Assessment of Capacity Building Needs to Support WTO Negotiation on Trade Related Aspects of E-commerce

This study has been designed to contribute to the ongoing WTO negotiations on e-commerce as well as the capacity building activities that may arise from it. It comprises two main components, namely (1) the database component and (2) the case study component. The former aims to better situate APEC economies in the wider spectrum of laws and regulations affecting e-commerce; while the latter intends to showcase examples of specific policies and initiatives that could facilitate or affect e-commerce. Possible capacity building activities identified in the report include: (1) encouraging the adoption of international standards, practices, guidelines and recommendations in economies’ laws and regulations; (2) improving mutual recognition and interoperability among the laws, regulations and initiatives; (3) strengthening international cooperation with regard to specific aspects of e-commerce; (4) instituting new approaches to regulations, including the use of technology to facilitate process; and (5) ensuring that laws, regulations and initiatives are practical, reasonable and can be operationalized efficiently.