Cooperation, Capacity Building, and Implementation Considerations of Developing Countries in the E-Commerce Joint Statement Initiative: Status and the way forward

This policy brief examines the challenges faced by developing countries and least-developed countries (LDCs) participating in the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on electronic commerce. It highlights a significant digital divide in infrastructure and information, arguing that current negotiations focus too heavily on regulatory cooperation rather than the foundational capacity building and technical assistance required for these nations to implement future commitments and benefit from the digital economy.

• A substantial digital divide exists in basic connectivity and advanced infrastructure, which are essential preconditions for participating in the digital economy. As of 2021, 49% of the global population lacked internet access, with the highest concentrations of non-users in Africa (71%), Asia and the Pacific (55%), and the Arab States (45%). Furthermore, 83.9% of the world's population is not covered by 5G and 83.1% of households have not adopted fibre to the X (FTTx).
• The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the connectivity gap between developed and developing regions. Telecommunication investments per capita decreased between 2019 and 2020 in Africa, the Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean, while investments increased in North America, Europe, and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
• Developing countries and LDCs face an asymmetry of information and knowledge that hinders their ability to assess how e-commerce regulations—such as those regarding source code, data flows, and cybersecurity—will impact their national development. To address this, the Friends of E-commerce for Development (FED), comprising Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Uruguay, proposed a roadmap focusing on seven key issues: e-commerce readiness, ICT infrastructure, trade logistics, e-payment solutions, regulatory frameworks, capacity building, and access to financing.
• The JSI employs two methods to integrate development concerns: vertical mainstreaming, which considers challenges within each of the six focus groups (enabling e-commerce, openness, trust, cross-cutting issues, telecommunications, and market access), and horizontal mainstreaming, which places cooperation and capacity building under the 'Cross-cutting Issues' section.
• Current draft cooperation provisions in the JSI are criticized for focusing primarily on the promotion of regulatory cooperation rather than providing targeted technical assistance. The author notes that the JSI appears to operate on the assumption that necessary infrastructure and regulatory frameworks are already in place, which ignores the reality for many developing members.
• To ensure a balanced outcome, developing countries require 'critical support' during negotiations. This includes: 1) research and analysis to understand the impact of rules on development objectives; 2) multistakeholder consultations at national and regional levels to inform negotiators; and 3) drafting support to help LDCs and developing countries articulate their interests in formal submissions.
• The document suggests that the most effective model for enforceable capacity building is the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) model, which allows for self-designated transitional implementation periods and links commitments to the provision of technical assistance. A hybrid approach combining TFA, GATS, and traditional SDT models is recommended to address different development concerns.

APA

Ismail, Y. (2022). Cooperation, Capacity Building, and Implementation Considerations of Developing Countries in the E-Commerce Joint Statement Initiative: Status and the way forward. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-04/developing-countries-e-commerce-joint-statement-initiative.pdf

Chicago

Ismail, Yasmin. Cooperation, Capacity Building, and Implementation Considerations of Developing Countries in the E-Commerce Joint Statement Initiative: Status and the way forward. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2022. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-04/developing-countries-e-commerce-joint-statement-initiative.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ismail |first1=Yasmin |title=Cooperation, Capacity Building, and Implementation Considerations of Developing Countries in the E-Commerce Joint Statement Initiative: Status and the way forward |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=April 2022 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-04/developing-countries-e-commerce-joint-statement-initiative.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ismail2022cooperation, author = {Ismail, Yasmin}, title = {{Cooperation, Capacity Building, and Implementation Considerations of Developing Countries in the E-Commerce Joint Statement Initiative: Status and the way forward}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-04/developing-countries-e-commerce-joint-statement-initiative.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }