Unlocking digital trade for all: ITC’s focus at the UN General Assembly

The United Nations General Assembly last weekend laid out a vision for how to create an open, free, secure and human-centered digital future for all.

At the Summit of the Future, held before the United Nations General Assembly, ITC showcased how we bring the benefits of digital trade to small businesses in developing countries.

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We call this effort the ITC Digital Moonshot. The goal? To connect tens of thousands of small businesses to online opportunities by 2025.

The summit endorsed three documents that laid out how to overcome digital, data and innovation divides: the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the Declaration on Future Generations.

‘The Global Digital Compact represents the first collective effort to reach agreed interoperability standards – essential for consistent measurement,’ says the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.

‘We are already acting on many of the commitments laid out in these documents, from supporting more small businesses to taking full part in the digital economy, to championing youth entrepreneurship, to supporting the vision of a UN 2.0,’ ITC Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton said in her plenary remarks.

Paving the way for inclusive growth

Digital connectivity is no longer a luxury. It’s the backbone of modern economies, offering small businesses a chance to trade globally. Yet, in many developing countries, businesses lack the resources, skills, or infrastructure to seize digital opportunities. That’s especially true for businesses led by women, youth, and underserved communities.

ITC tackles these challenges head-on. By prioritizing policy reforms, hands-on skills training, and key partnerships, we aim to stimulate investments in digital infrastructure so small businesses thrive.

Connecting the unconnected

ITC’s activities in New York focused squarely focused on digital inclusion – especially by fostering partnerships. Working together is the only way to meet our ambitious goals. We want to make sure that the internet is available, and that entrepreneurs know how to make the most of its opportunities.

The Youth and Digital Trade Compass Breakfast, hosted by ITC, brought together national and corporate partners with young entrepreneurs. They discussed how to bring more youth into digital trade.

Broadband Commission: Enabling digital resilience

At the Broadband Commission’s annual fall meeting, Coke-Hamilton emphasized the importance of digital connectivity for small businesses. As part of ITC’s work with the Broadband Commission, the organization will push for partnerships that help drive evidence-based policy initiatives and support small business and entrepreneurs going digital.

‘Our work is interconnected with the lives of billions around the world,’ said Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). ‘This is a responsibility and an opportunity to use the power of broadband power to do good — now and for generations to come.’

Digital Future for All

In the Digital Future for All session, ITC highlighted its success in empowering women and small businesses through initiatives like the Digital Export Enablement Programme (DEEP), developed in collaboration with Google and other partners. This program has already helped over 1,000 small and medium-sized enterprises across Southeast Asia access digital tools to expand their businesses globally.

Partnerships: The Key to Scaling Digital Transformation

ITC can’t achieve the Digital Moonshot’s goals on its own. Partnerships are at the core of this initiative, bringing together governments, businesses, and multilateral organizations to create a more inclusive digital ecosystem. ITC’s collaboration with companies like Microsoft, as well as its leadership role in initiatives like the Broadband Commission, demonstrates how cooperation can unlock new opportunities for small businesses.

The Global Digital Compact would create a more transparent and structured environment for the digital world, including measures that call for fair competition. Its calls for ensuring that small businesses have the same access to digital tools as large corporations, and highlights the importance of digital access for everyone.

This framework opens new doors for ITC to further its work in connecting the unconnected. By building an ecosystem where small businesses have access to digital tools, ITC is setting the stage for more inclusive economic growth.

Join the Digital Moonshot

To make the Digital Moonshot a reality, ITC wants to expand its collaboration with donors and other partners. Now is the time to invest in digital infrastructure, digital skills, and inclusive business ecosystems. ITC’s work is already showing results, but with the right partnerships, these efforts can scale exponentially.

Now is the moment to act. Let’s build a digital future for all.