ESCAP’s facilitated course on e-commerce and digital provisions in RTAs
Introduction
Countries have increasingly moved from negotiating narrow-scope preferential trade agreements to more comprehensive economic partnership agreements (CEPAs). Such agreements cover not only traditional trade in goods issues such as tariff liberalization, but also issues such as technical barriers, investment measures, services trade and e-commerce. ESCAP has previously developed a highly popular Online Course on Negotiation of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements[1]. This facilitated course on e-commerce and digital provisions in RTAs seeks to dive deeper into these topics.
Course format
The course is conducted as a facilitated online e-learning course. The course consists of 3 pre-recorded modules (approximately 45 min each) and a kick-off live webinar. Note that this course is offered for the first time on a pilot basis and participants are requested to kindly note down any feedback to the content of the course and quizzes for improvement. Interactive web space will be provided to discuss the content and ask any clarification questions are offered to participants who will have gone through the pre-recorded sessions and attempted all quizzes. Upon attending the live session, providing feedback and passing the quiz, participants will get a certificate of completion for the course.
About the course convenor
Henry Gao is Professor of Law at Singapore Management University and Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI). His research areas include WTO, International Trade Law, Chinese Law and Law and Economics. He worked at the WTO Secretariat supporting negotiations among members in Geneva, as well as at the Faculty of Law of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), where he served as the Deputy Director of the East Asian International Economic Law and Policy (EAIEL) Program. As the Academic Coordinator of the first Asia-Pacific Regional Trade Policy Course officially sponsored by the WTO, he played an instrumental role in setting up the WTO’s flagship training program for the region when it was launched 20 years ago. He is a member of Advisory Board of WTO Chairs Programme and an Advisor to the Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network on Trade (ARTNeT), an initiative by the UNESCAP. He sits on the editorial boards of the Journal of International Economic Law and Journal of Financial Regulation, both published by Oxford University Press.
[1] https://www.unescap.org/our-work/trade-investment-innovation/cepa