eTrade for all Newsletter

Dear all,

This month’s edition brings together global discussions that highlight both the promise and the paradox of our digital era. At the 16th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16), held in Geneva on 20–23 October, 195 member states came together to chart the future of trade and development in a rapidly transforming global landscape. The Conference concluded with the adoption of the Geneva Consensus for a Just and Sustainable Economic Order, reaffirming UNCTAD’s central role in promoting an inclusive, resilient, and people-centred and rules-based global economy. 

At UNCTAD16, leaders and experts underscored how digital transformation can advance inclusion, sustainability, and resilience — while warning that divides remain deep. Member States reaffirmed the role of UNCTAD in supporting developing countries in the area of e-commerce, digital trade, data governance and the digital economy.

Throughout the week, discussions on the digital economy underscored both the opportunities and divides defining today’s realities. While developing economies now surpass $1 trillion in digitally deliverable services exports, least developed countries still lag behind, with just 20% of their exports going digital. Fewer than one-third of developing countries have national AI strategies, and Africa holds less than 1% of global data capacity—a reminder that the benefits of innovation remain unevenly distributed.

Earlier in the month, the World Bank Group–International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings highlighted the need to move from sectoral interventions to system-wide approaches capable of generating jobs and sustainable growth at scale. The new World Bank Scorecard also reported progress on financial inclusion, with 217 million people gaining broadband access and 177 million now using digital services, through WBG programs. 

Consumers International  in a new report stressed widening vulnerabilities in digital finance with insights from thirteen jurisdictions and consumer experience research in eight countries. They note that digital finance systems are expanding faster than consumer protection frameworks leaving users exposed to risks of fraud, data misuse, and opaque practices.

ESCAP’s new research highlights that ASEAN continues to lead on digital and sustainable trade integration, even as the wider Asia-Pacific region still faces significant regulatory fragmentation that could limit the full potential of cross-border digital trade.

Also, learn more about the role that Posts could play as inclusive digital hubs.  With over 650,000 post offices worldwide, mostly in rural and remote areas, the postal sector holds untapped potential to bridge the digital divide. A new UPU global survey finds that the majority of postal operators are already offering digital services — 71% support e-commerce, 70% provide digital connectivity, and 58% deliver digital financial services.

Finally, the WTO’s latest trade outlook shows that AI-related goods have been powering global trade in 2025, growing by over 20% and driving nearly half of total trade growth despite representing less than one-tenth of world merchandise trade. This surge underscores how deeply economies are reorganizing around AI, even as overall trade growth is expected to slow in 2026.

Taken together, these developments continue to highlight how digitalization continues to shape the contours of a more interconnected, yet still unequal global economy.

Enjoy the read!