eTrade for all Newsletter

Dear all, welcome to our May newsletter. This month we dive into some new research released by our partners. We start with the Zimbabwe eTrade Readiness Assessment, which is the 39th conducted by UNCTAD and the 20th in Africa. While identifying the persistent challenges in e-commerce uptake, the report also identifies enabling factors for e-commerce development and policy recommendations to navigate the country’s digital transformation journey.

We then move to Asia-Pacific where updated findings from ESCAP, UNCTAD, and UNIDO underscore the region’s leadership in digital trade, while warning of widening intra-regional disparities.

After that, we delve into the new Business Ready (B-READY) report, which is a new World Bank Group initiative that replaces the earlier Doing Business project and assesses business and investment climates worldwide, through a more comprehensive approach.

We also look at ITU’s latest affordability report, which reminds us that progress on mobile connectivity is not enough — fixed broadband remains out of reach for many, particularly in low-income countries.

We have prepared a short digest with key messages and relevant figures to unpack the findings of these new reports. Check them out!

In this edition, we also share the Agreed Policy Recommendations just adopted during UNCTAD’s latest Intergovernmental group of experts, organized from 12 to 14 May in Geneva. This year experts focused on how to make digitalization work for inclusive and sustainable development, particularly looking at the environmental dimension.

Lastly, have a look at the dedicated section on global policy processes, much has happened this month.

Enjoy the read!