with respect to cost and accessibility. The other four pillars, based o n increasing 
gap index, were: Pillar 6 , E-commerce policy and regulation, Pillar 3 , Citizens' readiness for 
e-commerce, Pillar 4 , Business readiness for e -commerce, and Pillar 5 , Financial and banking 
ecosystem to support e -commerce, with A -Z Gap Indices o f 75%, 78%, 79% and 81%, respectively.   
1.16.   While Pillar 1 , ICT infrastructure and accessibility, was the best performing pillar, significant 
barriers remain. For example, a ccording to a United States Agency for International Development 
(USAID) Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment (DECA) of the Eastern and Southern Caribbean, 
access to fibre infrastructure is hampered by costs and difficulties in connecting the last mile. USAID 
observes that it is both expensive and slow to connect cable to each residenc e, especially in hilly 
and forested environments. Furthermore, for telecommunications companies, there is a trade -off 
between cost and return on investment that is unfavourable in many areas  given the lack of 
economies of scale in very small markets . Additionally, while emerging technologies could help fill 
last-mile gaps, according to USAID, they are not widely leveraged. For example, satellite broadband 
is available and commercialized across the entire region, but these are limited in bandwidth and 
applic ability for most rural areas. Similarly, Television White Space (TVWS) technology, already a 
popular last -mile solution across Latin America, is not widely available in the Eastern and Southern 
Caribbean. This confirms the extensive amount of work that sti ll needs to be done to strengthen 
infrastructure and availability of  ICT.  
1.17.   Overall, the e -commerce readiness assessment of the OECS found that the absence of a 
coherent regional regulatory framework across the region, limited availability of financial 
instruments and high business transaction costs significantly impede the growth of digital trade in 
the OECS member countries. It also highlights weaknesses in data and consumer protection and 
cybersecurity, payment infrastructure and solutions, stakeholder en gagement and participation, 
trade facilitation, and investment promotion.  Specific to financial instruments, e -commerce progress 
is also being hampered by difficulties accessing and affording international payment tools and 
services such as PayPal, as well  as legacy credit card payment services being offered by 
entrepreneurs.  What are we doing to address some of these constraints: (i)  Regarding the financial 
and banking eco -system, our Central Bank , the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank,  has started the 
roll-out of its digital wallet – D-Cash, which would allow persons with in the OECS currency union to 
be able to transmit currency digitally between themselves, between individual consumer to 
consumer and consumer to business ; (ii) Through the ITU, we have gotten  assistance to develop 
model guidelines and laws in areas such as cybercrime, cyber security, data protection etc; and 
(iii) Through a World Bank funded Digital Transformation Project, we are rolling out an ambitious 
programme to address deficits with resp ect to infrastructure, as well as the legal and 
regulatory  framework.  
1.18.   As I close, allow me to touch on what we can do collectively under the WTO umbrella 
concerning the digital divide. We have spoken about it before and will reiterate it here, that there is 
value in convening a dedicated session with several key international organisations with remit for 
different aspects of e -commerce and digital trade. Some of them are listed in our submission. We 
are very pleased, Madam Facilitator, that you are also co nsidering a workshop in a similar vein. We 
also believe that industry partners can add value to such a discussion. This may help to lay the 
platform for WTO Members to increase their chances of receiving targeted interventions. Other 
proposals are also con tained in our submission, such as the role of Aid  for Trade. All of our ideas are 
before you for your feedback. Again, we are grateful for this opportunity and look forward to a fruitful 
discussion. Finally, many thanks to the Secretariat for its continued  support.  WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  1.19.   The Chairperson  thank ed both Indi a and the OECS countries for introducing their submission s 
and for their contribution s to the discussion.  She acknowledged that the Pacific Group and Singapore 
also ha d some presentations to  make but they  would do so from the floor . In opening  the floor , she 
encourage d delegations to: (i ) share their e xperience s and national and regional developments , 
(ii) be as specific  as possible  about the issues they wished to see addressed under th e theme  of the 
digital  divide  and (iii) indicate their views  and suggestions on the role that the WTO can  play either 
alone  or in collaboration with other IGOs to support Members' efforts in this area.  In order to give 
others an opportunity to speak, she encouraged  delegations to be succinct and to circulate longer 
statements that would be included in the minutes .  
1.20.   The representative  of South Africa , on behalf of the African Group , delivered the following 
statement:   
1.21.   The Work Programme on Electronic Commerce  was set up in 1998 to examine  all trade -related  
issues  relating  to global  electronic commerce, considering the economic, financial, and development 
needs of developing countries.  The Committee  on Trade  and Development  was specifically  tasked  to 
report  on the development implications of electronic commerce, including in relation to SMEs; 
challenges to and ways of enhancing the participation of developing countries in electronic 
commerce ; financial implications for developing countries; assess possible impact on the traditional 
means of distribution of physical goods and  the role of improved access  to infrastructure  and transfer 
of technology.  The digital  divide  is a crucial  issue.  During  the dedicated  discussion  that took place last 
month, the  distinguished  representative  of CARICOM  highlighted  this issue as a key priority  of 
particular interest. The Africa Group supports this notion. Hence,  we welcome today's discussion as 
an oppor tunity to share experiences a nd explore solutions.   
1.22.   The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) indicates  that 2.9 billion people globally 
remain  offline, a round  37% of the world 's population.  In Africa  in 2021, only  33% of the population 
was using the internet, meaning an estimated 871 million  people are not realizing digital dividends. 
To this population, the power of information and communications technologies to connect; to deliver 
goods and services in healthcare, education, finance, commerce, governance, and agriculture; to 
ease communicat ion; and to share information cannot be actualized, and neither can their economies 
harness the power  of technologies as a driver for economic growth and innovation.  We thank  India 
for its communication  WT/GC/W/863  on the role of digital  public  infrastructure.  Madam Facilitator, 
digital public goods allow countries to build digital infrastructure in a manner that secures data 
sovereignty, eschews technological dependency and provides an opportunity to up -skill their 
residents.4 Their importance was recognized by the Report of the UN High -Level Panel on digital 
cooperation recommended  "a broad, multi -stakeholder alliance, involving the UN, create a platform 
for sharing digital public goods, engaging talent and pooling data sets, in a manner that r espects 
privacy, in areas related to attaining the SDGs. " 
1.23.   Africa has varied experience in the area of digital public infrastructure. For example, District 
Health Information Software version 2 (DHIS2) was first used in South Africa and became a global 
open-source project co -ordinated by the Health Information Systems Programme (HISP) at the 
University of Oslo. More than 73 countries use it to support the generation and analysis of national 
and regional health data.5 Sierra Leone 's National Innovation and D igital Strategy seeks to ensure 
that institutions, markets, citizens  and the government consider open -source technologies as an 
opportunity to  digitise inclusively by bringing together regulators, learners and innovators. With 
partners , Sierra Leone also d eveloped OpenG2P, a digital  public good that facilitates large -scale cash 
transfers.6 The government of Guinea is rolling out a large scale biometric identification operation 
that will register all government employees to improve public financial and huma n resource 
management.7 These  efforts  are in line with the African  Union  (AU) Digital  Transformation  Strategy  
for Africa 2020 -2030 which calls on Africa to harness digital technologies and innovation to transform 
African  societies  and economies  to promote  Africa's  integration,  generate  inclusive  economic growth,  
stimulate  job creation,  break  the digital  divide,  and eradicate  poverty  for the continent's 
socio-economic development and ensure Africa's ownership of modern tools of digital management.  
 
4 Behrends,  J. et al. (2021),  "Digital  Public  Goods:  Guidance  for Development,  Governance,  and 
Stewardship," https://ethics.harvard.edu/files/center -for ethics/files/dpg_guidance_v2.pdf?m=1630420782  
5 https:/ /www.oecd -ilibrary.org/sites/c023cb2e -en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/c023cb2e -en 
6 https:/ /www.openg2p.org   
7https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2015/02/03/guinea -implements -a-biometric -
identification - system -to-conduct -a-census -of-civil-servants  WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  We also thank the OECS Member States for RD/GC/19 as well as the reference to its 2021 
Assessment of Digital Trade and E-commerce Readiness and Associated Capacity Bu ilding Needs . 
The communication identified challenges that also exist in the African region such as broadband  and 
device  affordability  issues  and the need to modernize  the legal,  regulatory  and institutional 
frameworks. There  is certainly  scope  to collaborate  in addressing  these  shared  challenges.  
1.24.   With regard to mobile internet adoption, t o reap the benefits  of e-commerce  and fulfil the AU 
Digital  Transformation  Strategy  it is critical that African SMEs accelerate the adoption of mobile 
internet. It is estimated that SMEs that use mobile services more intensively see their revenues grow 
two times faster and add jobs up to eight times faster than their peers.8 Mobile internet adoption is 
also key to achieving the UN Sustainable Developmen t Goals (SDGs). Worldwide, 2 billion individuals 
use mobile internet to access education, 1.6 billion use  it to improve  or monitor  their health  and 
1.5 billion  use it to access  government  services.9 The number  of mobile  subscribers  in Africa  is 
growing  more quickly  than anywhere  else. Digital platforms are creating opportunities for 
entrepreneurs, start-ups and businesses by instantly connecting them with existing and potential 
clients. Mobile financial services enable instant payment for goods a nd services.10 Subscribers are 
rapidly increasing their data use, which is expected  to grow from the current global average of 7.5 
GB per subscriber per month to 28 GB in 2025. Sub -Saharan Africa is expected to see the most 
growth, from 0.8 GB to almost 7  GB in 2025.11 Despite the growing importance of mobile internet 
and its increasingly widespread use, 4 billion people around the world remain excluded. The vast 
majority are already covered by a mobile  broadband  network,  which  is referred  to as the usage  gap. 
In 2019,  this gap amounted to  3.4 billion  people.  The remaining  600 million  unconnected  people  live 
in areas  not covered by a mobile broadband network, which is referred to as the coverage gap. The 
size of the usage gap shows that the roll -out of mobile broadband infrastructure has far outpaced 
adoption, and that while coverage is a prerequisite, it is not enough by itself to address the 
digital  divide.  
1.25.   GSMA  has identified  the following  barriers  to mobile  adoption:  
- Affordability: Individuals  cannot  afford  devices,  data plans  or other  service  fees. 
- Knowledge and digital skills: People are unaware of mobile internet and its benefits or do 
not have the necessary skills to use digital technology.  
- Relevance: Local digital ecosystems are  underdeveloped, and there is a lack of content, 
products and  services that meet user needs and capabilities.  
- Safety  and security: Individuals  and communities  are concerned  about  the negative  
aspects  and risks of the internet, such as harassment, theft, fraud and online security.  
- Access: Individuals do not have access to networks and enablers, such as electricity and 
formal IDs, or devices and services are not accessible enough.  
 
1.26.   On further challenges facing African SMEs in the Digital Economy , COVID -19 has created  
immediate  challenges  for SMEs  all over the world,  but these  challenges are more severe for African 
SMEs. Several SMEs have shut businesses and have changed their  ways of procuring  and selling  by 
moving  'online'  and engaging  in e-commerce.  However, selling through digital platforms is often 
more challenging for these SMEs since they have to compete with global players using their limited 
digital skills and inadequate digital infrastructure. The "new normal " is full of  uncertainty for African 
SMEs as they have no tools to assess future demand for their products nor do they have easy access 
to digital services like big data analytics or artificial intelligence.  Advanced  digital  infrastructure  and 
skills in data collection,  storage  and processing  have given first -mover advantage to digital platforms 
in e-commerce leading to growing concentration of rents and monopolies. Three developed countries 
(USA, Japan and Germany) together account for 45 % of global e -commerc e sales (Digital Economy 
Report, Unctad 2019) and a handful  of digital  platforms  have captured  the cross-border  e-commerce  
markets. The COVID-19 pandemic has further increased the market dominance of these digital 
 
8 BCG. (2015). The Mobile Revolution: How Mobile Technologies Drive a Trillion -Dollar Impact, 
https:/ /www.bcg.com/en -ca/publications/2015/telecommunications -technology -industries -the-mobile - revolution  
9 GSMA.  (2020).  Mobile  Industry  Impact  Report  2020:  Sustainable  Development  Goals,  chrome - 
extension : https://www.gsma.com/betterfuture/wp -content/uploads/2021/12/2020 -Mobile -Industry -Impact -
Report -SDGs.pdf  
10 https:/ /www.eib.org/en/essays/african -digital -infrastructure  
11https: //www.gsma.com/publicpolicy/resources/accelerating -mobile -internet -adoption -policy -
considerations - to-bridge -the-digital -divide -in-low-and-middle -income -countries  
 WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  platforms and big  tech firms.  This growing digital divide is continuously eroding the competitiveness 
of SMEs in Africa. While 66% of the world population had access to internet in 2022, Africa lagged 
other continents  with only 40% of its population  with access  to internet.  Africa  also topped in terms 
of gender inequality in internet access with only 34% of women having access to internet which is 
almost half of the global average. Africa has the highest urban -rural inequality in internet access 
(2.80) and highest cost of ICT services accord ing to the latest Facts and Figures Report  of ITU.12  
1.27.   The digital  divide  is more pronounced  in terms  of existing  digital  infrastructure,  data processing 
skills and digital technologies. According to the UNCTAD Digital Economy Report, out of a total of 
4,422 so-called colocation data centres, 80 % are in developed countries, with the  United  States  
accounting  for about  40%. Africa  and Latin America  together  account for  less than 5% of the world's  
colocation  data centres.  The Cloud  market  is also highly concentrated, with four out of the five 
providers based in the US. Lack of digital skills and digital infrastructure pose grave threats to the 
existing export competitiveness of African SMEs. There is potential danger  that many SMEs in Africa 
will be outcompeted by digital players in the developed countries with access to high -tech digital 
technologies. Most of the gains from the exponential growth of global e -commerce accrue to big  tech 
firms and digital platforms, which are majorly based in t he developed countries.  The above  
challenges  highlight  that the gains  from the growing  global  e-commerce  will not be automatic  for 
developing  countries,  particularly  Africa.  This will require  strategic  interventions at all levels, 
including at the national  and international levels. Policy and fiscal space will be required by the 
developing world to rebuild their economies and revive their declining trade competitiveness and 
falling exports.  
1.28.   With regard to the role of the WTO, t he impact  of the digital  divide  has never  been felt more 
severely  by the South  than in the context of  the COVID -19 pandemic.  The pandemic  underscored  the 
importance  of connectivity  and the benefits  of remaining connected. C OVID -19 has exposed  the 
vulnerability  of the South. The d igital divide therefore is contributing to the growing global 
inequalities in many ways and if not bridged now, it may become impossible to bridge it in the future.  
The digital divide has become multi-layered , while the ICT -related infrastr ucture divide is the first 
layer,  access  to data and capacity  to convert it onto  information  and knowledge  adds the second  
layer.  Data intelligence  provides  digital  technology  competencies  which  adds another layer to the 
digital divide. This raises the imp ortance of technology transfer on favourable terms which is critical 
to an inclusive digital economy.  The data divide  gives "first mover  advantages " to those  who collect  
data, process  it and convert it  into information  and knowledge.  Further,  "network -effects " make  it 
impossible  for developing countries to catch  up. Not only does the digital divide contribute to growing 
inequalities between the countries but also , and more importantly , it is creating a wedge within the 
private sector , with those  who have access  to data infrastructure  growing  bigger  and at times  even 
bigger than the states themselves. The annual revenues of companies such as Apple, Microsoft, and  
Walmart are so huge  that they dwarf the economies of many countries across the  globe - for 
example,  in 2017 Walmart  earned  more than the whole  of Belgium.  If Microsoft was a country, then 
it would be 65th in size in the world going by its GDP.  To bridge  the digital  divide,  countries  need to 
build data infrastructure,  which  includes  access to  their data, capability of processing  their data and 
deriving information  and knowledge  from their data. This data knowledge is what will give the 
countries the capacity to build and use digital technologies.  The first step in this direct ion will be to 
recognize that data is crucial for development, it is therefore important that African countries 
preserve policy  to regulate the use and access of their data under national laws for their 
development. Free flow of data will give competitive advantages to those who have the data 
infrastructure to process data into information and knowledge,  and these  are mainly  digital  platforms  
and big tech companies  mainly  in the North, where most of the data centres  are hosted.  Data is 
increasingly an important component of trade competitiveness and access to data is critical to 
reducing the digital divide , therefore WTO rules should  not constrain the policy space of African 
countries in this regard.  
1.29.   The next step would be to develop the  capacity to collect and process our own data. Developed 
countries are giving billions of dollars as subsidies to attract investments in data centres  located 
within their national boundaries. African countries lack such finances as well as fiscal space to 
generate them. Therefore, data localization policies can help developing countries  build data storing  
and processing  capacity.  We can use these  engagements  to learn from countries such as Indonesia 
that are emerging as important data hubs in their regions. Africa has an ambition of developing a 
regional digital cooperation framework so that the region  can collectively  develop  the capacity  to 
 
12 https:/ /www.itu.int/itu -d/reports/statistics/2022/11/24/ff22 -foreword/  WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  process  its data and share  the knowledge  with the member countries.  The Africa Group urges 
Members to identif y ways in which WTO can facilitate digital technology  transfers,  improve  access  to 
digital  technologies  for Africa  and build Africa's  digital capacities in order to bridge the growing digital 
divide. Along with this it is also important to assess which of the WTO Agreements need to be 
revisited in the face of new challenges confronting Africa.  While  developed  countries  had full policy  
and regulatory  space  when  they were designing  their laws  and regulations  when  they were in the 
process  of improving  the digital  capacities  of their firms, the same policy and regulatory space is 
needed by the developing countries including African countries.  Some  of the existing  WTO 
Agreements  which  need to be revisited  and their flexibility  explored are the T RIPS Agreement and 
the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (ASCM). While subsidies  are being  given  
by the developed  countries  to build their digital  sectors,  for example electric vehicles, Africa also 
needs the flexibilities to provide subsidies/incentives for developing  digital  capacities,  including  in a 
manner  that supports  the development  of its SMEs in the digital sector.  
1.30.   To date , no comprehensive assessment of developmental impacts of global e -commerce 
focusing on exports of developing countries  exists , such an assessment should outline the export 
profile of African countries and the impact of e -commerce. There is a need to initiate such reports  
on impacts  of global  e-commerce  on African  countries,  including  country -case studies. Furthermore,  
there  is a need to focus on how to deliver  gains  from growing  global  e-commerce to  Africa  and how to 
bridge  the fast-growing  digital  divide  including  by building  digital  capacities in Africa  to increase its 
exports on e -commerce platforms.  Thank  you, Madam Facilitator . 
1.31.   The representative  of South Africa  delivered the following statement:   
1.32.   Madam Facilitator, in addition to the remarks we have just made on behalf of the Africa Group, 
I would add the following short reflections in my national capacity . "Digital  inequalities,  tend not only 
to reinforce  social  inequalities  already  existing  in the offline  society,  but also to enlarge the gap 
between the less advantaged and the most advantaged individuals ".13 These dynami cs are pervasive 
in South African society. There has been good performance on infrastructure rollout  over the past 
decade. South Africa performs well in global digital infrastructure indices. For example, by 2019, 
93% of the population were covered with 4G /LTE, a dramatic improvement from 53% in 2015. In 
2019, urban areas were fully covered with 4G/LTE and most provinces had rural coverage of 4G/LTE 
exceeding 80%.14 While there is excellent broadband availability across the country, there is a usage 
gap. Mo bile internet is not easily accessible to most households in a way that would indicate 
meaningful digital connectivity. Fixed -broadband  speeds  in South  Africa  are uncompetitive  but 
mobile  upload  and download  speeds  compare  favourably with those of BRICS and many other peer 
countries.15 South Africa performs poorly in global indices on demand -side indices such as internet 
use, skills and digital awareness. This is the main explanation for South Africa's slippage down the 
International Telecommunicati on Union (ITU) ICT Development Indices from 78th to 92nd (of 
192 countries) between 2002 and 2018.   
1.33.   South Africa's National Development Plan (NDP) envisages that, by 2030, a seamless 
information infrastructure  should be universally available and accessible , at a cost and quality at 
least equal to South Africa's peers and competitors.16 More specifically,  by 2030,  100%  of the 
population  should  have easy access  to affordable  broadband  of at least 10 Mbps. All government 
buildings should have high-speed broadband of at least 100 Mbps, and , where relevant , participate 
in leveraging this to underserved areas and communities.  In terms  of the role of the WTO,  South 
Africa  would  like to emphasise  the following  principles  to underpin  our discussions:  
- Importance of government regulations to address winner -takes -most market dynamics 
and  the importance of policy space to govern how the digital platforms use the 
algorithms so as to address the power  of the platforms to the disadvantage of 
small entities.  
- The need to govern  the market  to promote  inclusivity  and value  creation  rather  than 
extraction.  
 
13 Digital  Capital:  A Bourdieusian  Perspective  on the Digital  Divide.  Massimo  Ragnedda  & Maria  Laura  
Ruiu (2020) 
14 National  Infrastructure  Plan (NIP 2050)  at p 47 
15 National  Infrastructure  Plan (NIP 2050)  48 
16 National  Infrastructure  Plan (NIP 2050)  at p 47 
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  - Policy space to promote digital industrialisation and ensure that developing countries 
participate as producers and not mere consumers of digital products from elsewhere.  It 
is therefore important to preserve policy space for  data sovereignty  so that data is a tool 
for development.  Digital  data has become  a new economic  resource  for creating and 
capturing value and for digital transformation and  intelligence.  
- While  theoretically  digital  technologies  can benefit  SMEs  in developing  countries  through  
 easier  market  access  in the digital world, in practice digital technologies and growth of 
 super platforms have led to extreme conce ntration  of export  markets  which  has affected  
distributional  outcomes  adding  to existing  global  inequalities. Access to source codes to  
address anti -competitive behaviour is key, governments should therefore not be 
constrained by WTO rules.  
- New industrial  policy  is about  incentivising  economic  activities  and creating  the 
knowledge  economy . WTO rules should provide policy space including through 
strengthening S&D provisions in relevant WTO Agreements to ensure developing 
countries can provide the requisite  infrastructure  for the digital economy. Collaboration  
with other IOs is also critical to support developing countries in addressing the digital 
infrastructure gaps.  
- A cooperative rather than trade liberalization approach is key to pro mote an inclusive 
digital economy and address the concerns of developing countries as captured in 
the Work Programme on E -commerce . 
1.34.   The representative  of Singapore  delivered the following statement:17   
1.35.   Thank you, Facilitator, for your leadership in steeri ng this process, and I would like to express 
my appreciat ion to India , South Africa and the OECS for sharing their experiences on this important 
topic. Today, I will briefly run through Singapore's experiences in digital infrastructure and will zoom 
into the example of digital identity, how we actually establish the digital identity system  within 
Singapore. I will not go into more detail in terms of the importance of the digital infrastructure . I 
think many Members, at the last session, have already mentioned this. So, I would like to share how 
Singapore looks at establishing foundational digital infrastructure, in terms of having this very clear 
framework  to size up the different issues that I think many Members have raised over the course of 
the past few years. This is how Singapore processe d this problem . There is a framework in terms of 
how we look at the solutions, having to be very end -user centric . We look at what are the needs of 
the individuals, the businesses, public actors, and we focus on the use cases . What are the things 
that we need to have in place to pragmatically address the need s of these individuals ? Then we 
discovered that among all the different elements that we have identified, there are four key pillars 
that we want to focus on: (i) digital identity;  (ii) the idea of consent; (iii) the element of payments, 
which I think the Ambassador of India has mentioned ; and (iv) data exchange. We believe that these 
four pillars are instrumental in actually setting up the foundation of digital infrastructure.  
1.36.   For digital identity, it is really  about establishing confidence and trust at both ends of the 
digital interaction. Every participant must be confident that the party at the other end is who they 
say they are, and mechanisms  will then need to be established to  ensure the  authentication and 
validation of individual identities,  while providing privacy and security of the in formation. This 
requires real trust in the system that mediates their interaction. This is why this is really core to the 
foundation of digital infrastructure that we are talking about today. With regards t o consent  and 
authorization, we believe that the d igital interactions should be transparent , secure and efficient. By 
providing interactions that recognize the importance of authorized and transparent use of data, 
which  I think South Africa has alluded to just now, data will then be able to be used and sh ared in 
accordance with the purpose s that has been provided and in a manner that is expected and 
understood by individuals . There is a range of techniques and tools that can be built into digital 
infrastructure that allows individuals to better understand how this information is being collected, 
used and shared, and there are mechanisms that will also  permit individuals to own, manage, and 
control their personal and sensitive data.  
1.37.   Going on to payment s and interoperability, I think we have heard many Membe rs talking 
about the importance of setting up digital  payment infrastructure . For us , we believe that for 
payments  to function  globally , mechanisms must be established  to ensure the interoperability of 
 
17 The presentation is contained i n Annex I.  WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  systems. Payment  interoperability is concerned with the mechanisms by which two financial 
institutions of banks  clear and settle payments between the  customers . Interoperability in itself is a 
complex and multi -dimensional topic that encompasses governance, technical and branding 
components.  For example, the Ambassador of India has also mentioned that Singapore had made 
linkages in our real -time payment systems with India and we have also done so with Malaysia and 
Thailand.  Data exchange, supported by initiatives like open banking, is the mean s by which 
individuals and businesses consent to have their financial, and potentially other data, made available 
to third parties to use for the benefit of the individual s or business es. Data exchange function s, by 
being made available from a data provide r, for example a financial institution, to the chosen 
functionality that need s to use the data for the benefit of the individual, such as payment solutions 
predicated upon the individuals consent or acknowledgment. This is really important because data 
exchange is essentially what enables payments and financial planning, creation of digital identity, 
and other services necessary to enable  a digital economy.   
1.38.   I would like to zoom into digital identity to give Members a flavour in terms of how we apply 
that f ramework  and how Singapore has looked into these issues. In order to support a digital 
infrastructure, we realised that there is a clear need to verify identity, as mentioned just now. This 
clutch of data, when bound to the user, verified , secure d and made  accessible , while under users' 
control , is the essence of digital identity. Its primary purpose is not only to identify someone, but 
more importantly , to confirm their entitlement to access a service or perform a task. For example, 
something that allows  someone to show they are  old enough to buy alcohol, without revealing a 
date of birth, or that allows them to rent an aut omobile without producing a license or to access 
government benefit s or health services without the need for multiple paper forms o f identification. 
So, d igital identity is a two -sided market as it serves both the end -users as well and the relying 
parties. End -users would want to use the goods and services of the relying party, for example, a 
merchant or a government entity, and simultaneously relying parties want to know who the end -user 
is and verify access  to the goods and services , and a trusted third party then takes the role to then 
vouch for both the end -user and th e relying party and fulfils  their needs. More often than not that 
is the role of the government.  
1.39.   When we design ed our digital identity system, these are some of the questions we ask ed 
ourselves. Who will be the end -user and what will be their needs  so that the system, at the end of 
the day, really serves the needs of individuals, businesses as well as the public actors ? Where can 
the digital identity be used? We also approach ed it from a lifetime value of an individual, so from 
birth, when you are register ing your baby's identity, to death when you actually need to clock in the 
data of the deceased  - essentially, that  is how we map it out. What types of end -users and 
functionalities does the solution need to support? Similarly, that's how we look through th e lifetime 
use of an individual.  If I go into some quick examples, there are many use cases  across sector s, and 
more generally , the private sector can use digital identity such as authenticating for online gaming 
and shopping , verifying the age when accessing age-restric ted digital service , or signing up as an 
Uber driver on a digital platform. In the public sector, with a digital  identity , end-users could submit 
tax forms and pay fines digitally and register a new address , for example,  after relocation. Items 
such as birth and death certificates, passport issuance, driver 's licence, all these can be arranged 
online rather than in -person. With regards to the sectoral use cases, in education, digital identities 
can hel p, for example, in online applications for universities, registering for courses and exams or 
offering discounts for students for services o r products. In financial ser vices, it is clear that digital 
identities can help individuals to then go through the online , on-boarding  process for applying for a 
bank account, for example. In health, digital identities can help in the sharing and processing of 
medical records, receiv ing medicines based on personal medical prescriptions or even making 
medical appointments digitally. With that I think I have come to the end of the presentation but 
would like to end with the benefits that can derive  in terms of having a very robust digit al identity  
pillar, being mindful that this is only one pillar of the four that I have shared. We could boost financial 
inclusion  and there would be better access to social benefits, health services and education . This , at 
the end of the day , would further  digitize and drive the economy with cross -border transactions.  
1.40.   The representative  of China  delivered the following statement:  
1.41.   I would like to firstly thank India and the OECS for their submissions in WT/GC/W/863 and 
RD/GC/19. The two papers shed light on the challenges and experiences of developing Members in 
tackling the problem of digital divide. China believes they will help stimulate the discussions on the 
issue. Likewise, China will continue to s hare our views and our experiences, and we look forward to 
hearing about other Members ' practices and needs. India's submission raised five guiding questions, WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  and many of the points in the following statement are trying to respond to these questions, espec ially 
question 1, 2, 3 and 5. Eliminating the digital divide and improving digital infrastructure can enable 
WTO Members to better benefit from the world's economic development. Last year, China proposed 
the Digital Innovation Cooperation Action Plan at th e G20 Summit, calling for joint efforts to create 
an open, fair, and non -discriminatory environment for digital economic development, narrowing the 
digital gap, which has received widespread praise. We believe that it  is crucial to leave no -one behind 
in the digital age, and we are willing to share our experiences from the perspective of both domestic 
development and international cooperation.   
1.42.   On domestic development, I  will address the following two issues. First is the digital poverty 
alleviation . China has used e -commerce to help with poverty alleviation and bridg ing the digital gap 
between urban and rural areas. By the end of 2020, China had achieved comprehensive poverty 
alleviation and eradicated absolute poverty, with e -commerce playing a crucial rol e. Since 2014, 
China has prioritized e -commerce poverty alleviation as a key project and formulated related policies 
to focus on building rural e -commerce service systems in impoverished areas and strengthening 
rural public service systems. With the help o f the e -commerce system connecting the remote areas 
with the vast consumer market, agricultural products from poor areas can be sold online. China has 
also launched the Women's Action for Poverty Alleviation  and Women's Action for Rural Vitalization , 
specifically targeting women in rural poverty -stricken areas, helping them to learn technology and 
skills and escape poverty through the "Internet + agriculture" model. According to incomplete 
statistics, as of 2021, e -commerce poverty alleviation has cumulativ ely helped 7.71 million farmers 
to start businesses or find jobs on the spot. The construction of Internet infrastructure in rural areas 
has been comprehensively strengthened and broadband coverage has been achieved in every 
administrative village. The Internet penetration rate in Chinese rural areas has reached 58.8%. 
Overall, we have gradually eliminated different levels of urban -rural digital divide through the joint 
participation of the government, society, and enterprises. The rapid development of e -commerce 
has been proven to be beneficial in strengthening the exchange of information and products between 
developed and underdeveloped areas, narrowing the development gap between regions, and greatly 
promoting the development of underdeveloped areas.  
1.43.   Second is the digital inclusion for the benefits of the people. China is building an accessible, 
intelligent, convenient, fair, and inclusive digital service system, with the fundamental goal of 
breaking down the digital divide by addressing the practical nee ds of the vulnerable groups, such as 
older people and people with disabilities. The rapid development of technologies such as the Internet, 
big data, and artificial intelligence has formed a new "digital divide" for some elderly and disabled 
people. China has adopted multiple measures in response to this challenge. For example, in 2020, 
China encouraged age -friendly optimization of smart applications such as catering, shopping, and 
social media apps. In 2022, China issued the Opinions on Deepening the Const ruction of Smart 
Communities , which requires the strengthening of digital skills training for minors, the elderly, and 
people with disabilities, the provision of age -friendly and barrier -free services in communities, and 
the provision of offline "one -stop" services for medical care, social security, and utility bill payments. 
It also supports social organizations, social workers, volunteers in providing professional and 
personalized services for the elderly and the disabled. These specific measures have ena bled more 
people to cross the digital divide and use information services that are accessible, affordable, and 
effective. On international cooperation to eliminate the digital divide , in recent years, China has 
launched a series of international cooperation initiatives such as Jointly Build a Community with a 
Shared Future in Cyberspace , The Belt and Road Digital Economy International Cooperation 
Initiative , Initiative on Building China -ASEAN Partnership on Digital Economy , BRICS Digital 
Economy Partnership Framework , etc. China firmly supports inclusive development and is willing to 
work with all countries to promote the benefits of digital civilization and contribute to building a 
commu nity of shared future for mankind.  
1.44.   First, China actively assists  in the development of digital skills in developing countries. China 
has been helping developing countries improve their digital infrastructure and enhance personnel 
capacity building through personnel training and multi -bilateral project assistance, considering their 
actual needs and requirements. Under the Human Resource Development Cooperation program, 
from 2018 to 2022, nearly 100 multi -bilateral training courses were held in the fields of digital 
economic cooperation and development, cross -border e -commerce poverty alleviation and 
sustainable development, cross -border logistics management, e -commerce, and electronic ports. 
These courses covered 4 ,000 professionals from over 130 countries an d regions.  Second, China has 
been deepening and expanding international digital cooperation to promote the implementation of 
cooperative projects. Since the launching of Digital Silk Road  in 2017, China has helped participating WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  countries promote digital in frastructure construction, improve the Internet penetration rate, and 
promote the interconnection of digital infrastructure,  creating new opportunities for their economic 
growth and digital transformation. Chinese e nterprises have actively participated in the construction 
of 3G and 4G network infrastructure in Africa and other regions, invested in and constructed the 
world's longest global submarine cable connecting Asia, Africa, and Europe, and implemented several 
backbone network, data centre , smart city,  and e -government system projects, effectively improving 
the digital infrastructure level in these regions. Chinese enterprises have also trained a large number 
of ICT talents through personnel training, joint programme with universities in host countries,  and 
implementation of the "Future Seeds" plan.  
1.45.   Third, China firmly supports development issues in multilateral negotiations. The Work 
Programme on E-commerce and the JSI negotiations at the  WTO play an important role in the 
rulemaking  of the international  digital economy. China has always been emphasizing the 
development issues. We have proposed several development -oriented proposals in the WTO, calling 
for sufficient flexibility for developing Members, and promoted relevant issues and pragmatic 
cooperatio n. China has advocated the establishment of an e -commerce information exchange 
mechanism at CTS, sharing our experience in development, and held training courses on 
"E-commerce Development and Multilateral Trade System", organizing high -quality lectures an d 
visits, which have been welcomed and well -received by the participants.  Finally, on the role of WTO 
in eliminating the digital divide , currently there are no unified global digital econom y rules, and some 
Members still face dual digital divide in accessing and applying digital technologies. China welcomes 
the WTO to play a greater role in international digital cooperation, as well as in eliminating the digital 
divide through relevant workin g mechanisms, including platforms for SMEs, trade and gender 
working groups.  Actually, as a forum to exchange views and share knowledge, the WTO has been 
functioning well, and here I would like to refer Members to a recent document compiled by the 
Secretar iat, S/C/W/425 , which is a compilation of experiences shared by Members in the CTS 
meetings under the agenda of the E-commerce Work Programme since 2021. The information shared 
is mostly relevant to the topics of today's meeting. China looks forward to wor king together with all 
Members to carry out various dialogues, agendas, and agreements to eliminate the digital divide 
within the framework of the WTO, jointly formulate rules for the digital economy, drive economic 
development and improve people's well -being, and promote a new type of globalization which is 
more inclusive and sustainable.  
1.46.   The representative  of Kenya , on behalf of the ACP Group , delivered the following statement:  
1.47.   The ACP Group welcomes today 's session to discuss digital divide issues in th e context of the 
E-commerce Work Programme. In our interventions over the years, we have advocated for the 
reinvigoration of the development dimension of the Work Programme, including as it relates to the 
digital divide. The development dimension cuts acro ss all areas of the Work Programme that was 
first elaborated in September 1998. Members in the WTO have heard a number of the issues raised 
about the digital divide, and we have seen progress in the last decades in the adaptation of the 
e-commerce platform across our membership. However, with the advancements in technologies and 
e-commerce enabling infrastructure, ICT, and governance, we have also seen a widening of the 
digital divide.  We have noted the questions from some Members seeking to ascerta in what is meant 
by the digital divide and questioning the role that the WTO can play in narrowing such a divide. A 
rudimentary view of the digital divide is the difference between where we are individually or 
collectively as a Group when compared to other s, particularly those Members that have either 
managed to harness the full benefits of technological advancements and of e -commerce, or those 
that house the owners to such technology and platforms . Our countries are constantly playing 
catch -up in light of the dynamic nature of technology advancements. The digital divide does not 
mean for us that we have no access or participation in e -commerce.  What we are seeing is the need 
to find ways to alleviate and reduce the digital divide in a manner that allows for  sustained access 
and participation of our regions. Some of this requires work in our own domestic and regional 
regimes.  At the same time, the work we are doing regionally and domestically can bring better 
results with the means to address the infrastructu ral and governance obstacles to our capacities. 
Other than digital transactions themselves, cross -linkages to the divide in the development 
component exist with transport, logistics, professional, tourism and other services as well as delivery 
of goods fro m online purchases.  
1.48.   The backdrop to the digital divide issues may vary in the experiences in different ACP regions 
related to lack of basic ICT infrastructure. Our challenges gravitate around regulations, technologies, 
consumer trust, sustained electricit y, internet usage, connectivity, and data flow options to benefit WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  our own enterprises. Reports from ITU and other institutions show varying growth across our regions 
from the boost during the pandemic in 2020. However, the reports also indicate remaining g aps in 
the digital divide.  In particular, we will highlight some of the obstacles that diminish our effectiveness 
in e-commerce which owes itself to what is called the "digital divide ". Before doing so, the ACP Group 
welcomes the submission from the OECS i ntroducing the Commonwealth study, and the 
interventions to be made by the Pacific and CARICOM Groups, both of which are regions or sub -
regions within the ACP. In terms of highlighting the progress and the challenges faced by ACP 
countries, we wish to offe r a snapshot of some figures and issues that define the digital divide for 
us. 
1.49.   ITU has reported that over the last four years, Africa experienced slow growth in most areas 
of ICT infrastructure, access and use. The good news is that mobile cellular coverag e in Africa was 
estimated at 88.4%, with over 77% of the population nearing 3G signals. Internet usage increased 
from 24.8% in 2017 to 28.6% by the end of 2019. Households with internet access at home 
increased 0.1 percentage points in the same period. By the end of 2019, ITU reported 28 African 
ITU Member States had at least one submarine cable landing. Landlocked nations in African ACP 
States rely on either satellite or international fibre link capacity. On the gaps, in terms of access to 
the internet, IT U 2019 reports estimated only 14.3% of households in the Africa region had Internet 
access, compared with 57.4% worldwide. Mauritius, Cabo Verde, Botswana Gambia, South Africa 
and Seychelles are cited to lead the region at estimated rates of home access to  the internet. The 
proportion of individuals on the Internet, was 28.6% compared to 51.4% globally. These results 
may also show that beyond connectivity we have other problems in the divide such as the high cost 
of smartphones relative to income levels, li mited digital skills, and the divide between urban and 
rural populations. However, access to reliable and affordable electricity is also cited as a major 
constraint in the region. ITU recommends further exploration of the satellite option to close the 
remaining gaps in connectivity.  Nevertheless, with any progress made, challenges continue in the 
cost of infrastructure.  
1.50.   While most in the Caribbean are 80% or more connected, as low as 30% connectivity is found 
in certain countries. Programmes such as the UNI CEF and ITU GigaConnect Project have assisted 
some Caribbean States with grade school connectivity. ITU reports that in the Caribbean, all are 
connected to at least two submarine cables in 2021. Satellite broadband is also recommended by 
ITU for the Caribb ean region to close connectivity gaps. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in 
the Caribbean are noted to be "highly exposed to extreme natural events, which include hurricanes 
and sea -level rise and have limited financial resources ". Similarly, the Inter -American Development 
Bank (IDB) reports that the Caribbean has also experienced growth, however, given that the 
economies are small but open, they are highly dependent on external economies and given the 
island or coastal nature of the economies  – and thi s applies to all island States across the ACP region  
– they are severely damaged by the devastation resulting from the scourge of natural and manmade 
disasters. Unfortunately for these countries, scale continues to drive access to services, including 
banki ng and other financial services. These continue to be key features for MSMEs in SIDS if they 
are to move from buyers to sellers on e -commerce platforms. We may wish to examine the link 
between financial services and e -commerce, particularly as it relates t o smaller WTO Members.   
1.51.   The ITU reported in its 2021 trends that Asia -Pacific mobile markets are fairly advanced with, 
for example, Vanuatu at 88.4%, Solomon Islands, 71.4%, Samoa 63.6%, Tonga 59.4%, and Papua 
New Guinea 47.6%. As we noted for Africa , landlocked countries in particular, ITU also cites that 
satellite broadband and satellite connectivity solutions offer an effective means to close the digital 
divide and address remaining connectivity gaps for small island States in the Pacific. This is espec ially 
evident in emergency situations, such as natural hazards in the South Pacific, that are 
disproportionately reflected among high -risk countries such as Vanuatu and Tonga.  Among the 
solutions in this area is that satellite broadband is more affordable broadband connectivity for 
underserved communities in remote and rural areas . The Pacific States generally have limited 
financial resources. According to other reports, improved internet in the Pacific alone has potential 
to create close to 300 ,000 new job s in the near future.    
1.52.   The recently launched UNCTAD  Digital Economy Report 2022  is dedicated to the Pacific. The 
report findings are that "despite progress related to strengthening digital infrastructure, significant 
gaps remain in terms of access to rel iable, affordable, high -speed and high -capacity broadband 
Internet. On average , Pacific SIDS lag behind the average for developing economies and SIDS on 
most indicators of ICT connectivity. Indicators include international bandwidth per user, 3G and 4G 
coverage, fixed broadband connection speed, mobile broadband subscriptions, affor dability of WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  broadband packages and Internet use and that the average for Pacific SIDS is generally similar to 
the average for LDCs. With highly dispersed distances between island states and very small 
economies, the demand for digital connectivity that red uces isolation and links to international 
markets is critical.  
1.53.   Beyond the connectivity issues in the digital divide, we have noted challenges with payment 
systems as well. This problem cuts across our regions. Therefore, solutions must be available for 
those without bank accounts and that rely on mobile banking options. According to some reports, 
also noted in the OECS submission, regional harmonization and governance may play a role. We 
have found that there are more onerous requirements for our member Sta te consumers trying to 
open bank accounts and/or merchant accounts in other markets to accept digital payments than for 
their peers in other countries in other markets. We see that in intra -ACP regions, deploying mobile 
banking and addressing the needs of the unbanked or rural sectors are more useful than the 
protocols available to us in markets outside of our regions in particular in developed countries. To 
assuage these issues, our enterprises use alternative payment solutions from outside the region 
(e.g., PayPal and Stripe).  However, these options still create unnecessary currency and data 
transfers abroad. This was also alluded to in the OECS study.  Notwithstanding the evolution of mobile 
payment solutions across the ACP regions, we are faced with the l ack of adequate and 
well-established distribution channels for mobile payment solutions, which hampers the effective 
engagement of our users. Regionally, ACP Members are slowly finding more cashless solutions for 
domestic e -trade transactions, however, we have faced interoperability problems.  The WTO can find 
ways, as part of Aid for Trade, to build awareness and exchange information with all relevant 
institutions to ensure a system that facilitates e -commerce.  
1.54.   The accomplishments to reduce the digital div ide lead to increases in employment in the 
digital sphere. For example, we were pleased to learn from the Aid for Trade Global Review Report 
2022 the example of Madagascar, where digital services were reported to employ around 23,000 
formal workers and 85, 000 informal workers in sectors such as web development, writing, 
translation and graphic design, among others, with a turnover amounting to nearly USD 417.5 
million.  This turnover was reported between telephone operators (web subcontracting and digital 
services companies). It was also important to see that in terms of the hard infrastructure, 
Madagascar was connected to several undersea fibre -optic cables through an infrastructure 
consortium including the African Development Bank, Africa –EU Partnership, th e World Bank and 
commercial partners such as France Telecom and Orange Madagascar, among others.  Ironically, the 
WTO Aid for Trade 2022 Global Review Report finds that the pandemic produced a connectivity boost 
globally, with 782 million more developing co untries online since 2019, 24% more in Africa, about 
23% in Asia and the Pacific, and 20% in LDCs. However, the reports of digital constraints such as 
insufficient/uneven internet coverage, inadequate network infrastructure and broadband capacity, 
poor acc ess to internet services, poor digital skills and IT literacy plagued developing countries, 
particularly in our regions.  
1.55.   All of the very useful reports and analyses from WTO, regional organisations and sub -regional 
organisations have concluded, without a d oubt, the significance of the need for a modern ICT 
infrastructure for developing countries to benefit from the e -commerce ecosystem.  Trade 
opportunities abound especially for small economies such as in the ACP region.  Closing the digital 
gaps to reinforce  the system that the world is increasingly dependent upon is a priority globally.  In 
terms of the WTO 's role, we should explore better the cooperation needed to support the elimination 
of the digital divide and consideration of international governance mec hanisms and lessons that can 
be learnt from each other. We  could provide examples as well as the elements for what more the 
WTO might contribute.  We also welcome the paper from India as a major developing country 
exporter and user of e -commerce services wi th a wealth of experience to share. We will study the 
paper and look forward to further consultation with India about some of the elements where our 
group may have questions. We feel that one meeting on this aspect of the Work Programme will not 
be suffici ent and a series of meetings on the various thematic issues that have been drawn out today 
are required. As we indicated during our last statement, we must push the envelope to discuss the 
role of the WTO in delivering on the development dimension of the e -commerce Work Programme 
in a meaningful way. The ACP Group remains open to engaging with Members on the way forward 
in this regard.  
1.56.   The representative  of Vanuatu , on behalf of the Pacific Group , delivered the following 
statement:  WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  1.57.   I take the floor on behalf of the Pacific Group. The Pacific Group makes this statement as a 
preliminary contribution to share the challenges that we face in terms of the digital divide. Firstly, 
the Pacific recognizes the potential of embracing the digital economy for severa l reasons:  it 
overcomes part of the high trade costs associated with our structural challenges, smallness and 
remoteness as Pacific SIDS;  it enhances and diversifies trade opportunities and our economies;  it 
promotes inclusive growth by integrating MSMEs, and our vulnerable groups  such as women, youth 
and the rural economy; and  it builds trade resilience – a lesson from the COVID -19 experience which 
witnessed the growth in e -commerce despite the global lockdown.  However,  to realise  these  
potentials,  much  had to be done to address  the stumbling  blocks.   
1.58.   The regional work on e-commerce  is undertaken  under  the umbrella  of the Pacific E -commerce 
Initiative ,18 a multi -stakeholder partnership coordinated by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat 
with support from agencies and donors to which we wish to express our deepest gratitude – these 
include but are not limited to agencies such as UNCTAD, UNCDF, UNESCAP, UN CITRAL, and to donor 
partners such as Australia, the EU, and Korea.  The Pacific 's journey started in 2017 after a Regional 
Workshop jointly organized by the Pacific  Islands  Forum  Secretariat,  UNCTAD  and WTO, with the 
realization  that a harmonized  approach to digital  trade  development  would  be needed,  given  the 
similar  challenges  faced  by our Members  and the potential for collective action to achieve better 
results than isolated endeavours. By using the UNCTAD  e-Trade  Readiness  Assessment  
methodology,  eleven  national assessments19 were conducted between 2017 and 2021 – five 
undertaken by UNCTAD for the Pacific LDCs and  the other six under taken by the Pacific Islands 
Forum Secretariat for Pacific SIDS.  The national  assessments informed the development of a regional 
assessment20 by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. This assessment provided a snapshot of the 
Pacific challenges and opportunities  in the key policy  areas  identified  by the UNCTAD  methodology,  
namely  (i) National  E-commerce  Readiness  and Strategy  Formulation;  (ii) ICT Infrastructure  and 
Services;  (iii) Trade; Logistics and Trade Facilitation; (iv) Legal and Institutional Frameworks; 
(v) Access to E -payment  Solutions; (vi) E -commerce Skills Development; and (vii) Access to Finance 
for E-commerce.  The eleven national assessments became the basis for the development of the 
Pacific e -commerce regional strategy and roadmap. This was endorsed by Forum Trade Ministers in 
2021 and has now been rolled out in the Pacific countries. It identifies fifty -four priority re gional 
measures, whose implementation is coordinated and monitored by the Pacific Islands Forum 
Secretariat. Based on our latest M&E report  dated D ecember 2022, 43 % of the 54 priority regional 
measures are being actioned, with significant challenges still remaining in policy areas such as ICT 
Infrastructure and Services and Access to Finance for E -commerce.  
1.59.   We also welcome  UNCTAD's 2022 Digital Econo my Report: Pacific Edition21 launched last 
Thursday  in Geneva . The report  confirms  the mixed  picture  that while work is being  done, the  various 
areas  that require addressing in the digital divide, including reliable, affordable, high -speed and 
high-capacity broadband internet remains one  of the most significant gaps for the  region. On  
average, Pacific SIDS lag behind developing economies and SIDS on most indicators of ICT 
connectivity, for which the average availability for Pacific SIDS is on par wit h the average for LDCs.  
Another important dimension of the digital divide is reliable and consistent data on e -commerce 
transactions and the enabling environment, an area which is nonetheless being address ed by the 
joint work of UNCTAD, the PIFS and the SP C, thanks to the support from the Australian government.  
Even the basic infrastructures required for a conducive e -commerce environment still have a long 
way to go, such as reliable power sources and road connectivity to access markets when considering  
logistics.  Finally,  the external  factor  that hinders  progress  and affects  the sustainability  of ICT  
infrastructure  and supply  of Internet  services  – is the frequency  and high-intensity  natural  disasters 
experienced  by the Pacific  SIDS.  We all saw how Tonga  was isolated  after the underwater  cables  
were cut  off after the undersea  volcano  in January  2022,  which  poses  a new threat  to our region.  
This calls for more resilient infrastructure.  These are some of the challenges that the Pacific region 
faces in light of the digital divide. Given the importance and relevance of this particular issue to the 
region, the Pacific is keen to continue engaging on this topic and may be submitting more substantive 
papers in the future.  However, it is not enough to simply talk about challenges of the digital divide 
we face. We need to find solutions on how WTO, development partners and other organizations can 
assist us in addressing these challenges given the cross -cutting nature of the challenges we face.  
 
18 https://pacificecommerce.org/about/   
19 https://pacificecommerce.org/reports -library/?_sector=national -e-commerce -assessment   
20 https://pacificecommerce.org/wp -content/uploads/2022/06/Regional -ECommerce -Assessment -1-
1.pdf  
21 https://pacificecommerce.org/reports/digital -economy -report -pacific-edition -2022/   WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  The implementatio n of the Pacific Regional E -commerce Strategy is the region 's response to 
addressing these challenges. We therefore encourage this Dedicated Session to look at these 
challenges and help us to find solutions.   
1.60.   The representative  of Trinidad and Tobago , on behalf of the CARICOM Group , delivered the 
following statement:  
1.61.   I deliver this intervention on behalf of the CARICOM Group. Madam Facilitator, the CARICOM 
Group has highlighted previously the sizeable gap between those Members equipped to leverage the 
benefits of electronic commerce and those who lack the wherewithal to do so. This intervention 
today will look at some broad elements relating to development and the digital divide, before 
addressing ways in which the digital divide affects our ability to enga ge meaningfully and 
competitively in electronic commerce. Ultimately, the intervention will provide insight on efforts 
underway in the region, highlighting the importance of partnerships and cooperation. It will also 
address ways in which the WTO could str engthen its support.   
1.62.   In speaking of the digital divide, on the one hand we are referring to the gap between our 
small, open, vulnerable economies and more -advanced, better -positioned economies as far as 
access to, use and even development of ICTs, digital  products, digital services and digital solutions 
are concerned. On the other hand, the term also refers to internal disparities in respect of access 
and use, such as the digital divide relating to income levels, as well as geographic location – namely 
urban versus rural spaces. Notably, improved data collection and collation would be key for mapping 
these divides, thereby better positioning our decision -makers to devise effective approaches for 
achieving greater digital inclusion. On access to and use of t echnology, infrastructure remains an 
important challenge for the region. Despite some progress achieved to date, difficulties persist 
relating to physical infrastructure, as well as digital infrastructure. In this regard, fundamental 
development -related el ements contributing to the digital divide in our region include a lack of access 
to a reliable, affordable source of electricity in some parts, limited broadband infrastructure, high 
cost of internet and limited access to mobile broadband data due to prohi bitive costs (for example, 
1 GB of mobile data is estimated to cost on average 3.2 per cent of Gross National Income per capita 
in our region). While some of these elements restricting access to the internet could be countered 
through improved competition within the telecommunications sector, efforts to date have yielded 
little success, in part due to limited economies of scale associated with our small size. On digital 
infrastructure, Madam Facilitator, the Group thanks the delegation of India for its subm ission on 
digital public infrastructure. The communication highlights possibilities relating to knowledge 
sharing, open -source tools, interoperability and replication , with tailoring that facilitate efficiencies 
relating to cost, time and effort in the dev elopment of an effective e -commerce ecosystem. There is 
merit in the emphasis in the paper on international cooperation in this particular area, especially in 
the context of our discussion on the digital divide. There is also evident scope for deepening di alogue 
on this topic.  
1.63.   Madam Facilitator, the aforementioned challenges  in our region relating to inadequate 
infrastructure are further compounded by deficiencies relating to digital literacy, skills and education. 
For CARICOM Member States to add value to our offering of goods and services, and to achieve 
greater efficiencies and competitiveness in our productive processes, there is a clear imperative to 
address the evident knowledge and skills deficits among our populations and workforces relating to 
the a doption and use of technology, including advanced and emerging technologies. Effectively 
addressing this element of the digital divide would position us to harness technology, to innovate 
and to leverage electronic commerce to boost trade, secure economic growth and achieve 
sustainable development. After all, some of us aspire to transition beyond mere consumption of 
digital goods and services originating beyond our borders to become major suppliers of such goods 
and services to our domestic markets, in the  first instance, and ultimately to the global market.   
1.64.   On the digital divide as it relates to electronic commerce in particular, the region lags behind 
developed country Members, as well as some developing country Members who have successfully 
set up robust e -commerce ecosystems. UNCTAD estimates that 2.3 billion people are shopping online 
today, up significantly from 1.3 billion in 2017. Yet the performance of CARICOM Member States on 
UNCTAD 's B2C E -commerce Index points to the lack of readiness of ou r economies to support online 
shopping. In this regard, the aforementioned development -related challenges in respect of access, 
adoption, infrastructure and skills are compounded by other persistent deficiencies, including: 
(i) Challenges related to financ ial inclusion and, broadly speaking, the requisite financial and banking 
systems to support e -commerce. This manifests itself as heavy reliance on cash, as well as limited WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  availability, access and use with respect to cost -effective digital payment solution s, including for 
cross-border transactions;  (ii) Inadequacies relating to trade facilitation and the requisite logistics 
frameworks for supporting electronic commerce, including high transaction costs;  and 
(iii) Inadequacies relating to the requisite policy, regulatory and legal frameworks.  In sum, Madam 
Facilitator, our limitations with respect to these crucial elements of electronic commerce architecture 
point to the critical need to address the digital divide and the urgency of the digital  transformation 
imperative. In fact, CARICOM Heads of Government meeting last week characterised the digital 
divide as a key crisis facing the region – on par with climate change and food security, for example. 
They recognised that, in concert with these o ther crises, the digital divide has the potential to reverse 
hard-won gains relating to economic growth and poverty eradication.   
1.65.   Having set that context and bearing in mind that Members that are part of the Caribbean 
Community are taking the floor today t o speak directly to their national experiences, I wish to 
highlight pertinent developments in the regional context . Work has been done and approval secured 
in respect of the CARICOM Action Plan for 'fast-tracking ' Digital Transformation , as well as the 
CARICOM Girls in ICT Partnership Action Plan . The region is also pursuing an ICT for Development 
Strategy.  Madam Chair, efforts continue in respect of the establishment of the Single Regional ICT 
Space, one feature of which is the harmonisation of policy, leg islative and regulatory regimes  in the 
region. The region has benefitted from support from the ITU in this regard, through the HIPCAR 
(Harmonization of ICT Policies, Legislation and Regulatory Procedures in the Caribbean) project. 
Efforts are underway rela ting to the e stablishment of a single regional telecommunication r egulator . 
As referenced in the OECS room document, a group of CARICOM Member States has secured 
assistance from the World Bank in respect of the Caribbean Digital Transformation Project , which 
aims to strengthen access  for consumers, businesses and governments  to digital technologies, skills 
and services.  They have also benefited from support from the Commonwealth Secretariat to map 
gaps related to six e -commerce readiness pillars, including readiness of individuals and businesses 
to engage in e -commerce.  One CARICOM Member State recently secured assistance from UNCTAD 
and is self -funding the conduct of an e -Trade Readiness Assessment, as well as the devising of a 
new E -commerce Strategy in 20 23. Two others from the region have requested support for the 
conduct of e -Trade Readiness Assessments and the formulation of E -commerce strategies or action 
plans.  
1.66.   On addressing deficiencies relating to digital skills, the CARICOM Human Resource 
Developme nt 2030 Strategy  incorporates elements related to digital literacy, education and skills. A 
CARICOM Digital Skills Task Force began its work in September 2021. It also bears highlighting that 
the Inter -American Development Bank has supported and facilitate d digital skills training 
programmes throughout the Caribbean. In addition, regional institutions, such as the Caribbean 
Development Bank, have provided support for initiatives that seek to address lack of business and 
consumer readiness to engage in elect ronic commerce.  Efforts are also underway in territories in the 
region to overcome challenges relating to digital financial services to support e -commerce through 
the introduction of flexible, cashless payment options, including digital wallets. Madam Faci litator, a 
CARICOM Member State established a standalone Ministry of Digital Transformation mid -pandemic, 
with a substantial budgetary allocation. The Ministry 's initiatives to date include introduction of 
access centres in digitally underserved  communitie s, digital skills initiatives, rollout of a safe and 
efficient online payment tool for government services and the building out of a National Digital ID 
and Interoperability Ecosystem.  This CARICOM Member State is actively pursuing conversion to a 
cashless  society.   
1.67.   Finally, it is fitting to highlight ongoing bilateral cooperation with developed countries with 
robust e -commerce ecosystems, prioritising technical skills training and digital solutions for 
government and businesses.  From the picture that emerges, it is evident that partnerships and 
cooperation are key for bridging the digital divide as it relates to electronic commerce. On the 
domestic front, government 's partnerships with the private sector, academia and civil society could 
prove instrumental. There is also evident value to be derived from regional approaches as CARICOM 
seeks to fully implement the CARICOM Single Market and Economy  and as CARICOM Member States 
aspire to leverage electronic commerce in the pursuit of their sus tainable development objectives. 
Finally, reference must be made to broader international cooperation, including South -South 
cooperation, bilateral cooperation with developed countries, as well as cooperation with developed 
country partners through interna tional organisations such as the ITC, ITU, UNCTAD and the United 
Nations Capital Development Fund.  WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  1.68.   As we consider  the role of the WTO in this context, we underscore the value of these 
exchanges among Members. The CARICOM Group also reiterates the importan ce of leveraging the 
WTO's convening power in respect of relevant international organisations , and we welcome your 
comments in this regard at the start of this meeting . In addition, Madam Facilitator, it  would be 
important for our Aid for Trade work to con tinue to place a spotlight on efforts in respect of 
trade -related technical assistance and capacity -building aimed at bridging the digital divide. We also 
wish to have clarity on training and technical assistance currently available through the WTO 's ITTC 
(Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation) and on the scope for expansion of this support. 
This interest stems from the imperative to better equip our trade officials and policymakers 
responsible for the dynamic sphere of e -commerce, including with  respect to the elaboration and 
updating of e -commerce policies and strategies. We call on the WTO to actively pursue expansion of 
its offering of trade -related technical assistance and capacity -building in this area, in light of the 
needs highlighted by M embers. There is also interest within our Group in the possibility of 
engagement between the WTO and our regional configuration  on electronic commerce, as well as 
support for the participation of Capital -based technical experts in our work on electronic co mmerce.  
1.69.   The representative  of Chad, on behalf  of the LDC Group , delivered the following statement:  
1.70.   Thank you, Madam Chair, and congratulation on your leadership of this meeting. Chad delivers 
this statement  on behalf of the LDC Group. Today's topic speaks to the members of our group. The 
LDCs are undoubtedly facing the greatest challenges with regard to the digital divide. The LDC 
Group's common position on issues concerning the digital divide is contained i n document 
WT/GC/W/787, in which we refer to some of the challenges we face.  The areas we have highlighted 
in this submission are still relevant and important to us. This means that, despite the growing 
participation  of LDCs in electronic commerce, there i s still a long and difficult path ahead of  us to 
achieve concrete progress in terms of bridging the digital divide. Therefore, today's discussions are 
extremely important for us because they allow us to stimulate the diffusion of technology in LDCs 
with a view to facilitat ing the development of infrastructure and support ing greater inclusion in 
e-commerce.  
1.71.   In today's meeting  we would like to highlight the following factors that represent the 
challenges hindering further participation by LDCs:  
− Lack of a sys tem for setting up e -commerce businesses;  
− Limited availability of affordable information technology (ICT) infrastructure (for 
example, internet, broadband coverage, electricity, and telecommunications 
infrastructure and services);   
− Access to credit cards ( the main vehicle for online payments) and high incidence of 
unbanked consumers or those with limited experience with online payments;  
− Lack of a dequate facilities for the delivery of online purchases;  
− Inadequate online payment systems;  
− Trade finance for LDC  e-commerce businesses . Access to financing and bank credit 
remains difficult. For example, in the area of climate change, we need technology to 
mitigate the environmental risks or at least to help our companies, for example farmers , 
in managing their crops and production  – an area of interest to us and one where we 
experience difficulties ; 
− Lack of skills among businesses wishing to use e -commerce and ICT strategically for 
the purchase and sale of goods and services in the context of inter-enterprise trade 
(B2B), trade between enterprises and the final consumer (B2C), and trade between 
enterprises and the government (B2G);  and, 
− Lack of statistical data on e -commerce in LDCs.  
 
1.72.   More fundamentally, the lack of internet coverage remains a major obstacle to the 
development of e -commerce in LDCs. Coverage varies across LDCs. This is a challenge that has not 
yet been resolved in the two decades of the E-commerce Work Programme. LDCs need support to 
develop the necessary infrastructure for Internet access and support in improving its use.  In July 
last year, at the WTO's Global Review of Aid for Trade, the LDC Group organized a session on 
examining gaps in connectivity and tools to empower LDCs to participate in the digital economy. We 
were delig hted to have representatives from the ITU, UNCTAD and LDC stakeholders on our panel WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  sharing their experiences. We were able to identify recommendations that we could explore with a 
view to bridging the connectivity gaps in LDCs and contributing to sustaina ble development.22  
1.73.   Access to the Internet provides key economic information on local, regional and global 
markets. Indeed, it reduces information asymmetries and can benefit small and medium -sized 
enterprises and entrepreneurs, allowing them to discover n ew opportunities. Accessibility to devices 
and networks has improved with technological advances, making use more affordable. For example, 
there is a global trend towards lower connectivity costs, with fixed broadband falling 47% in 2020 
from its 2008 leve l. However, this is a global trend and, although making progress, LDCs remain on 
the margins. According to the ITU's Connectivity in the Least Developed Countries: Status report 
2021, only two LDCs , namely Bangladesh and Bhutan,  have met Sustainable Develo pment Goal 
target 9.c, which calls on countries to "significantly increase access to information and 
communication technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the internet in 
least developed countries by 2020". Four LDCs have met on e of the population coverage targets and 
two LDCs have met the affordability target. The report also revealed that 76% of the LDC population 
is covered by a mobile broadband signal, while only 25% of the population uses the Internet. This 
translates into a  usage gap of around two thirds of the population with access to the Internet. 
According to the ITU report, coverage and cost are not the only barriers to internet use in LDCs. 
Lack of awareness is a greater barrier. Survey results revealed that lack of aw areness was the main 
reason for lack of Internet use in 78% of cases. There is a need to build skills and improve payment 
systems, including mobile banking, which has been very successful in LDCs.  The urban -rural divide 
is also of concern. In LDCs as a who le, 47% of urban dwellers use the internet, almost four times 
the proportion in rural areas (13%). Basically, we have performed well in some ITU indicators 
measuring connectivity. According to the latest data from the Global Connectivity Report 2022, in 
the aggregate figures for LDCs only 27% of the population use the Internet.   
1.74.   The period of mass lockdown during COVID -19 tested the digital system and demonstrated 
its importance for consumers, governments, households and enterprises in LDCs. According  to 
UNCTAD, this period saw an increase in the digital divide vis -à-vis LDCs. Thi s divide has been 
accompanied by difficulties in accessing sustainable electricity, ICT equipment, broadband 
connectivity, technologies, and so on. Here, we would like to highlight not only the gaps and 
challenges, but also our optimism about the opportuni ties offered by some LDCs. There is also a 
digital divide between LDCs. We need to find ways to bridge not only the global digital divide in 
LDCs, but also the divide between LDCs. In the LDC Group, we are working towards greater sharing 
of information and  practices, and support from LDCs that are more advanced in e -commerce. We 
recognize the programmes that are dedicated to helping bridge the divide in LDCs, in particular 
UNCTAD’s work in LDCs entitled e -Trade Readiness Assessments. In particular, UNCTAD f ound that 
the results of these assessments confirmed that Cambodia was the best performing country with an 
implementation rate of 92%, followed by Bhutan, Senegal and Togo, all at 81%. Of the 14 countries 
in the second evaluation, 12 are LDCs. The programm e should be implementable in all LDCs. More 
importantly, there should be a clear and focused next phase to coordinate the various institutions to 
implement the solutions needed to address the evaluation findings. Similarly, the EIF's in -country 
work on e -commerce readiness has been useful. We also believe that the United Nations Technology 
Bank for LDCs can play a greater role in the creation of infrastructure and the acquisition of necessary 
sustainable technologies in LDCs.   
1.75.   The WTO has a role to play in working with relevant institutions on the digital divide and in 
contributing to the awareness needed to build platform trade capacity and better integration of LDCs 
into the e -commerce ecosystem.  The LDC Group has benefited from studies and information -sharing, 
and we are working on a new submission based on our previous  submission to the General Council. 
We note India's submission highlighted today. In particular, India cites similar connectivity data of 
which we are aware. The submission 's summary is clea r: given the general problems reported in the 
digital divide, LDCs are overall the worst placed along the divide. We would like to know more about 
the introduction of the concept of digital public infrastructure, and the exact benefits for LDCs among 
all other developing countries in the system. Regarding payment systems, many LDCs do not have 
bank accounts. India's sharing of information on its own experiences and programmes is very 
informative.  
 
22 The summary report  of the Session on Examining Gaps in Connectivity and Tools to Empower LDCs in 
the Digital Economy  can be found in document WT/COMTD/AFT/W/93, page s 29 and 30.  WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  1.76.   The representative  of the United States  delivered the follow ing statement:  
1.77.   We look forward to an engaging exchange of experiences and views today on the topic of the 
digital divide and thank the delegations of India and Member States of the Organisation of Eastern 
Caribbean States (OECS) for their thoughtful writte n submissions.  First, let me briefly take up India 's 
paper on the contribution of digital public infrastructure in promoting e -commerce and addressing 
the digital divide. We recognize the importance of harnessing the impact of digital technologies for 
social good and economic growth. Governments, the private sector, and development community 
all seek to ensure these digital technologies benefit our citizens.  At the same time, the United States 
notes that as these discussions are ongoing in other fora, such as the UN, and there is not yet a 
consensus definition for digital public infrastructure or agreement on how these technologies should 
be developed or deployed. We  will continue to engage on these discussions in the appropriate fora 
and work to better unde rstand the issue and maximize the benefits. We also read with interest the 
communication on "Experience Sharing from the OECS On E -Commerce Development Challenges. " 
This communication focuses on key challenges, including digital infrastructure, digital platforms, 
digital financial services, digital skills and digital entrepreneurship. As you will see from our 
intervention today, many of the program mes that we are currently undertaking serve to address 
many of these key pillars ide ntified by the OECS.  The United States recognizes digital divides that 
exist in the world today, and, like many others, contributes assistance to help bridge those divides 
and strengthen the enabling environment for digital trade, including access to the d igital economy 
for SMEs which are vital for growth and prosperity in our development partner economies.  In addition 
to some of challenges raised in this communication and others mentioned here today, the United 
States would also like to highlight the impor tance of digital inclusion to overcoming the digital divide.   
1.78.   The United States delivers our technical assistance and capacity building programs through 
our development agencies, through our contributions to multilateral development institutions and 
other international organizations, and through direct technical assistance, among other mechanisms.  
Here is a brief snapshot of some of the current program mes. In December 2022, the White House 
announced the launch of a new Digital Transformation with Africa (DT A) initiative. This initiative will 
expand digital access and literacy and strengthen digital enabling environments across Africa and 
intends to invest over USD 350 million and facilitate over USD450 million in financing for Africa in 
line with the African  Union 's Digital Transformation Strategy and the U.S. Strategy Toward 
Sub-Saharan Africa. DTA seeks to foster an inclusive and resilient African digital ecosystem, led by 
African communities and will be built on an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure  internet. This 
initiative will also seek to empower women and other marginalized people through and within the 
digital ecosystem. DTA aims to help countries rebuild economies impacted by the COVID -19 
pandemic. It will also advance commitments to invest in  global infrastructure, including digital 
connectivity, under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. The three pillars of the 
DTA are: (i) Digital Economy and Infrastructure; (ii) Human Capital Development; and (iii) Digital 
Enabling Env ironment.    
1.79.   The G7 Leaders ' Summit formally launched the Partnership for Global Infrastructure (PGII) to 
mobilize hundreds of billions of dollars and deliver quality, sustainable infrastructure, among other 
priorities. The United States has announced contr ibuting USD 200 billion for PGII over five years. I 
will briefly highlight some of the ways the PGII will contribute to addressing the digital divide. For 
example, there is a focus on developing, expanding, and deploying secure ICT networks and 
infrastruct ure to power economic growth and facilitate open digital societies —from working with 
trusted vendors to provide 5G and 6G digital connectivity, to supporting access to platforms and 
services that depend upon an open, interoperable, secure, and reliable int ernet and mobile networks 
with sound cybersecurity. U.S. telecommunications company SubCom (Eatontown, NJ)  awarded a 
USD 600 million contract, to build the Southeast Asia –Middle East –Western Europe six submarine 
telecommunications cable that will connect S ingapore to France through Egypt and the Horn of 
Africa. The submarine cable will stretch over 17,000 km and connect countries across the region 
with high -speed, reliable connectivity. The Digital Invest program will leverage USD 3.45 million in 
U.S. Gover nment funding to mobilize up to USD 335 million in investment capital for internet service 
providers and financial technology companies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America that use secure 
network equipment and advance competition and choice in emerging markets.  In November 2022, 
USAID and Mozilla announced that Responsible Computer Science Challenge (RCSC) applications are 
officially open in Kenya. The RCSC has awarded USD 3.5 million to 19 universities across the United 
States over four years t o support the conceptualization, development, and piloting of curricula that 
empowers students to think about the social implications of computing. In the long term, RCSC 
supports the education of a new wave of technologists who take ethics into account in  their work WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  and design human -centric technology.  This is a snapshot of some of the actions the United States is 
currently taking to address the digital divide. We would be pleased to share more information about 
these initiatives with interested Members an d will pass along our findings from today 's meeting to 
our colleagues who administer the program mes.  
1.80.   One of the most valuable things a country can do to better  participate in the digital economy 
is to create an attractive climate for the digital transform ation. The rules for the digital economy 
that the U.S. pursues in trade agreements are designed to create that kind of climate. We strongly 
believe that taking on high -standard rules on digital trade supports trust in the digital environment, 
as well as in vestment, job creation, and economic growth – including and especially in developing 
countries – by sending a clear signal that a government is willing to make commitments that will 
ensure their country is prepared to best take advantage of the global digi tal economy. Chair, with 
respect to your question about what role the WTO can play in this area, we would agree with the 
OECS representative that the WTO could use its convening power to invite relevant international 
organizations, private sector, and othe r stakeholders to discuss this important topic. We would be 
happy to work with you and interested Members on the agenda and speakers for such an event.  
With respect to what Chad mentioned earlier, there was a July Aid for Trade event that produced 
some rec ommendations for those Members. If that document could be circulated to this group, we 
would find it interesting.  
1.81.   The representative  of the Sri Lanka  delivered the following statement:  
1.82.   Madam Chair, thank you for convening this meeting to have a Dedicated D iscussion on 
e-commerce with special focus on the digital divide. Madam Chair, the digital divide is directly 
connected with digital infrastructure, ICT literacy and also with accessibility.  Without addressing 
challenges relating to digital divide, it is v ery difficult for developing countries and LDCs to get 
connected with global e -commerce effectively. Developing digital public infrastructure is essential to 
address the major challenges relating to digital divide.  In this regard, my delegation would like to 
thank the distinguished Ambassador of India for presenting document WT/GC/ W/863 on the role of 
digital public infrastructure in promoting e -commerce. The submission by India explains in detail the 
importance of digital public infrastructure in promoting  e-commerce.  My delegation would also like 
to thank the distinguished Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda for presenting OECS proposal, which 
provides a detailed account of challenges related to digital divide.  
1.83.   Having said that , Madam Facilitator, I would like to share some of our national experience 
relating to digital infrastructure.  According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in 
Sri Lanka, in 2021, 33% of the population were not using internet; 47% of households were without 
internet access at home; 77% of households did not have a computer at home. These figures well 
reflect the challenges that we have to encounter relating to digital connectivity.  Development of 
digital public infrastructure has been one of the focus areas of the  Government of Sri Lanka in terms 
of ICT development. The Government has been implementing its strategies through the Information 
and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri  Lanka,  which is the apex ICT institution of the 
Government.  The Information and Communication Technology Agency has already implemented two 
digital public infrastructure projects namely, Lanka Government Network (LGN) and Lanka 
Government Cloud (LGC).  Lanka Government Network, which is commonly known as LGN, connects 
more than 850  government organizations in the country. The m ain objective of the LGN project is 
to build abundantly available, high speed, secure, reliable and centrally managed dedicated 
government network to link all government institutions to a single digital infras tructure. By 
successfully deploying the LGN project, Government  aims at encouraging public sector employees 
to get better acquainted with Information and Communication Technology (ICT), assuring efficiency 
and smooth flow of information as well as improvin g standards of service in the public sector.  The 
next version of the Lanka Government Network (LGN 2.0) is expected to connect all the government 
organizations in a cost -effective and secure manner to provide centralized Internet. It will also 
provide a nu mber of government e -services and trusted and secure connectivity to all government 
organizations to exchange government data and information.  Lanka Government Cloud (LGC) has 
been implemented to provide cost effective, reliable and secure infrastructure f acilities. It is expected 
that the next version of the Lanka Government Cloud will facilitate most of the requirements of the 
government with industry standard cloud services. By eliminating barriers for cloud adoption, 
government organizations will be abl e to leverage on Lanka Government Cloud to use ICT for 
delivering the services efficiently and effectively. Moreover, the next version of the Lanka 
Government Cloud will consist of a big data cluster which will store government data.  WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  1.84.   In order to achieve th e objective of digitally inclusive nation, the constraints and limitations 
of the Lanka Government Network and Lanka Government Cloud have to be eliminated and services 
have to be expanded rapidly aligned with the latest technology trends.  Madam Chair, tho ugh the 
Government is committed to develop digital infrastructure, a lot needs to be done to achieve e -
commerce readiness in Sri Lanka.  According to a report by the Commonwealth Secretariat on e -
commerce readiness in Sri Lanka, the potential for e -commerce  expansion, both for the domestic 
market and for cross -border trade, appears substantial. However, the maturity of citizens for e -
commerce remains low. Challenges appear in terms of low internet availability and low use of 
electronic payment due to lack of  awareness and skill and trust. Business maturity for e -commerce 
in Sri Lanka was estimated at 34%. This indicates that companies have started using e -commerce, 
but the current level of maturity is still insufficient. On average, companies have scored poor ly in 
terms of the availability of skills, know -how and technological infrastructure, as well as the 
estimation of technology for sale and purchase.  
1.85.   Regarding WTO role, my delegation would like to mention that focus should be given to 
eliminating digital divide. In doing so, as distinguished delegate from South Africa mentioned, it is 
important to ensure policy space and inclusivity.  In conclusion, Madam Chair, I wish to mention that, 
sharing experience on adoption and use of Digital Public Infrastructure would be indeed very helpful 
for developing countries and LDCs in the promotion of e-commerce. In this regard focused 
workshops and thematic sessions will also be very helpful. My delegation would continue to engage 
in deliberations on this very important topic.  
1.86.   The representative  of Argentina  delivered the following statement:   
1.87.   Thank you, Ambassador Canabady, for convening this meeting. As we did not take the floor 
at the previous meeting, we would like to thank India for the documents that were circulated  on 
consumer  protection and the role of digital infrastructure. We would also like to thank the OECS for 
their submission . We consider these documents to be a valuable basis for the discussion. We also 
wish to thank and highlight the work of the Secretariat in compiling and circulating the minutes of 
the last meeting. We consider it very important to feed the discussions under  the Work Programme.  
Regarding the topic of today's session, as the Facilitator indicated, the digital divide is a multifaceted 
topic. We will present some aspects that are important for Argentina, as well as our experience and 
policies at the regional and  domestic level.   
1.88.   Argentina considers that integrating technology into everyday life presents new opportunities 
for growth , work and development. Countries are facing the challenge of how to harness technology 
in order to maximize these opportunities. Work  must be done to ensure that the benefits of these 
innovations are distributed in a fair and balanced manner. In order to reduce the digital divide, 
Argentina is in favour of any initiative to facilitate digital connectivity, promote universal access to 
high-quality, fast and stable broadband, particularly in relatively less developed areas. To 
complement accessibility and with a view to adopting a comprehensive approach to the digital divide 
issue, we support and promote policies aimed at tackling digital literacy in society. In this context, 
regional, interregional and international cooperation should be promoted for training human 
resources in digital skills and principally, for promoting North -South technology transfer.  Regarding 
connectivity, according to the latest figures available for a full year from the National Institute of 
Statistics and Censuses (INDEC) of Argentina, in the fourth quarter of 2021, 64.2% of urban 
households (where 63% of the population live) have access to a computer and 90.4% hav e Internet 
access. In addition, the statistics show that, in Argentina, 88 out of every 100 persons use a mobile 
phone and 87 out of 100 use the Internet. These figures represent a slight increase compared with 
the previous year. Disaggregated by gender, t hese figures show a small variation in use of ICTs 
between men and women. Men use the Internet and computers more than women, while they use 
mobile phones less than women.  
1.89.   Argentina's public policies in the area of ICTs are aimed at closing the digital div ide, 
democratizing access and improving the quality of communication services throughout the country.  
Regarding connectivity, the main public policy aims to achieve universal service to give all 
inhabitants of Argentina access to information and communicat ion services of the highest standard 
in an equitable manner and irrespective of social and geographical considerations.  Another  very 
important aspect of the digital divide has to do with skills and digital literacy, as well as competencies 
to create conten t and use ICTs to develop and expand businesses, including e -commerce.  Regarding 
skills and capacity building, the following programmes are worth mentioning . Puntos Digitales 
(Digital Service Points) is Argentina's most extensive digital inclusion and tech nology training WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  initiative. The Digital Service Points form a federal network which, through free public spaces, 
provide connectivity, training, workshops and cultural activities for persons of all ages.  The Online 
Learning Platform (OLP) is a free, online, distance learning space that covers a broad range of 
trainings in areas related to digital inclusion, gender, job skills, citizenship and human rights. The 
trainings on offer include software development, robotics and cybersecurity, to name a few.  The 
third policy we wish to mention is the Connect Equality Programme, which is aimed at providing 
technological resources to public schools by providing a PC to each pupil in addition to integrating 
into the syllabus development of competences needed to h andle new computer programming 
languages.  
1.90.   At the regional level, the dialogue on the nexus between ICTs, growth and equity in Latin 
America and the Caribbean has been formalized in ECLAC's Digital Agenda for Latin America and the 
Caribbean, which has been in existence for over two decades. Last year, the latest strategy was 
adopted at the Eighth Ministerial Conference on The Information Society in Latin America and the 
Caribbean.  The Digital Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean (eLAC) is a strategy ai med at 
2024, which promotes the use of digital technologies as instruments for sustainable development. 
Its purpose is to promote development of the digital ecosystem through a process of regional 
integration and cooperation, strengthening digital policies  that foster knowledge, inclusion, equity, 
innovation and environmental sustainability.  The agenda is divided into four main pillars. The first 
pillar relates to the push for universal and inclusive digitalization, and is mainly linked to 
infrastructure, c onnectivity, the development of skills and competencies. The second pillar involves 
productive and sustainable digital transformation, and incorporates aspects related to the digital 
economy, entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainability. The third pilla r is linked to digital 
transformation for social welfare and incorporates themes related to inclusion, innovation and digital 
transformation of the State. The fourth pillar refers to new partnerships and incorporates actions 
related to trade integration, t he regional digital market and cooperation. The Digital Agenda 
incorporates the gender perspective in a cross -cutting manner.  
1.91.   This brings us to the last but not least point, the gender digital divide. As is clearly illustrated 
with data and statistics, the re is a gender digital divide that excludes women and girls from strategic 
areas of education, technological innovation and entry into the workplace. As highlighted in a recent 
joint ECLAC UN Women UNESCO document, the digital inclusion of women is a chall enge that 
requires bridging the gender digital divide to promote women's empowerment and participation and 
digital confidence and safety for women and girls.  As a result, countries in Latin America and the 
Caribbean have committed to "support the digital e ntrepreneurship of women, including in 
e-commerce, including for micro, small and medium -sized enterprises, to develop local solutions 
and relevant content and promote innovation and decent job creation".  Regarding the role of the 
WTO, we believe that the actions we are taking , and will take , should be guided by the principles of 
inclusiveness and equity, so that trade continues to be a development instrument for our economies 
in the digital age.  
1.92.   The representative  of New Zealand  delivered the following sta tement:  
1.93.   At the outset , New  Zealand looks at the digital divide as an issue that can be addressed 
through inclusion.  Digital inclusion is a priority for the Government of New Zealand domestically and  
emphasising the importance of digital inclusion is an inc reasingly central part of N ew Zealand 's 
practice when negotiating trade agreements. There is no single definition of digital inclusion in N ew 
Zealand 's context, but it is often defined as "an end -state where everyone has equitable  
opportunities to participate in society using digital technologies ."23 More broadly, our objective is to 
recognise the value of individuals or communities, including the most disadvantaged segments of 
society, having the ability to access, contribute to, and benefit from, digital trade.  We consider that 
digital trade can play a unique role in promoting inclusive development and trade for all of our 
people, including indigenous peoples, women, rural communities and MSMEs.   
1.94.   Through the lens of digital public  infrastructure , the government of New Zealand  is focused 
on ensuring indigenous Māori, SMEs, rural communities, and youth have the digital skills they need 
to engage with the digital world, and digital trade.  We have invested USD 1.7 billion New  Zealand 
dollars in improving our connectivity infrastructure, including for our rural communities. This means 
 
23 What is Digital Inclusion? New Zealand Digital Gover nment  
https://www.digital.govt.nz/digital -government/programmes -and-projects/digital -inclusion/what -is-
digital -inclusion/  WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  that almost all New Zealanders will have access to ultra -fast broadband by the end of 2023.  As part 
of our COVID response and recovery efforts, the New  Zealand Government has provided almost fifty 
thousand internet connections and devices to students and their households, as well as funding for 
digital skills training. In 2020, the Ministry of Education invested nearly USD 50 million  to ensure 
students could continue to learn from home during COVID lockdowns. For Digital Skills Training, the 
government of New Zealand has invested USD 44m in a "Digital Boost " programme for SMEs, 
including free digital business advisory services and pro grammes. USD 10m investment in digital 
skills training and USD 30m funding to increase the digital literacy of public libraries and users.  
New Zealand also funds a number of digital transformation activities in the Pacific through a mix of 
infrastructure, technical assistance, and capability building.  These initiatives focus on connectivity, 
cyber -security and digital services for education and health.  
1.95.   We have also prioritised  digital inclusion in our free trade agreement practice. In the interests 
of brev ity one example is the  Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) signed between Chile, 
New Zealand , and Singapore. In DEPA we have sought to expand and facilitate digital economy 
opportunities , to the benefit of all people. Importantly for New  Zealand, the DEPA module on Digital 
Inclusion provides a platform for enhancing cultural and people -to-people links, including between 
Indigenous Peoples, and our engagement in this work is in consultation with a group of N ew Zealand  
indigenous Māori with significa nt trade expertise.  Finally, New Zealand has also proposed language 
on digital inclusion in the e -commerce JSI negotiations, which looks at ways that we can create 
avenues for cooperation to make trade more accessible and equitable. We welcome engagement o n 
this proposal from colleagues and look forward to hearing from others about where and how WTO 
Members can add value to existing domestic and other international organisation work , including to 
the E-commerce Work Programme .  
1.96.   The representative  of Uganda  delivered the following statement:  
1.97.   Thank  you, facilitator  for giving  me the floor, and I join others  in thanking  you for steering the 
discussions on this important file.  We align ourselves with the  statement of  the Africa  Group made  
by South Africa,  and thank  India and  the OECS  for their submissions,  which  we are discussing with 
our capital.  As the global  economy  undergoes  increasing  digitalization  and growth  in the volume and 
speed of digital data flows, the promise of dig italization 's new opportunities is yet to materialize for 
many developing and least -developed countries, partly because a persistent digital divide is 
accentuating existing inequalities.  As UNCTAD  has noted in its Digital Economy Report of 2021, only 
a few  countries currently create frontier technologies that take advantage of digitalization and 
connectivity to multiply their impacts, including such technologies  as: artificial  intelligence  (AI), the 
Internet  of things  (IoT),  big data, blockchain,  5G, 3D printing,  robotics,  drones,  gene editing,  
nanotechnology  and solar photovoltaic (Solar PV).  There is a growing concern that the widespread 
adoption of these frontier technologies in developed countries is not only reducing the labour -cost 
competitiveness  of developing  and least-developed  countries,  but also widening  the technological  
gap between  them and developed  countries  and making  it more difficult to catch up, diversify their 
economies, and create jobs.   
1.98.   The reshoring of manufacturing activities from less digitally prepared economies that are 
grappling with a lack of digital infrastructure, low internet adoption,  e-governance,  the high cost of 
technology,  and limited  human  capital is a looming threat that cannot be ignored.  So, our countries  
must prepare,  and we hope,  find the assistance  and cooperation here to adequately prepare for these 
frontier technologies, if we are to create economies that offer our people better -paying jobs, 
especially since many developing and least-develope d countries  are also experiencing a youth bulge 
in the midst of increasing jobless growth partly attributable to the challenges of the global 
e-commerce market and digital economy.  As I mentioned  in the first meeting of 18 November last 
year, some of these  challenges revolve around the need for digital platform governance to address 
power  imbalances  between  digital  corporations  and national  jurisdictions  so that governments are 
allowed the necessary policy space to promote the building of productive  and innovative  capabilities 
that are key for data value  creation  in the digital economy,  and to facilitate the structural 
transformation for wealth creation and a fairer distribution of the benefits of e -commerce.  Digital 
platforms have been able to consolidate their power and dominance through acquiring potential  
competitors, expanding into complementary products or services and lobbying domestic and 
international policy -making which  has made  it immensely  challengi ng for our SMEs  to sell their 
products online.  WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  1.99.   We hope we can begin to seriously addresses the digital divide through preventing  a 
perpetuation  of the subordinate  position  of developing  countries  in the  global  data value  chain  as 
providers  of raw data who then have to pay for the digital intelligence produced by those data.  
Discussions  around  the challenges associated  with data sovereignty  and data flows are therefore 
imperative, as well as the necessary policy responses to build the necessary digital a nd data 
infrastructure.  We think discussions  and agreement  on a way forward  on at least three  issues  will 
help our cause: (i) Effective technology transfer to developing and least developed countries,  
including  a revision  of the relevant  provisions  of the TRIPS and other agreements; (ii) Greater  policy  
and regulatory  space for developing and  least-developed countries to  develop their digital capacities 
while continuing to  diversify their production bases. This will mean strengthening our i nnovation 
systems,  while aligning  STI and industrial  policies,  building  basic digital skills, and closing gaps in 
ICT infrastructure. But to facilitate all this, some  agreements,  including  the TRIPS  Agreement  and 
the Agreement  on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures will need to be revisited to make their 
flexibilities more functional for developing and least developed countries; and (iii) Carefully thought 
through knowledge -sharing initiatives from ICT -advanced  Members  would  be helpful,  includ ing the 
sharing  of lessons  and best practices in digital infrastructure development and the e -governance of 
the trade sector.  
1.100.   The representative  of Brazil  delivered the following statement:  
1.101.   Thanks, Ambassador , for convening this second thematic session of the Dedicated Discussion 
on e -commerce under the General Council. Brazil would like also to thank India for the 
communication WT/GC/W/863  and its presentation, as well as the OECS Members states for their 
experience -sharing document and respective presentation. In our view, both contributions illustrate 
very well the challenges faced by developing and least -developed countries to fully benefit from the 
growth of e -commerce and the digital economy and, at the s ame time, present interesting solutions 
aimed at bridging the digital divide.  Regarding the development of digital infrastructure, we would 
like to share some of the progress that we experienced in Brazil over the last years in this area. 
According to a su rvey by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br), 82% of households in 
Brazil had either fixed or mobile broadband service subscriptions in 2021, in comparison to 61% in 
2017. As a result of initiatives such as the "Wi-fi Brasil Program ", aimed a t bridging the digital divide 
in underserved areas, particularly rural and remote locations, access to the Internet for rural 
households grew from 34% in 2017 to 71% in 2021.  In order to build on the progress achieved in 
the last years in the expansion of connectivity and promotion of digital inclusion, the Brazilian 
government has included investment obligations in its 5G auction process, concluded in September 
2021, that comprise, among others, expansion of mobile broadband coverage through investments 
in 5G antennae and fibre-optic backhaul network, increasing connectivity for elementary public 
schools both in urban and rural areas, establishment of private and public communication networks 
for the federal government, and building of eight "info highways"  in the Amazon region in the context 
of the program "Connected North" ("Norte Conectado "). Besides investments  in digital infrastructure, 
the Brazilian government envisages, in the context of its Strategy for Digital Transformation 
(E-Digital) for the peri od 2022 -2026, initiatives and actions for the promotion of digital inclusion in 
the areas of research, development, and innovation; building of trust in the digital environment; 
education, skills, and professional qualifications; e -government, among others . 
1.102.   Finally, Brazil would like to highlight as an important tool to promote financial inclusion and 
increase access to e -commerce, and an example of digital public infrastructure that meet some of 
the criteria mentioned in India 's submission, the development  of an instant electronic payment 
system called "PIX". PIX is an open payment scheme, developed by the Brazilian Central Bank, that 
provides a common infrastructure and set of rules for almost 800 private payment service providers 
(PSP) and is used by more  than 140 million individuals, as of December 2022. PIX transfers and 
payments increased from 34 million monthly transactions in December 2020 to 2.9 billion in 
December 2022 and is now the most -used payment method in Brazil.  
1.103.   The representative  of Philipp ines delivered the following statement:  
1.104.   The Philippines would like to thank the Facilitator and Secretariat for organizing this 
Dedicated Session on the Work Programme on E -Commerce with today 's session on Digital  Divide.  
We also welcome  statements  made  by delegations  today,  particularly  on enhancing the Work 
Programme 's development dimension.  We also join Members in thanking India for its contribution 
specially on its work on WT/GC/W/863 and we will also endeavour to address the guiding q uestions 
in the document and the guidance mentioned by the Chair earlier. We also appreciate the OECS for WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  its submission and sharing its perspective.  We view digital  divide  to be the gap between  demographics  
and regions  that have access to modern informati on and communication technology (ICT) and those 
that do not or have restricted access. This technology can include the telephone, television, personal 
computers and  internet connectivity. Gaps typically  exist between  those  in urban  areas and those in 
rural areas; between the educated and the uneducated; between socioeconomic  groups;  and, 
globally,  between  the more and less industrially  developing countries.  Similarly,  for this statement,  
we refer to digital  public  infrastructure  (DPI)  as digital soluti ons that enable basic functions essential 
for public and private service delivery ( i.e., collaboration, commerce, and governance).   
1.105.   Domestically, digital transactions, including digital -enabling infrastructure, e -commerce,  and 
digital  media/content,  contribute  to around  10% of the Philippine  GDP. Further, a report by Google 
finds that, if leveraged fully by the Philippines, digital technologies could create an annual economic 
value around 100 billion USD by 2030. Thus,  presenting  great  opportunity  for our businesses  and 
industries  to seize.  Given  our 110 million population, equal and easy access to digital opportunities 
is of great importance.  On the Philippines ' experiences on transformational change being brought 
about through Digital Public Infrastructure : the aftermath of the pandemic paved an avenue to 
conduct daily business in a different light. Our country saw the accelerated adoption of online 
commerce and the general acceptance of the need for digital transformation of businesses , of 
government, and of the citizenry , especially during the pandemic . Because of the lockdowns, we 
have already seen how, for example, e -commerce has come to our rescue and filled the void left by 
brick-and-mortar businesses that were unable to sufficient ly serve our people. Online retail, delivery 
services, online entertainment, digital services, telehealth, work -from-home arrangements, and 
digital payments —all of these have helped us during the time of the pandemic and continue to do 
so until today. Thes e were, in part, due to the stable digital infrastructure across the country.  Among 
the key strategies of the Philippines for improving "open access " is improving the deployment of 
common towers across all regions of the country, especially in the unserved and underserved areas 
through the Policy on Shared Passive Telecommunications Tower Infrastructure (PTTI) of our 
Department of Information and Commu nications Technology (DICT). Another initiative is providing 
faster, efficient, and equitable broadband connectivity to the country, especially for the 
geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs)  – or "Last Mile" – through our National 
Broadban d Plan (NBP).  A Digital  Infrastructure  Plan is also being  developed  to update the National 
Broadband Plan, which will address gaps in digital connectivity. Thirdly, optimizing financial services 
through the Digital Payments Transformation Roadmap. Key init iatives in the roadmap laid the 
groundwork for : (i) interoperable and real -time small value fund transfers specially benefitting 
MSMEs ;24 (ii) payment solution that enables  a streamlined  digitalization  of government  collections,  
leading  to more efficient g overnment funds inflow, better audit, greater transparency and 
considerably lesser revenue  leaks;25 (iii) digital  banking  regulatory  framework,  noting  that digital  
banks  are seen  to promote  greater  efficiency  in the delivery  of financial  products  and services  and 
expand reach to the unbanked and underserved individuals and businesses ; and (iv) Open  Finance  
framework  which  adopts  consent -driven  data portability,  interoperability and  collaborative  
partnerships  among  existing  financial  institutions  and new third-party players such as fintech 
companies and other non -financial institutions.  The private  sector  has also played  a vital role in further  
developing  digital  infrastructure in the country and pushing for universal connectivity thro ugh 
private -public partnerships in constructing ICT networks and database facilities.  
1.106.   Constraints we face in our adoption and use of digital public infrastructure include 
administrative, institutional, technical and legislative challenges which manifest in  digital 
infrastructure gaps, cost of internet services and digital literacy and skills gaps, among others. A 
study reveals that despite wide range signal coverage and heavy usage of mobile devices amongst 
Filipinos, access to internet remains inadequate d ue to expensive internet connection services and 
insufficient or lack of infrastructure. The study also indicated that some government policies need 
updating especially those limited to analogue technologies only. Additionally, the country lags in 
equippin g skills for the future work force, despite the current workforce having skills that are above 
regional average scores. Digital literacy, upskilling and digital adoption are among initiatives in talent 
and skills development that the government is pursuing  in collaboration with the private sector. We 
believe these are issues which must be addressed in congruence with improvement of access to 
digital infrastructure. We see building digital infrastructure as a medium serving public interest and 
accelerates di gital inclusion and thus increasing the country's digital sovereignty. Management and 
 
24 National  Retail  Payment  System  (NRPS)  including  National  Quick  Response  Code Standard  ("QR Ph") 
for Person -to-Person (P2P) Payments  
25 EGov Pay WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  maintenance of digital infrastructure also provides opportunity to work together with countries on 
strategic decisions around choice, data portability, dat a empowerment, interoperability among 
others, to create and support new models for digital cooperation among and between countries and 
regions.  
1.107.   On how WTO Members support other Members in the adoption and use of Digital Public 
Infrastructure in the promotion of e-commerc e: Members can learn from each  other  on successful  
digital  strategies  as well as in addressing  digital  infrastructure challenges. With varying levels of 
adoption  and use of digital infrastructure, Members may collaborate in the form of knowledge 
exchange on country experiences, information sessions on best practices, and in -person and online 
capacity trainings/workshops.  On leveraging  Digital Public  Infrastructure  in e-commerce  and services  
delivery : a dynamic  and resilient  digital  ecosystem  where  affordable,  reliable,  and secure  internet 
empowers businesses and consumers, as well as governments, to pursue social and economic 
opportunities in the growing digital economy, can be built around digital public infrastructure.  Given  
the digital  sector 's complex  and interconnected  value  chains  – or "value  web" – innovation in one 
market create a ripple effect on other markets within the growing sector. For exampl e, the amplified 
usage of digital payments facilitates the growth of FinTech businesses  engaged  in e-commerce as 
the consumption  of goods  and services . In closing, the Philippines is pleased to participate in these 
Dedicated Discussions, and we seek common ground for a framework to collectively address gaps.  
Thank you for this platform to share Philippines' practice and learn from Members' experience in t heir 
respective regimes and circumstance.  
1.108.   The representative  of Korea, Republic of  delivered the following statement:  
1.109.   Thank  you, Madam Chair and the Secretar iat, for organizing this timely and meaningful 
discussion session. I would also like to thank India  and the OECS for the explanatory communication 
which made us think about the challenges and cooperation direction of e-commerce. In this 
connection, Korea would like to make three points about the d igital divide. I would first share the 
Republic of Korea' s experience in establishing Digital Infrastructure which has a similar concept to 
DPI in the communication from India (WT/GC/W/863). Then I  will briefly mention our perspective 
and policies on the digital divide which will be followed by Korea's Digital O DA. First, let me introduce 
Korea 's Digital New Deal  initiative as a national innovative strategy. The initiative mainly aims to 
lead the digital transition and establish digital infrastructure for broader transformation of the 
economy. Improving the Ecosy stem of Data, Network, and AI is the foremost pillar of the initiative, 
and it includes promoting and strengthening the broader use of data, applying 5G and AI to all 
sectors of industry, improving 5G and AI -based government, and establishing K -cybersecurity 
system, etc. The implementation of the initiative is in collaboration with leading IT enterprises as 
well as academia and could serve as a good example of t he whole -of-society approach. Although the 
Digital New Deal  Initiative has been contributing to Korea's economic recovery from the pandemic , 
the society is still witnessing the digital divide, as India rightly suggested in its communication, 
especially in terms of access and disparity in e-commerce readiness and participation, even for Korea 
who has been leading the rank of the Internet accessibility for more than ten years so far. In this 
regard, the Korean Government continues to take an active Digital In clusion Policy  to close the 
digital gap and to support vulnerable groups to participate in the fast ever growing digital economy 
and society. Currently, there are 911 Digital Learning Centers where people can receive training on 
digital solutions, from bas ic skills such as the use of Kiosks or Internet service to state -of-the-art 
technology such as the Metaverse. The government is also supporting the development of IT -based 
assisting devices for communications and education of the disabled and elderly for f urther 
inclusiveness in its digital transition direction. The disparity in e-commerce readiness among market 
actors also remains to be tackled by the government  for its success in establishing digital 
infrastructure.  
1.110.   That being said, we cannot remain in a ddressing the domestic digital divide, consider ing the 
fast-developing landscape of global E -commerce. Korea is equally determined to contribute to 
narrowing the global digital gap. And we believe that it is an important role that we could play in 
promotin g global e-commerce, as a frontrunner of the digital infrastructure. According to the OECD , 
Korea recorded the highest proportion of expenditure in digital ODA among member countries. Last 
year alone the size of our Digital ODA increased by 24.4% compared to 2021. Our Digital ODA 
programme aims to mainstream the sustainability and acceptability of the assistance. Based on the 
current status of digital infrastructure development, IT accessibility, and the needs  of the recipient 
countries, we take different a pproaches and programs for the most effective and meaningful digital 
transformation.  Furthermore , we emphasize an innovative momentum and a virtuous circle that the WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  Digital ODA could bring about to the recipient society. This focus will lead the developing  economy 
to become an active participant in global e-commerce. Although  there are challenges that we have 
to deal with, Korea beli eves that we would find a way to overcome them and promote a rules -based, 
transparent, and open e-commerce system through cons tructive discussions that could benefit all 
Members and further help achieve SDGs. We  look forward to having more in -depth and vibrant 
discussions in this regard.  
1.111.   The representative  of Jamaica  delivered the following statement:   
1.112.   Jamaica thanks you , Madam Facilitator , for your leadership and commitment to this process. 
My delegation welcomes the high level of engagement from Members on this file. This is a step in 
the right direction if we are to reinvigorate the Work Programme as instructed by our Mi nisters at 
MC12. At the last Dedicated Discussion, we focused on online consumer protection which allowed 
Members to present very useful ideas and perspectives including on the role of the WTO. This second 
dedicated session will focus on areas which are of  great importance for developing countries like 
Jamaica including connectivity, the digital divide and capacity building.  Jamaica  thanks India for 
their submission and presentation which provides a useful and comprehensive overview to guide our 
discussions  including some of the challenges and issues limiting the adoption and use of 
e-commerce. My delegation also joins others in thanking the OECS for its submission.  
1.113.   The Government of Jamaica has long recognized the important role of  the country 's digital 
infrastructure in pursuit of our national development plan, Vision 2030.  A well -developed digital 
infrastructure  helps to foster innovation, drive e -commerce, integrate Jamaica into new forms of 
global trade and other online related business activi ties, which improves the overall efficiency and 
performance of the Jamaican economy.  
1.114.   On connectivity : Jamaica has a relatively robust telecommunications infrastructure  with a 
high level of mobile subscription penetration rate of 106.8 %. However, as is the  situation for most 
developing  countries, there is a need to further increase the level of connectivity and access to all 
citizens irrespective of geographical location and socio -economic status. According to the report , 
Measuring digital development : Facts and Figures 2022  published by the International 
Telecommunication Union (ITU), worldwide, 82 % of urban dwellers are using the Internet in 2022. 
That percentage is 1.8 times as high as the percentage of Internet users in rural areas . In s eeking 
to bridge the divide and ensure that no one is excluded, the Government  of Jamaica created an 
ambitious plan, the National Broadband Initiative  which  aims to have every household and every 
community connected to the Internet  and also includes a furt her expanding  of the 
Government -owned fibre optic and microwave communication infrastructure outside of the Kingston 
Metropolitan Area to government agencies in all other parishes.  Despite these and other initiatives 
being undertaken, the financial costs, technical expertise and equipment required to increase access, 
especially to rural areas, cannot be ignored. Jamaica is facing challenges in its pursuit due to limited 
resources to fast -track a nation -wide implementation with the broadband internet speed d esired. In 
this connection, it is important that we consider the need to support developing countries in 
addressing the connectivity issues which serves as the base for building out our e -commerce 
ecosystem and an overall digital economy. The WTO can play a role in terms of bringing together 
the relevant  stakeholders to, in accordance with their respective mandates, assist developing 
countries to develop their broadband capacities. A discussion can also be had in respect of how to 
ensure that national, regi onal and multilateral trade policy effectively assists in these initiatives.  
1.115.   One of the challenges outlined in India 's submission is the wide disparity in e -commerce 
readiness and participation. Many developing countries require e -readiness assessments to  be able 
to clearly understand the landscape and identify the challenges and bottlenecks. Once these 
assessments are concluded, the support of the international community to implement the 
recommendations, particularly within the context of e -commerce, will  be invaluable. The Ministry 
Science, Energy and Technology of Jamaica partnered  with the United Nations Development Fund 
(UNDP)  to utilize  the UNDP 's Digital Readiness Assessment Tool (DRA)  which is a comprehensive 
diagnostic survey tool and serves the purpose of providing rapid, high -level insights into a country 's 
digital strengths and weaknesses. The analysis of the responses from the survey administered in 
February 2022, confirms the need  for Jamaica to : develop a Digital Roadmap; upskill our people 
with digital literacy skills; and  build out our digital infrastructure.  The findings of the assessment are 
similar to those of the e -readiness assessments conducted by UNCTAD  in other developing countries 
and LDCs. The OECS in its submission also shared si milar findings from its e -readiness assessment.  
We see the WTO playing a critical role in this regard. For example, the WTO, through the ITTC, can WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  assist developing countries bilaterally or sub -regionally to assess their ecommerce policies, human 
resources , and legislation to determine what possible revision would be needed to adapt to the 
requirements of an ever -evolving global trading pattern in the area of e -commerce. The objective 
should be to successfully integrate developing countries into global trad e and new forms of trade. 
This is especially important for small businesses.  
1.116.   On digital skills and capacity building : According to the ITU report previously mentioned, in 
poorly connected countries, two of the biggest barriers to digital uptake remain cos t and digital skills.  
We, therefore, cannot engage in a discussion on e -commerce without highlighting the need to focus 
on digital skills especially within developing countries. Vulnerable groups such as youth and women 
must be empowered and equipped to en gage in e -commerce and the overall digital economy. The 
need for capacity building and technical assistance cannot be overstated if developing countries are 
to fully benefit from e -commerce. One of the common themes which emerged for our discussions at 
the last dedicated session was the convening role of the WTO and its ability to bring together relevant 
stakeholders. Given the crosscutting nature of the issues we are discussing, the WTO would certainly 
have to strengthen its collaboration and partnership w ith international organizations such as the 
International Trade Centre, the ITU, UNCTAD and multilateral financial institutions such as the IMF 
and the World Bank. The engagement of the private sector and other donor partners, especially for 
securing addit ional investments in the digital public infrastructure of developing countries, will be 
critical. The WTO-led Aid -for-Trade Initiative  is also a useful mechanism to help developing countries 
bridge the digital and e -commerce divide by building or upgrading  ICT infrastructure, and helping 
countries design the right policies to enable their firms to access and utilize the internet marketplace. 
In closing  Chair, Jamaica thanks you for your efforts and the Members for their engagement and 
perspectives. Jamaica aligns itself with the statement delivered by Trinidad and Tobago on behalf of 
the CARICOM Group and Kenya on behalf of the ACP Group.  
1.117.   The representative  of Mauritius  delivered the following statement:  
1.118.   Madam Facilitator , Mauritius welcomes this dedicated session of today on the digital divide 
in the e -commerce Work Programme. Mauritius thanks India for its communication  on the Public 
Digital Infrastructure. Mauritius also welcomes the submission of the OECS.  We are just coming  out 
from the disastrous COVID -19, and the dislocating effects will be here for a long time. The pandemic , 
whilst highlighting the  vast potential of digital solutions to bridge geographic distance, create new 
markets, and exploit opportunities to tra de goods  and services in a digital global marketplace, it has 
at the same time, highlighted the many digital barriers, as well as hard and soft infrastructural 
deficits and regulatory limitations of many developing countries. Any study on the digital trade  flows 
in the time of the pandemic will clearly demonstrate the massive imbalance favouring those 
economies whose conducive business and investment environments, have been solidly around a 
solid digital ecosystem and framework.  
1.119.   With r espect to the sharing  of experiences on the transformational change needed through 
Digital Public Infrastructure , Mauritius would like to submit that  digitalisation is primordial for 
enhanced and sustainable delivery of services. By setting up the necessary Digital  Public 
Infrastructure  the process of digitalisation can be accelerated providing a more efficient and 
convenient way of doing business. In addition, to make of the digital ecosystem a trusted and secure 
environment to access information and services, as well as trans act online, appropriate legislations 
and security measures are required. The strike of the COVID -19 pandemic has further urged us on 
the need to adopt the digital mode of service delivery as a priority.  The developing  world need to 
ensure that ICT services are accessible to everyone  for the transformational change to be effective. 
Mauritius has made some progress in its infrastructure and is connected through three submarine 
cables with a fourth  one to be operational b y end of this year to make international connectivity 
more resilient. Mauritius has also undertaken a number of initiatives with the interoperability 
platform for the info highway , introducing a digital identity system, implementation of a payment 
switch w ith the Bank of Mauritius, developing online storage with the MoKloud together with an 
electronic queue management system and developed legislation to promote safeguards with new 
legislation through the cybersecurity and cybercrime act.  
1.120.   How can Members  support other Members in the adoption and use of Digital Public 
Infrastructure in the promotion of E -commerce?  In order to achieve the Agenda 2030 objective of 
leaving no -one behind, narrowing the digital divide, and ensuring a wider take -up of e -commerce 
opportunities in a timely manner, countries having a rich experience in digitalisation of services and, 
more specifically in e -commerce infrastructures, have the responsibility to support peer countries WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  and share their experience in the field.  Areas of collab oration to be targeted could be sharing of ICT 
solutions in place, addressing the lack of ICT skilled resources, and sharing best practices for 
regulatory frameworks with regard to adoption of new technologies, data protection, privacy, 
cybersecurity, cons umer protection and ICT in general. The assistance of countries with experience 
in the use and development of Digital Public Infrastructure  could be extended to harmonising 
regulations with regional and other countries for better promotion of e -commerce.  What can be done 
to leverage Digital Public Infrastructure in E -Commerce and Services delivery?  A readiness 
assessment of Digital Public Infrastructure in place should be carried out in identified countries. 
Based on the findings, an action plan would need to be initiated for setting up or enhancing Internet 
connectivity, the digital enablers required for streamlining the implementation of ICT solutions 
including e -commerce platforms.  The action  plan is to also include measures regarding the sourcing 
of ICT skilled resources as well as the introduction of new or amendment of existing legislations.   
1.121.   What constraints are faced by the developing countries including LDCs in adoption and use 
of Digital Public Infrastructure?  Lack of adequate Internet connectivity – Submarine cables, satellite 
coverage, FTTH coverage, Mobile coverage ; lack of digital payment infrastructure ; lack of 
appropriate distribution logistics ; lack of skilled resources in the field of ICT ; lack of proper 
legislations for regulating ICT matters especially when it comes to new and emerging technologies, 
and consumer protection . What role can Digital Public Infrastructure play in promoting global 
E-Commerce?  Nowadays, digital trade is gathering momentum with the increasing number of 
multila teral trade agreements that are being signed and implemented. Digital Public Infrastructure, 
if carefully planned and developed , provides for a trusted and secure environment both for local and 
international transactions on e -commerce platforms. With the i ntroduction of technologies like 
Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality it is now possible for customers to have a realistic feel of products 
at time of online purchase.  We welcome  the paper submitted by India and Mauritius would support 
further consider ation o f the document in a constructive way.  
1.122.   The representative  of the European Union  delivered the following statement:  
1.123.   I would like to thank you, Facilitator, for organising this session in the context of your work 
plan for the reinvigoration of the e -commerce Work Programme. In our view, these  discussions on 
the challenges and opportunities of e -commerce – for developing countries in particular – are 
extremely important.  I would also like to express our gratitude to India for its communication on the 
role of di gital public infrastructure in promoting e -commerce, and to the Organisation of Eastern 
Caribbean States for their communication on the action taken and the further action needed to 
promote e -commerce and digital transformation. I would also like to thank all Members for their 
active participation today and for sharing interesting and relevant experiences and best practices in 
relation to bridging the digital divide.   
1.124.   In response to the Facilitator 's invitation to discuss the digital divide, I will provide a brief 
summary of action taken by the European Union and its Member States jointly with our international 
partners to bridge the digital divide, highlighting main elements. We would be happy to provide 
additional or more detailed information to Members bi laterally or any possible subsequent meetings 
on this topic. Digitalisation unlocks opportunities and creates new jobs if underpinned by 
well-functioning infrastructure and connectivity, as well as necessary digital skills , but its ability to 
do so is limi ted by the digital divide . The COVID -19 pandemic has heightened the importance of 
access to secure and trustworthy digital infrastructures and technologies underpinned by proper 
regulation. As global internet traffic is expected to grow more than six -fold by 2030, broadband 
connectivity will become a necessity in the transition toward a data -driven economy and society.  
With this in mind, the Eur opean Union has strongly stepped up its international digital cooperation. 
Digital has become a priority and tackling the digital divide in a human -centric and sustainable way 
has become central to our international cooperation approach.  As a flagship prog ramme, in 
December 2021, the European Union announced a series of major initiatives under its Global 
Gateway strategy, promising to mobilise up to 300 billion euros in investments in infrastructure  
development around the world by 2027, including investment s in the area of digital infrastructure. 
This action brings together the European Union, its member states, the European financial 
institutions and the private sector. In our numerous projects and initiatives, we work closely with 
other stakeholders, such as the UN Tech Envoy, International Telecommunications Union, United 
Nations Development Programme, UNESCO, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for 
Human Rights, multi -stakeholder fora (Internet Governance Forum, Internet Corporation for 
Assigne d Names and Numbers, Internet Engineering Task Force) and civil society.  WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  1.125.   The European Union particularly promotes the human -centred digital transformation. For 
this reason, our key priority is narrowing unequal access to the internet across the globe in a 
sustainable and environment -friendly manner. For example, across  Africa, the European Union has 
committed to deploy secure digital infrastructure, such as:  (i) international submarine fibre cable 
connecting the European Union with Africa, to increase intercontinental connectivity ; (ii) terrestrial 
fibre-optic cables across sub -Saharan Africa to address the digital gap between landlocked and 
coastal countries ; and (iii) programmes to connect digital innovation hubs and increase access to 
finance for SMEs.  In Latin America, through the BELLA programme, we are committed to laying a  
direct, secure and high -speed digital connection linking the two sides of the Atlantic. This is 
supported by the overarching EU -Latin America and the Caribbean Digital Alliance, a high -level 
political dialogue between the two regions to discuss cooperatio n actions for a sustainable 
post-COVID recovery.  We are also committed  to enhancing access to a secure internet through 
trusted satellite connectivity via the Team Europe Initiative on Digital Connectivity in Central Asia.  
1.126.   In addition to connectivity , tackling the digital divide requires us also to tackle root causes 
of unequal access beyond connectivity infrastructure. We are working to promote conducive 
regulatory frameworks, support digital governance, and strengthen digital skills, education and 
entrepr eneurship, with a view to ensuring that digitalisation allows for a safe, inclusive, free and 
open digital future for all. For example , the European Union is supporting, through the AfricaConnect 
3 project, the development and  use of advanced internet conn ectivity for the teaching, learning and 
research communities of Africa . We are furthermore supporting digital literacy and digital pedagogy 
skills for teachers, and strengthening digital transformation capacities for educational organisations 
through our E rasmus+ initiative . And we are contributing to digital skills, with a focus on 
intermediate and specialised skills for participation in the digital economy, through our contribution 
to the African Union Digital Education Strategy.  With regard to the  data g overnance,  the European 
Union launched jointly with the African Union Commission, Smart  Africa, and a number of EU Member 
States a framework to design data policies with a view of building a data economy while promoting 
privacy, security and an open intern et. The European Union  is also supporting partner countries in 
the development and use of e -services, in particular digital financial services, e -governance services 
or systems of electronic identification, as well as public service delivery such as educat ion, health, 
and social protection, for instance through our support to the digitalisation of the Horn of 
Africa  Initiative.  
1.127.   Finally, the European Union has committed to providing cyber capacity building to enable a 
more efficient response  to cyber threats . In this regard, the European Union has supported a number 
of projects on cyber capacity, in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and has provided support 
to public administrations in Latin America and the Caribbean region via the European Commission 's 
Technical Assistance and Information Exchange instrument, which facilitates the sharing of EU best 
practices.  Those are some examples  that demonstrate the European Union 's efforts to scale up 
investments in digital infrastructure and  connectivity, improv e digital skills, and provide capacity 
building and technical  assistance – all with a goal of boosting competitiveness and delivering benefits 
for our partners, empowering local communities and tackling the digital divide.  Let me conclude by 
saying that th e European Union welcomes the opportunity to discuss actions to bridge the Digital 
divide – and thereby to enhance all members ' participation in e -commerce – in the framework of 
the WTO Work Programme on e -Commerce.  We believe that the WTO can offer a foru m to exchange 
best practices, understand needs and discuss how these can be tackled. We would be open to 
continue our work on this topic, possibly involving international organisations working in this area  
as suggested today by the OECS countries and some other Members .  
1.128.   The representative  of Pakistan  delivered the following statement:  
1.129.   I will begin with thanking the Indian delegation for its submission WT/GC/W/863  which 
brings into light the importance of digital public infrastructure in bridging digital di vide for better and 
more inclusive global e -commerce development. Pakistan also thanks the OECS for their submission 
RD/GC/19 and for sharing the challenges faced in e -commerce development.  In today 's session, 
Pakistan would like to share national experiences and policies implemented to overcome  the digital 
divide and share what Pakistan believes needs to be done in WTO to ensure that digital divide is 
effectively bridged.  Pakistan identifies digital divide to exist in form of 'gaps in access ', 'usage ', and 
'quality of usage ' of digital and ICT technologies. As such, various policies have been designed to 
reduce the gap for digital divide such as: Pakistan Cloud Policy , Pakistan Cybersecurity Policy , SME 
Policy , Mobile development manufacturing policy , Broadband policy , and Mobile Cellular Policy . 
Under the effect of these few and other policy measures, Pakistan 's mobile density is 86.34%, mobile WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  broadband penetration is 54.43%, and broadband penetratio n is 55.81%. To ensure participation of 
private sector a fund with name of 'Universal Service Fund ' was established wherein telcos in 
Pakistan contribute 0.2% of their revenues annually which is used for development of infrastructure 
in far flung and under privileged areas including laying fiber optics & development of soft skills, so to 
ensure both access and usage of ICT. Currently, the state in Pakistan is running several other 
programs to reduce the digital divide gap by laying the Telecom and broadband network across  the 
country and providing quality access to ICT services through:  Broadband program , Broadband for 
sustainable development program , Optic fibre program , Special/digital inclusion program , and 
National highway and motorway connectivity progra m. To ensure bridging gaps in the use and 
quality of use of digital technologies; Ministry of IT in Pakistan offers 'National  Digital Skill Training 
Program ', comprising free online trainings on various digital skills such as:  digital  marketing , SEO, 
graphic designing , freelancing , content writing , e-commerce , and video editing and animation .  
1.130.   In order to create a sustainable environment for longevity of these steps, sector specific 
policies have been designed including Pakistan 1st e-Commerce Policy 2 019, National financial 
inclusion strategy, education policy increasingly focuses on vocational and higher education of 
Artificial Intelligence, blockchain and robotics, and supporting measures have been introduced in 
monetary policy.  Over the years , Pakis tan's automation and digitization has seen major strides and 
service delivery has seen improvement with establishment of numerous Digital Public 
Infrastructures26 which are people -centric and are modelled around better governance. Few 
instances include:  (i) National Socio -Economic Registry, which is the state ' s social security database, 
disbursing payments to debit cards of approximately five million households within 72 hours of 
transaction ; (ii) Citizen Feedback Portal in Punjab province is used to generate targeted enquiries 
with SMS and voice calls to the general public with respect to service delivery in sixteen different 
public service areas ranging from property registration to primary health care services ; (iii) Citizen 's 
Damage Compensation Program disburses funds to internally displaced persons and af fectees of the 
floods and other calamities electronically ; and (iv) Under south -south cooperation initiatives 
Pakistan 's National Database Registration Authority has assisted:  the Government of Bangladesh 
with High Security Driver 's Licensing System ; the Government of Kenya with its Passport Issuing 
System ; the Government of Sri Lanka with its ID Card Project ; and the Government of Nigeria with 
its National Identity Management System  
1.131.   Before concluding , Madam Facilitator, Pakistan would like to mention that it is encouraging 
to see global digital divide being accorded significance at WTO and we hope these exercises lead us 
to an understanding where inclusive and effective measures are taken to address this issue. In words 
of the Harvard Business Review "Digital Transformations have reached the tipping point where digital 
has become 'business as usual ' and not just an appendage. The tail has become the dog. Digital is 
no more just part of the economy, it is the economy. " Thus, I would  endorse what my colleague 
from South Africa mentioned and state that Pakistan believes that imbalances of digital divide today, 
if unaddressed, may lead to a further imbalanced economic picture for times to come. In this regard 
it is proposed that:  
i. There should  be a concerted effort by developed Members to find strategies in line with 
rules of Part IV of GATT, so to support developing countries in their participation in 
e-commerce goods and services industry. Especially in terms of access to cutting edge 
technol ogy that is indispensable to the digital economy.  
 
ii. Developed  Members may also share the steps taken in this regard to -date and the 
outcomes of the same.  
 
iii. WTO may identify and compile best practices for developing Members as to what kinds 
of data strategie s can be implemented so that firms from developing and LDC Members 
may also enter the data industry: data analytics - mining and processing of data, and 
thus also become able to take share in supplying the rising global demand of data -driven 
industrial pro ducts and services.  
 
iv. Developed  Members may share information on enabling legislatures employed to 
generate IT and e -commerce sector. Developed Members may also share information 
 
26 As per OECD, Digital public infrastructure (DPI) refers to  platforms such as identification (ID), payment 
and data exchange systems that help countries deliver vital services to their people . WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  regarding public funding and finances deployed to strengthen national digital 
environments, IT and e -commerce productivity.  
 
v. As data emerges as the raw material for this entire industry, it is pertinent for the 
Members to deliberate  also on certain guidelines for data protection or localization so 
as to not lay foundations of an imb alanced digital industry of the future.  
 
vi. Additionally , the Members may deliberate means for developing an understanding that 
the algorithms used by platform economies do not violate WTO rules, like national 
treatment, MFN etcetera.  
 
vii. Digital  divide  on the  IP front may also be addressed: Development centric work, 
inclusive and reflective of the needs of developing and LDC Members can prove 
instrumental in bridging the gap and in kickstarting the process. To begin with, the 
Members may contemplate that the a pplication of TRIPS on e -commerce may not 
exclude the possibility for Members to enjoy exceptions and limitations to their IP 
obligations. In that, the exceptions and limitations available for tangible/ physical items 
shall also be available in the digital  environment.  
 
viii. Lastly, increase in Aid for Trade support for developing countries, in particular LDCs, in 
the digital economy may be considered. As per OECD, one dollar invested in AFT leads 
to nearly 8 additional dollars in exports from all developing countries – and 20 dollars 
for the poorest countries . This will also be in line with SDG -8. 
 
1.132.   With that, I thank  you, Madam Facilitator and revered delegates , for their patient listening.  
1.133.   The representative  of United Kingd om delivered the following statement:   
1.134.   The UK welcomes today 's discussion on the digital divide and the written contributions from 
India and the OECS.  As evidenced by the wide -ranging discussion today, the digital divide is a very 
broad topic, and there are many  things tha t we could talk about, but we wanted to focus on one of 
the key issues that the OECS paper raises and that is telecommunications. Telecommunications 
infrastructure and services are key enablers of e -commerce. The ability of businesses and consumers 
to acce ss the internet is clearly a fundamental prerequisite for engaging in digital trade.  As the OECS 
paper highlights, the World Bank has underlined the urgent need to modernise the legal, regulatory  
and institutional frameworks for the telecoms sector.  As the  ITU has also said, a well -regulated 
environment 'provides the frameworks and the incentives for developing high -quality and 
high-capacity digital infrastructure,  and fostering the digital economy. ' Particularly important in this 
regard is ensuring that domestic telecoms markets are as far as possible competitive , transparent, 
fair, and open to international trade and investment. In terms of the role the WTO can play, the 
WTO Reference Paper on Teleco mmunications already provides an essential  framework to support 
the competition of telecoms markets and we believe we should look to build on these provisions in 
light of technological change, as many of us are already exploring under the e -commerce J oint 
Initiative . In our experience, greater competition has led to greater access to telecommunications 
infrastructure , lower costs for businesses and consumers as well as new business opportunities and 
job creation.  Encouraging to hear today that liberalisatio n in the OECS has also led to similar positive 
results, despite some of the ongoing challenges for remote areas in particular.  In conclusion, 
modern, competitive telecommunications disciplines are therefore one way in which we can look to 
narrow the digita l divide. Such disciplines will support the sector and wider economic growth and 
improve digital infrastructure and connectivity for all.  
1.135.   The representative  of Canada  delivered the following statement:  
1.136.   Thank you, Madam Facilitator, for hosting this session  and t o all Members for engaging on 
this important issue. As expressed by others, the economic and social changes associated with digital 
technologies continues to reshape the lives of individuals, businesses and broader communities. The 
breadth of the dig ital transformation is immense, affecting virtually all aspects of peoples ' lives, and 
the pace of change is quick. The degree to which individuals and businesses are able to operate and 
adapt in this context is an important issue, as it speaks to their ca pacity to benefit from the 
opportunities offered by digital technologies and Internet connectivity, while avoiding the risks they 
pose.  Canada 's varying geography and climate presents unique challenges when it comes to 
supporting digitalization, in particu lar the provision of high -quality broadband Internet access to WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  support taking advantage of the opportunities afforded by digital trade. The  Government of Canada 
has taken several steps to support this. For example, the Universal Broadband Fund, launched in  
2020, supports broadband projects across the country and is a key tool in developing high -speed 
internet across Canada, particularly in rural and remote communities. The Canadian Radio -television 
and Telecommunications Commission 's Broadband Fund aims to close the digital divide in Canada. 
These funds will support projects to build or upgrade access and transport infrastructure to provide 
fixed and mobile wireless broadband Internet access services in eligible underserved areas across 
Canada. These are two  specific examples about Canada 's own experience.  
1.137.   We wish to thank India for its paper and for sharing its views on the role of digital public 
infrastructure (DPI). We agree that taking into consideration the existing gender gap or specific 
impacts on under -represented group is important.  Building on our experience in the development of 
public -sector DPIs, including projects for Digital ID, Digital Payment and Consent -Based Data 
Sharing systems, we note that ev ery Member comes from a different starting point and is going 
about developing what they see as critical DPI in vastly different ways. There are different 
conceptualisations of what constitutes DPI across Members and even across the various international 
organisations, multilateral development banks and international financial institutions. While we see 
value in sharing lessons from the experiences of each Members and developing mechanisms for 
knowledge exchange and mutual learning, there cannot be a one -size-fits-all approach to DPI. At 
this point, we are not in a position to provide a view on what could be the role for the WTO on this 
particular topic of DPI. More information would be required to inform our own assessment. We also 
wish to thank the OECS fo r their paper . We took note  of the positive steps in the area of digital 
governance, and ongoing focus in areas such as personal information protection and consumer 
protection. Canada shares the view that establishing legal frameworks in these key areas su pport s 
digital trade, by building confidence and trust for both consumer s and businesses. The OECS paper 
demonstrates the breadth of projects and work being done to support digitalization in developing 
countries.  
1.138.   Canada fully supports the WTO Aid-for-Trade  initiative, recognizing trade 's catalytic role in 
stimulating inclusive growth and promoting sustainable development. Canada has contributed over 
4.3 billion of Aid for Trade  since 2016. One specific example is Canada 's contribution to the project 
"Compet e Caribbean Partnership Facility ", since 2017, which aims to increase the productivity and 
contribution of SMEs to inclusive green economic growth in the Caribbean region. We agree with the 
OECS that the WTO Secretariat can support in a convenor role, incl uding through a presentation by 
the ITTC on technical assistance  and training  opportunities available. We believe, engagement from 
the private sector would also be valuable. In response to your specific question, Madam Facilitator, 
such engagement on the four topics could take place in the second or third  quarter of the year. In 
conclusion, the WTO is founded on the principle that transparent and predictable regulatory 
environments contribute to economic growth. The WTO should continue and strengthen this k ey role 
so needed for business es and consumers in the field of e -commerce, including through the 
improvements of trade rules, and reduction of barriers to trade.  
1.139.   The representative  of Japan  delivered the following statement:  
1.140.   Thank you , Madam Chair  for convening today 's Dedicated Discussion . Japan believes that 
the benefit from the development of electronic commerce should be equally shared by all Members. 
In our view, electronic commerce will be sustainably developed, when  businesses and consumers 
will have access to and use of the Internet or digital technology equally. In this regard, we believe 
it is important to bridge the gaps between those who can fully avail themselves of digital technolog ies 
and those who cannot. We thank the OECS for the submis sion of document RD/GC/19. We recognize 
that the document assesses the challenges that developing countries are faced with regarding digital 
divide from six viewpoints, and also introduces some of the existing and potential activities 
conducted by some rel evant international organizations. We think that the discussion here should 
focus on some specific aspects of the digital divide with a view to promoting international trade, 
while considering the core competence of WTO. We also believe that having  a works hop with relevant 
international organization is a good idea and look forward to participating in the future discussion.  
We also thank India for the submission of the document (WT/GC/W/863) and thank Singapore for 
the presentation. We will share our experie nces and thoughts o n digital public infrastructure. We 
think that digital platforms are expected to serve as intermediaries for a wide range of players in 
digital economies. Particularly during  the COVID -19 pandemic, we  recognized the utility of non -face-
to-face and contactless economic and social activity, and the digital platforms are integral parts of 
the digital transformation of societ ies and econom ies. In Japan digital transformation has become WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  one of the important policy issues, and in 2021 we establ ished a new government body under the 
leadership of the Prime Minister, the so-called Digital Agency, which is responsible for accelerating 
the digitalization of local and central government and promoting digital transformation across 
society. This agency puts high priority on developing a public digital infrastructure to accelerate 
digitalization in a user -driven manner, while guaranteeing the security of data and systems on the 
infrastructure.  
1.141.   In Japan, we already see that a variety of actors, including p rivate businesses and 
governments, have established and operated their own digital platforms spontaneously. In  our view, 
it depends on the definition of "digital public platform ", but the platform would be useful when robust 
authentication and identificati on are required in case of online transactions. In Japan , there is a 
digital infrastructure that offers the function of electronic authentication and identification that is 
linked to a resident registration system based on the Japanese Public Key Infrastru cture, so that 
governments or businesses could authenticate and identify consumers or citizens in a secure and 
safe manner, when, for example, consumers apply for contracts or citizens apply for administrative 
procedures  online . This public digital infrast ructure is not only available to governments, but also to 
private enterprises, so it could be potentially used for a wide range of online transactions. Currently, 
this infrastructure is mainly used in case of governments ' online administrative procedures or online 
contract procedures for the financial and telecommunications sectors, where robust authentication 
and identification of citizens and consumers are required by law. But it could be assumed that the 
platform can be employed for electronic commerce where a wide range of actors are involved with 
each other virtually.  We recognize that such kind of electronic identification has been promoted in 
many countries, so we believe that it would be useful for us to share our ex periences in various fora, 
including WTO.  
1.142.   In general, public digital infrastructure might possibly deal with sensitive information, 
including personal information, so it would be necessary to consider carefully the architecture of the 
system particularly i n terms of ensuring trust in cyberspace. Such infrastructure is also a kind of 
platform where supply and demand match together, meaning that as the variety of suppliers 
increase, the demands of users will increase, and vice versa. In this regard, it would be necessary  
to consider how the virtuous circle of supply and demand will be created. There could also be an 
issue of lack of capacity for using such digital technology, so the interface of public digital 
infrastructure should be tailored in a user -friend ly manner, including making the platform available 
on smartphones.  In addition, if we pursue using public digital infrastructure in case of international 
electronic commerce, the infrastructure of each country should be interconnected and interoperable, 
while coordinating interfaces and operating policies that originally seem to be different by platform 
based on different conditions and assumptions. In this regard, if any example of international 
interconnection of such public digital infrastructure or the interconnection between public and private 
digital infrastructure would be useful to Members.  
1.143.   Aside from digital public infrastructure, we would like to make a comment on national ICT 
infrastructure and accessibility which would be an important part of the digital divide. From our 
experience, continuous investment from the business sector underlies the sustainable development 
of telecommunications infrastructure. In this regard, here at the  WTO, we have the Annex on 
Telecommunications and the Reference Pape r on Telecommunications, which include the key factors 
for developing a predictable  business environment that facilitate s new market entry, intra -market 
competition and foreign investment s in the telecommunications sector, as well as fundamental 
elements f or ensuring access to and use of telecommunications infrastructure in each country. To 
address the digital divide, it would be useful to establish domestic regulatory regime s that would 
draw more investment from the business sector, based on  such existing international rules. We 
would be open to shar ing our experiences in this regard.  
1.144.   The representative  of Indonesia  delivered the following statement:   
1.145.   Thank you, Madam Facilitator, Indonesia would like to thank you and the Secretariat for 
organizing today 's meeting. We would also like to commend the papers prepared by India and the 
OECS countries, which have summarized in detail the elements faced by man y countries and 
suggested steps to tackle the digital divide, particularly in developing countries and LDCs.  We would 
like to reiterate the increasingly important role that digitalization and intangible assets play in the 
global economy. However, the rapid  technological changes pose immense socio -economic challenges 
to developing countries and LDCs, only adding to the challenges already faced.  Therefore, one of 
the three main priorities of Indonesia's chairmanship of the G20 last year was the optimisation o f WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  digital technology for economic transformation. The G20 Digital Economy Ministers' Meeting has 
produced three priority issues with 12 deliverables. Among the deliverables are the Stocktaking on 
the Extended Concept and Shared Understanding of Digital Con nectivity document, which is a report 
on the utilisation of digital connectivity in various sectors in several G20 members, and the 
Compendium of Frameworks of Practices and Policies on Advanced Digital Skills and Digital Literacy 
document, which presents an in-depth analysis of G20 members' efforts to improve digital skills and 
literacy in their respective countries.  
1.146.   Internally, the Indonesian government has implemented a number of policies to overcome 
this problem  with top -down and bottom -up strategies to  overcome the digital divide, through the 
Ministry of Communication and Informatics as an accelerator, facilitator and regulator of digital 
transformation to increase inter -regional equity.  Apart from the Smart City and Smart Village 
programmes, another fo rmal instrument with a top -down strategy is the Palapa Ring Project, which 
covers 34 provinces in Indonesia. Palapa is a large project known as the Sky Toll, an Underwater 
Fibre Optic Cable Project that has been worked on, to provide internet connectivity on frontier, 
outermost, and lagging (3T) regions, which is divided into West, Central and East Indonesia 
packages.  Indonesia is also pushing a telecom service provision fund programme called Universal 
Service Obligation (USO) and the upcoming launch of Sat ria 1 High Throughput Satellite in 2023 to 
provide internet access to all points of Indonesian public services where internet is not yet available, 
as one of the inclusive connectivity missions embodied in the Digital Transformation Agenda.   
1.147.   In addition to  government solutions, many individual and community -based bottom -up 
strategies have been implemented. An informal tool run by grassroots communities in collaboration 
with local governments and the private sector to address the digital divide in several re gions.  All of 
the above solutions and efforts, in addition to increasing access to ownership, also aim to address 
the issue of digital literacy and uneven access across all regions in Indonesia. No matter how 
advanced the technology is, if it is not accomp anied by the skills of the people themselves, the 
technology will be useless.  
1.148.   The d igital divide is a complex and multidimensional problem that requires consideration of 
multiple technologies, variables and regions. The current digital divide is more than just a gap in 
material access or ownership, but also a gap in skills and outcomes of Internet use.  On that note, 
Indonesia supports suggestions for steps that can be taken by the WTO in minimizing the digital 
divide, as stated in the OECS countries ' paper,  especially regarding technical assistance and inviting 
other relevant international organizations to share their views and expertise. Indonesia would also 
like to note that each Member has their own level of challenge. There may or may not be a one -
size-fits-all solution. To find out, a forum like today is needed so that all Members can share their 
experiences in trying to overcome the digital divide and hopefully find appropriate solutions that can 
be implemented in their countries. Thank you, Madam Facil itator . 
1.149.   The representative  of Australia  delivered the following statement:  
1.150.   Thank you, Facilitator, and also to both India and the OECS for their very informative recent 
communications and to all the Members that have shared their views on this important issue.  The 
level of engagement we have seen  today reflects the shared belief among the Membership that 
e-commerce can be a powerful tool for achieving economic development.  Increased digital trade has 
a clear positive impact on economic growth, with particular benefits for developing countries . 
Research by the WTO Chairs ' Programme estimates that between now and 2030, growth in global 
trade will be 2 percentage points per annum higher as a result of the uptake of digital technologies , 
with d eveloping countries projected to experience 20% greater trade growth than developed 
countries.  However, as others have po inted out, maximizing  the development potential of 
e-commerce requires  several factors, including the necessary physical and digital infrastructure, as 
well as a supportive regulatory environment.  It is Australia's view that international trade rules 
promo ting openness in the area of e -commerce can support the development of a regulatory 
environment that best delivers on the potential of digital trade. The UK and Japan have provided 
one clear example by reference to the WTO rules on telecommunications.  
1.151.   E-commerce readiness assessment efforts , as described in the OECS communication , are 
also vital.  Australia  has been pleased to support some of the work being done in the Pacific region 
on this front , as was described by Vanuatu . Taking an inclusive  approach to digital trade is of 
paramount importance to ensure everyone is able to benefit from the opportunities that the digital 
economy creates, including groups that are economically underrepresented.  It is for this reason that WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  digital tra de has been a focus of Australia 's capacity building and technical assistance efforts . It is 
also important that capacity building and technical assistance efforts accompany the creation of 
rules. In the context of the e -commerce JSI, Australia and Switzerland have funded the 
establishment of a new Digital Advisory and Trade Assistance Fund. This will  help countries adopt 
policies and regulations that enhance trust in digital markets, make it easier to do business online, 
and increase transparency and competition in digital transactions. Australia's e -commerce  Aid for 
Trade fund has also helped over 85 0 micro, small and medium -sized enterprises in the Indo Pacific 
develop specialized e -commerce skills over the past four years.  Australia  supports the proposal from 
the OECS  and others that the WTO Secretariat can make the most of its convening role to bri ng 
together other international organizations  and external stakeholders  for a future discussion in 
this area. 
1.152.   The representative  of Nepal  delivered the following statement:  
1.153.   I associate with the statement delivered by the Chad as the LDC Group coordinator.  Nepal 
would like to thank India for this important proposal on digital public infrastructure  and would like 
to thank you, M adam Facilitator , for your initiative  to bring this important agenda for discussion. As 
the Indian delegation has posed important questions with background information, it is relevant to 
discuss and find out the appropriate direction within the WTO framework. I thank the OECS for its 
communicati on. Growing e -commerce has proved its importance . However , LDCs la g behind in 
benefit ting from and participat ing in it, due to the digital divide and other structural problems. The 
areas of the digital divide can be classified in terms of accessibility, af fordability and application . The 
main elements include: access and use of smart phones and computers, availability of internet and 
its quality, consistent power supply, digital literacy among users, users' bank account s, availability 
of credit cards, onlin e payment system, capacity to pay or use, skill s to operate and branding and 
showcasing in the e -commerce platforms, adequate provisions of cyber security, security of personal 
data, appropriate mechanisms for consumer protection and grievance handling . These, among 
others , are important aspects to be addressed. In the absence of any element, the smooth use of 
e-commerce faces challenges. The Work Program me on E-commerce should address these important 
elements for inclusive e -commerce for LDCs through technology transfer and capacity building 
program mes as well as through Aid for Trade. 
1.154.   Let me turn to share some policy architecture and facts in the area of e -commerce and digital 
development in Nepal.  The E-comme rce National Strategy 2019 , adopted and now under  
implementation , aims to:  ensure easy availability of quality goods in the market in competitive way 
by reducing cost and time of trade ; include micro, small and medium scale enterprises into global 
value ch ains and domestic supply chain ; and promote export of goods and services by associating 
with the international market.  The ICT Policy 2015 envisions to transform Nepal into an information 
and knowledge -based society and economy. Similarly, the Digital Nepa l Framework identifies the 
area of priority. The Digital Transaction Act and Regulation are under  implementation.  The 
E-commerce bill is at the final stage . Allow me to present some facts in the area of digital 
development by the end of February 2022 . The coverage of 4G service was around 58%;  
e-commerce transaction s were  around 52 ,000; around 45 government services have been included 
in the Citizen Apps ; expansion of optical fibre reached around 12 ,000 Km and e-payment has been 
aligned with the Electro nic Fund Transfer (EFT), and the users of mobile services reached more than 
40 million.  Finally, the delegation of Nepal  wishes to engage constructively with all the Members in 
the days to come.  
1.155.   The representative  of Chile delivered the following statemen t: 
1.156.   We would like to start by thanking the Secretariat for its work in coordinating this meeting, 
and Members for their efforts in sharing their experiences of bridging the digital divide.  Chile is very 
committed in this regard, as we provide ongoing support for education programmes in the Science, 
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) areas for girls and women, as well as for 
traditionally excluded groups. On this basis, we have b een including cooperation disciplines in our 
trade agreements – especially in the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) – and support 
for women -led small and medium -sized enterprises (SMEs) is an important part of one of the pillars 
of the Pacific A lliance's Regional Digital Market.  In addition, within the framework of the WTO, we 
have consistently supported the activities of the Inclusion Task Action Group (ITAG). This has 
enabled us to showcase examples of our female entrepreneurs who have managed to turn their 
SMEs into global enterprises using digital tools.  Chile will therefore continue to support all activities 
aimed at bridging the digital divide. One of our objectives is for the entire population to be able to WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  reap the benefits of the digital economy. We would like the tools provided by technology to be 
accessible and to facilitate exports by small and medium -sized enterprises.  
1.157.   The representative  of Switzerland  delivered the following statement:  
1.158.   Switzerland would like to thank India and the OECS Member -States for their respective 
communication s. We welcome also the intervention s made thus far, identifying the elements 
constituting the digital divide, and the steps that can be taken within the mandate of the WTO to 
tackle this divide. Our intervention  today will be structured along two dimensions: the digital divide 
and initiatives to bridge it,  and the role the WTO can play and is playing regarding the digital divide 
and digital infrastructures. Bridging the digital divide across and within co untries is an important 
objective  for Switzerland and for many others. Bringing more people online is a way to increase 
opportunities for trade, interaction and welfare gain. This is recognized by the UN High -Level Panel 
on Digital Cooperation and its reco mmendations.  Moreover, Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 
9.c makes specific reference to ICT infrastructure and affordable  access to the internet in LDCs. Just 
up the road from here, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) recently reaffirmed its 
commitment to closing the digital divide between developed and less developed countries, between 
generations and between gender. Digitalization is an integral part of Switzerland's 2021 –2024 
International Cooperation Strategy. This strategy promotes international cooperation to harness the 
opportunities of digitalization to further increase the effectiveness and efficiency of administrations, 
reduce red tape and prevent corruption. Simultaneously, we seek to create reliable framework 
conditio ns to mitigate digitalization -related risks.  
1.159.   Switzerland also supports global efforts to bridge the digital divide by promoting dedicated 
initiatives and projects. In the field of internet infrastructure and mobile networks financing, 
Switzerland is part o f multilateral initiatives such as the Private Infrastructure Development Group 
(PIDG). These actions help to ensure connectivity in areas where access is low or non -existent.  
Another example is the World Bank Digital Advisory and Trade Assistance Fund (or  DATA Fund), 
which supports developing  countries in improving their regulatory framework for e -commerce. This 
complements Switzerland's contribution to the UNCTAD E -commerce and Digital Economy 
Programme. The e -trade readiness assessments conducted within this framework enable developing 
countries to analyze their e -commerce ecosystem and receive recommendations for improvement.  
On the question of how the WTO contributes to bridging the digital divide, of course the answer is 
not straightforward. WTO is pri marily a set of trade rules, and it does not provide infrastructure 
financing ; nor is it tooled to directly address skills or private sector development, fields in which 
other international organizations have an edge. In this perspective , we share the view  that the 
convening power of the WTO can play a role in better understanding the areas of expertise and tools 
developed by other international organizations . We are also assessing the other suggestions made 
on how to leverage the Work Programme for develop ment.       
1.160.   Turning to the existing WTO rules and the rules -based system in general, Switzerland is of 
the view that an environment  that stimulates competition, that is transparent and predictable for 
economic actors , helps widening access to technology and  facilitating international investment, 
including in ICT infrastructure.  Many WTO instruments could be cited here, but we will limit ourselves 
to the ITA and its expansion , sectoral commitment under the GATS and the moratorium on electronic 
transmissions.  For instance, the fast growth of the digital economy would not have been possible 
without the general zero -duty treatment for ICT products under the Information Technology 
Agreement and its expansion (ITA II). The smartphone and related mobile broadband in frastructure 
are nowadays the primary tool to ensure connectivity, especially in developing countries. It is 
questionable whether the opportunities that such technology is providing would be as widely spread 
without the ITA. To put it very simply: tariffs on ICT components and products are a disincentive for 
digital connectivity, and a hindrance to bridging the digital divide. Switzerland therefore invites 
Members concerned with increasing connectivity to closely consider joining ITA and its expansion.  
Other instruments  of the WTO may also play a role: commitments in the GATS may provide legal 
certainty for suppliers of various types of services that are relevant for digital connectivity, such as 
basic telecommunications and computer -related services, as wel l as foreign investors in certain 
sectors.  Beside connectivity, the e -commerce moratorium has ensured Members do not impose 
customs duties on electronic transmissions. This is another building block to ensure the development 
of the digital economy  in gener al. It is hard to see how any digital economic ecosystem would benefit 
from creating hurdles to accessing services and digitized  goods upon which this sector of the 
economy relies.  WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  1.161.   Furthermore, we believe, that the implementation of agreements such as the  TFA, the 
Domestic Regulation reference paper and soon the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) 
agreement foster the development of digital governmental processes and can play their role for the 
development of e -government in this regard.  Even bes ides pure e -government matters, WTO rules 
leave large flexibility for countries who would like to rely on public instruments to foster connectivity.  
First, the GATS does not apply to services supplied in the exercise of governmental authority. 
However, governments often choose to rely on private actors to support their digital efforts. This 
allows governments  to use readily available, cutting -edge technologies  and services as developed in 
the private sector. Here, GATS commitments as well as those in the GPA allow for a pro -competitive 
regulatory environment which enables the presence of foreign suppliers and allows governments to 
conduct public procurement for digital services and ICT products in a fair, transparent and tax -payer 
friendly way.  Second, the  GATS Annex on Telecommunications as well as the Telecom munications  
Reference Paper also provide ample  flexibility for Universal Service Provision obligations, which are 
tools commonly used to bridge the digital divide within countries.  
1.162.   To summarize, it is  our view that the WTO and its rules provide a necessary, but certainly 
not sufficient, condition  for our common efforts to overcome the digital divide. In order to make 
progress in bridging the digital divide, these rules should be strengthened, not weake ned.  
1.163.   The representative  of Chinese Taipei  delivered the following statement:  
1.164.   We appreciate  the papers submitted by India and the OECS, as well as the presentation from 
Singapore , highlighting the challenges that we face . We recognize  the importance of non -profit 
digital infrastructure and digital platform in promoting e -commerce.  To share  experiences, our 
government has adopted comprehensive programs to develop  the Digital Infrastructure, including 
promoting wider 5G coverage, enhancing cybersecurity , and facilitating access to e -commerce.  The 
objective is to not only narrow the digital divide between the rural and urban areas, but also to 
enable the micro, smal l and medium -sized enterprises  (MSMEs) to access to digital  tools and 
e-commerce.  We would like to draw your attention to one recent case project, which was shared 
and selected by the WTO Informal Working Group on the MSMEs as one of the pilot projects for  
"Digital Champions for Small Business " initiative . The TAITRA, a non -profit organization  supported 
by the government and our industries , establishes a digital trade platform for facilitating MSMEs to 
cooperate with our start-up ecosystem.  The TAITRA provi des one -stop digital platform, where 
MSMEs are matched with digital service providers of e -commerce technologies. This enables MSMEs 
to leverage innovative technologies to produce cost -effective digital content, and gain great 
exposure in international e -commerce markets.  Also, an online digital trade academy is established 
on this platform for MSMEs to cultivate talents by partnering with global e -commerce leaders and 
industry experts.  It is hoped that such project , by bridging MSMES and innovation , can be  helpful to 
our discussion under the E -commerce Work Program.  
1.165.   The representative  of Ecuador  delivered the following statement:  
1.166.   First of all, allow me to congratulate you, Madam Chair, for your able chairing of this session. 
I would also like to thank the OECS and India for their communications, and the Secretariat for their 
invaluable support in facilitating our discussions. Digital trade is crucial for achieving the 2030 
Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Nevertheless, the digital divide contin ues to be a 
real obstacle and one that is difficult to overcome. It prevents governments, regions, cities and 
millions of persons throughout the world from benefiting from the opportunities offered by the digital 
world and thus from e -commerce opportunitie s. 
1.167.   The Digital Ecuador policy is divided into five pillars: connectivity, efficiency, security of 
information, innovation and competitiveness. Each pillar embodies a set of projects aimed at 
increasing accessibility indices for information and communicatio n technologies, building human 
talent and skills, developing economic sectors and fostering entrepreneurship and innovation. Digital 
transformation and connectivity, digital infrastructure and financial inclusion, and support for 
inserting small and medium -sized enterprises into the global digital econo my are all of paramount 
importance to Ecuador. My country considers connectivity and use of digital tools a matter for 
citizens and society, in all their diversity. Any discussion that touches upon closing the digital divide 
must take into consideration so cioeconomic gaps, ethnic diversity, gender equality and children's 
rights, as well as the right to privacy, among others. This major challenge is also an opportunity to 
enhance international cooperation and work together to close the digital divide. We the refore support 
your timely proposal, Madam Chairperson, to organize a workshop with a clear agenda to address WT/GC/WPEC/M/2  
 
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  this topic from the trade perspective with experts from specialized UN agencies such as ITU, UNESCO 
and others. We also believe it is important fo r established financial institutions, including regional 
development banks, to participate.  
1.168.   The Chairperson  thank ed Members for their continued engagement and passion for  taking 
e-commerce forward. She noted the high participation, in terms of  the high num ber of delegations 
represented in the meetin g, with almost 70 delegates online and over 60 delegates in the room. This 
was remarkable  and m ore importantly, about 30 delegations had intervened , some  on behalf of a 
significant number of countries , including inter alia,  the ACP , Africa n Group, LDCs, the O ECS and  
CARICOM . This was important because it yielded perspectives  across the geographical and 
development divide within the Membership . All delegations had agreed on the existence of a divide  
that include d many aspects  such as accessibility , affordability , and  skills deficit. References were 
made to gender gaps and the elderly, reflecting general concerns about inclusivity . A number of 
ideas had been expressed by Members on the WTO's role. These include d: not constraining policy 
space; using WTO's convening power; and the Aid for Trade initiative whose biennial agenda includes 
digitalisation . Some Members had mentioned the Telecoms Reference Paper while others also 
request ed further information on the technic al assistance provided by the Secretariat's Institute for 
Training and Technical Cooperation , including having more engagement with regional groups.  The 
idea of bringing together  stakeholders  was again mentioned . The Chairperson hoped that  Members 
would fi nd significant material to refine the discussion and mak e it more precise . The conversation  
on the digital divide did not need to stop at the present meeting . Members  should work  together t o 
identify the specific issues  that needed to be pursued  and delved into deeper .  
1.169.   On the way forward, the Chair person  revert ed to what she had said at the beginning of the 
meeting with respect to inviting inter -governmental organizations  and agencies. She propose d 
holding a workshop focused  not on  the broad work of different organizations , but instead on  more 
specific issues.  There could be several such workshops  and the first one  could be on consumer 
protection , as this issue  had been raised in the previous meeting. The purpose of the workshops  
would be  to bring in IGOs and agencies to give Members an opportunity to discuss further and hear 
about the respective work undertaken.  Following  consumer protection , if Members  agreed, other 
issues could be considered . In the absence of any objection to holding an inter -agency workshop , 
she proposed that Members proceed accordingly . She thanked Members for a useful session . It was 
encouraging to see that  Members  were collectively moving the  e-commerce discussions forward  and 
she hoped that the discussions would soon yield results . She noted that the next General Council 
meeting would be held on 6 to 7 March  and that  she would  provide a report on the Dedicated 
Discussions held thus far. She indicated her intention to meet with the Chairs of the CTS, 
TRIPS  Council, CTG and CTD in an effort to better coordinate work . As Facilitator, she remain ed 
available to meet and  discuss ongoing work with any Member . She recalled that t he next Dedicated 
Discussion was scheduled for Wednesday, 22  March, and would  focus on Legal and Regulatory 
Frameworks. In that regard, delegations were encouraged to submit any proposals, documents, or 
material that may be useful in advance  of the next me eting.   
1.170.   The Chairperson thanked Members for their participation and closed the meeting.  
 
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ANNEX  I 
SINGAPORE 'S EXPERIENCE IN DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND DIGITAL IDENTITY  
 
 
 
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ANNEX II  
WRITTEN SUBMISSION ON HONG KONG, CHINA'S EXPERIENCE1 
At the request of the delegation of Hong Kong, China , the written submission below  is annexed to 
the Minutes of this Dedicated Discussion on Electronic commerce meeting.  
 
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E-commerce is the key to global trade in the future. Digital divide or the unequal access to digital 
technology creates social and economic inequalit ies that result in gaps in people 's access to 
information and also in their participation in e -commerce. Digital divide covers both hardware and 
software.  On hardware, it is about a community 's preparedness to access and adopt digital 
technologies, and inv olves areas such as digital infrastructure, mobile connectivity, information and 
communications technology products, etc. On software, it is about people 's digital skills (e.g. , 
education and upskilling), readiness and trust in taking up new technologies i n their daily lives.   
 
We thank India and OECS Members for circulating their communications ahead of today 's session. 
Hong Kong, China (HKC)  would like to share some of our domestic experience in strengthening our 
digital public infrastructure (DPI) and facilitating a broader and more inclusive participation for all 
walks of life in the digital economy.  
 
HKC attaches great importance to the de velopment of digital infrastructure to accelerate 
digitalisation, including the facilitation of e -commerce. To this end, we have established a high -level, 
dedicated Digital Economy Development Committee in June 2022 to set directions and formulate 
strategi es to encourage adoption of digitalisation by different industries, including goods and services 
trade enabled by e -commerce. For instance, a comprehensive overarching plan called Smart City 
Blueprint 2.0  is currently in place, which comprises over 130 sma rt city initiatives promoting the 
wider use of contactless and digital payment, providing tele -health services such as remote 
consultation for the elderly and those in rural areas, and encouraging enterprises to adopt 
technological solutions to enhance ope rational efficiency, among others.  
 
In terms of DPI, we have launched three signature projects in Hong Kong, namely the Next 
Generation Government Cloud Infrastructure , the Big Data Analytics Platform , and the one -stop 
personalised digital service platfor m "iAM Smart ". The first two projects work to facilitate system 
connectivity and data interchange, and assist government agencies in introducing new initiatives 
using innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data analytics. For the "iAM 
Smart " platform, it provides a single digital identity for the public to access about 250 public and 
private online services, conduct online transactions and perform digital signing with legal backing in 
a simple and secure manner. All these digital infrastructu res have effectively enhanced confidence 
and trust in digital transactions, thus further facilitating e -commerce development in Hong Kong.  
  
Connectivity to the internet is key to the adoption of digital technologies and participation in 
e-commerce. In th is regard, we have been promoting  free public Wi -Fi services at both public and 
private premises under the common brand "Wi-Fi.HK " since 2014. As of January 2023, there are 
already over 46  500 "Wi-Fi.HK " hotspots in town to allow the public free access to the internet.  
 
Recognising the importance of free and open data to the development of a smart city and to 
encourage creativity in developing innovative applications and e -commerce opportunities, we have 
launched the Open Data Policy  since 2018. Through the  Public Sector Information portal 
(data.gov.hk), over 5 ,150 datasets have been released for free public consumption. With 
user-friendly tools and dashboards, there were about 50 billion downloads in 2022.   
 
To provide citizens with greater convenience and  promote further data sharing among government 
departments, we are implementing a Consented Data Exchange Gateway (CDEG)  to link with the 
Hong Kong Monetary Authority 's Commercial Data Interchange system in order to facilitate data 
interchange between gove rnment departments and banks with the consent of their enterprise 
clients. The CDEG will also facilitate citizens to authorise the exchange of their personal data among 
 
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  relevant systems of government departments, so that they need not submit their informat ion 
repeatedly when applying for various government services.  
 
As we have all agreed in the last dedicated session, consumer trust in digital transactions is essential 
for e-commerce to thrive. Therefore, our government has been steadfastly promoting cyber security 
awareness to raise the defence capabilities of the community and enterprises (including SMEs) 
against possible cyber threats. Furthermore, HKC actively participates in global and regional 
communities of computer emergency response teams to respond  effectively and quickly to 
cyber -attacks and disseminate timely warnings to businesses. To ensure a safe business 
environment for e -commerce, we are also working to enhance the protection of critical 
infrastructures by clearly defining the cybersecurity o bligations of operators of those critical 
infrastructures through legislation.  
 
All in all, digitalisation and the development of DPI are high on the agenda of HKC so as to enable 
all members of the society to take part in the digital economy and e -commerc e. We also strive to 
unleash the power of big data through open data policy; and enable a safe and trusted cyberspace 
for e-commerce and digital services.  
 
Turning to the role of the WTO, it is a trade rule making and implementation body. In this connectio n, 
participants of the Joint Statement Initiative on E -commerce are already in active discussion on 
common principles and rules relating to e -commerce such as legal framework, open government 
data, consumer trust, flow of data, etc.    
 
Members are also enc ouraged to exchange their views on digital divide and DPI, especially regarding 
the design and implementation, on the multilateral track. The WTO could also help match the needs 
of Developing Country and Least Developed Country Members with capacity buildi ng and technical 
assistance activities that are currently available.  
 
We would like to thank Members ' useful sharing today and look forward to advancing discussion on 
this important topic at the WTO on various fronts.  
 
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