Assessing the opportunities and challenges that the Least Developed Countries (LDC) face towards e-commerce is frequently hampered by a lack of reliable information. Many LDCs don’t have the information or technology available to assess and evaluate e-commerce and trade in the digital economy in their countries, which is a barrier to selecting priority areas for advancements and further development.
This session will present the findings of new Rapid e-Trade Readiness Assessments of the LDCs conducted by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The assessments by UNCTAD provide the current e-commerce and digital trade situation in selected countries and serve as a tool for LDCs to identify opportunities, barriers and relevant policy measures. A number of these assessments are being conducted under the umbrella of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) partnership.
These assessments report on the current state of e-commerce, offering fresh insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by LDCs on infrastructure and services, trade logistics and trade facilitation, payment solutions, legal and regulatory frameworks, e-commerce skills development and access to financing.
The session will begin with opening remarks and a short presentation by UNCTAD of the latest findings from the Rapid e-Trade Readiness Assessments. The session will then explore key challenges and opportunities of e-commerce in LDCs through a panel discussion with representatives of LDCs, donors, EIF, UNCTAD and the private sector.
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