Cambios en el contexto y dinámica de la iniciativa relativa a la Declaración Conjunta sobre el Comercio Electrónico de la OMC

This report provides a status update on the World Trade Organization (WTO) Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on E-commerce as of December 2022. It analyzes the initiative's progress during its fifth year, contrasting it with broader trends in national, regional, and multilateral digital governance. The report highlights a shift toward a potentially less ambitious agreement for the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13), focusing on resolved trade facilitation issues while deferring controversial market access and data flow topics.

• As of December 2022, 87 WTO Members officially participate in the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on E-commerce, with Mauritius being the most recent to join in September 2022. However, participation from African countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) remains very low, with only seven African members and four LDCs (Benin, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, and Lao PDR) involved.
• There is a growing trend of 'hyper-regulation' in digital sectors at the national level. Between January 2020 and January 2023, 2,460 regulatory or policy changes were reported across the European Union and G20 governments, with approximately 50% already implemented as state actions. Key areas of intervention include data governance, content moderation, and competition.
• Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) and a new model called Digital Economy Agreements (DEAs) are increasingly shaping digital trade norms. DEAs, such as the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) between Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore, offer a flexible, modular approach to cooperation on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and digital identities, contrasting with the rigid commitments of traditional trade treaties.
• The WTO's broader Work Programme on E-commerce has been revitalized with a specific focus on the 'digital divide' and development dimensions. Following a decision at MC12 in June 2022, the program aims to address issues such as capacity building, technology transfer, and the economic empowerment of marginalized groups and geographically remote countries.
• The updated consolidated negotiating text (INF/ECOM/62/Rev.3) distributed on December 22, 2022, shows a reduction in policy coverage and structural changes. Notably, 'Section F: Market Access' was removed, and several articles were moved to a new 'Annex' section. This suggests a strategy to simplify the agreement by isolating less supported or more complex proposals to accelerate a 'substantial' conclusion by the end of 2023.
• By December 2022, 10 articles had reached 'clean' or 'convergent' text through small group negotiations. These include electronic transaction frameworks, electronic authentication and signatures, electronic contracts, paperless trade, open government data, online consumer protection, unsolicited commercial electronic messages (spam), transparency, cybersecurity, and open internet access.
• Significant divergence persists regarding cross-border data flows. While a group including Australia, Canada, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the UK, and the US seeks to limit exceptions to data flows, the European Union emphasizes privacy/personal data protection exceptions, and Nigeria proposes exceptions for LDCs and developing countries to maintain policy space.
• New initiatives have been launched to support developing countries and LDCs, including the E-commerce Capacity Building Framework. This framework coordinates efforts from the World Bank's DATA Fund, JICA, JETRO, and the Singapore-WTO Third Country Training Programme. Additionally, new text proposals from Côte d'Ivoire and New Zealand aim to integrate special and differential treatment and digital inclusion for indigenous peoples and women.

APA

Ismail, Y. (2023). Cambios en el contexto y dinámica de la iniciativa relativa a la Declaración Conjunta sobre el Comercio Electrónico de la OMC. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-04/wto-joint-initiative-e-commerce-fifth-year-stocktake-es.pdf

Chicago

Ismail, Yasmin. Cambios en el contexto y dinámica de la iniciativa relativa a la Declaración Conjunta sobre el Comercio Electrónico de la OMC. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-04/wto-joint-initiative-e-commerce-fifth-year-stocktake-es.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ismail |first1=Yasmin |title=Cambios en el contexto y dinámica de la iniciativa relativa a la Declaración Conjunta sobre el Comercio Electrónico de la OMC |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=March 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-04/wto-joint-initiative-e-commerce-fifth-year-stocktake-es.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ismail2023cambios, author = {Ismail, Yasmin}, title = {{Cambios en el contexto y dinámica de la iniciativa relativa a la Declaración Conjunta sobre el Comercio Electrónico de la OMC}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-04/wto-joint-initiative-e-commerce-fifth-year-stocktake-es.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }