The next WTO ministerial conference takes place in Doha, Qatar,
from 9-13 November 2001. The work programmes of all major
international agencies which play a role in shaping the future of
e-commerce policies and infrastructures will be looking to this
event as a key date in the 2001 calendar. In addition, the member
governments of the Group of Eight (G8) will meet again in Genoa,
Italy, in July to discuss, among other things, the progress made
towards realizing the global information society.
The sheer volume of freely available information related to the
development of e-commerce is daunting. Here is a brief look at
upcoming events, web sites you should bookmark for ongoing
reference, and other bits and bytes to keep you abreast of
developments in e-facilitated trade.
Organizations
DOTforce
The Digital Opportunity Task Force was established at the G8 Summit
in Okinawa, Japan, in July 2000 and convened its first meeting on
27-28 November in Tokyo. The task force will examine concrete steps
to bridge the international digital divide and will prepare a
report for the G8 Summit to be held in Genoa, Italy, from 20-22
July 2001. To find out more, visit the DOTforce web site at http://www.dotforce.org/ The
Canadian and United Kingdom DOTforce consultation sites are also
excellent for understanding the work of the group and its potential
impact on developing countries. See Canada DOTforce at http://www.bellanet.org/dotforce/
and the United Kingdom site at http://dotforce.oneworld.net/
WTO
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is responsible for establishing
agreements which impact upon electronically mediated trade. The WTO
work programme in electronic commerce cuts across the work of the
following WTO sections: the Council for Trade in Services; the
Council for Trade in Goods; the Council for TRIPS; and the
Committee on Trade and Development. To find out how the WTO
approaches its work in e-commerce, see http://www.wto.org/ then go to trade
topics, electronic commerce.
OECD
Anyone seriously interested in e-commerce and the issues facing
small and medium-sized companies in developing countries will turn
to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD) site at some stage. The site is large but don't be put off.
You will see the e-commerce reference in the toolbar on the first
page of the site http://www.oecd.org/ Take a look at
the document E-Commerce for Development: Prospects and Policy
Issues as a good jumping-off point.
Events
E-Commerce, Law and Arbitration
Tunis, Tunisia, 26-28 April 2001. International conference
organized jointly by the Tunisian Mediation and Arbitration Centre
(CCAT) and Juris International, a partnership between the ITC and
the Universities of Montreal and Nancy.
The three-day event focuses on legal aspects of e-commerce,
including contracting, advertising, consumer protection, customs
and taxation issues and dispute resolution. Parallel to the
conference, two specialized forums will be organized respectively
for new entrepreneurs and arbitrators.
For more information, contact Mr. A. Bahi, President, Centre de
Conciliation et d'Arbitrage de Tunis, 8, rue du Nigeria, Tunis,
Tunisia. Tel: 216 1 849 695, fax: 216 1 796 192, e-mail: ccat@gnet.tn
E-Commerce for Development
4-5 May 2001. The OECD Development Centre and the University of
Bologna are organizing a workshop on e-commerce for development to
learn more about developing country experiences from South Africa,
Brazil, India and Bangladesh.
ITC will be contributing to this forum and summaries of the
proceedings will be posted on the OECD Development Centre web site
http://www.oecd.org.dev/ For
more information, contact David O'Connor at the OECD. E-mail: david.oconnor@oecd.org
E-Services for Trade, Investment and Enterprise
11-12 June 2001. This two-day forum hosted by the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) will examine the services
sector and its impact on transition economies. The outcome of the
forum will be a practical programme to promote trade in e-services.
The second day of the event will feature a joint presentation by
ITC/UNECE entitled "Successful Services Exporting". Service
companies, policy-makers and potential investors are all welcome.
For more help, see the UNECE web site (http://www.unece.org/trade/forums/forum01/index.htm)
or contact Doreen Conrad at ITC on conrad@intracen.org
Networks
The Digital Divide Network
This is a well-designed site covering the issues associated with
the growing gap between the information "haves" and "have nots".
The site demonstrates who the actors are in the debate from the
private-, public- and not-for-profit sectors. The Benton Foundation
is the producer and coordinator of the site. http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org/
Global Knowledge Partnership
For a broader perspective on electronic trade and the role of
information in shaping society turn to this site hosted by the
World Bank Institute. You will find topics such as African Women
and Economic Development and ICT, Jobs and Work. Join a list and
take part in the debate. http://www.globalknowledge.org/discussion.html
John Gillies, Training Officer, ITC, can be contacted at gillies@intracen.org