Kick-off workshop: Better statistics on digital services trade for gender-responsive trade policies in Asia and the Pacific (UNDA18)
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), jointly with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), is organizing a three-day regional kick-off workshop on strengthening the measurement of digital trade in services and the production of sex-disaggregated statistics for gender-responsive trade policymaking in Asia and the Pacific. The workshop will launch a DA18-funded project (2026–2029) to equip countries with the data and tools needed to measure digital services trade and design gender-inclusive trade policies. The project focuses on four target countries: Bhutan, Indonesia, Mongolia, and Papua New Guinea, with Kyrgyzstan and Viet Nam identified as backup countries.
Workshop Goals and Objectives
- Strengthen participants’ capacity and understanding of the importance of digital trade and gender statistics for evidence-based and inclusive policymaking in trade.
- Introduce international standards and practical tools, including the TiSSTAT system, for measuring digital trade in services
- Identify national priorities, data gaps, and capacity needs in the target countries
- Align stakeholders on project objectives, approach, and next steps
- Foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among national and regional stakeholders
Expected Outcomes
- Participants share a common understanding of the project’s objectives, approach, and next steps
- Capacity is strengthened on digital trade and gender statistics and their use in policymaking
- Countries identify priority sectors, key data gaps, and national needs
- Participants are introduced to international standards, good practices, and the TiSSTAT system
- Next steps, country-specific action plans, and a shared workplan timeline are agreed for the first phase of project implementation.
Co-organizer(s):
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
Language(s)
English