eTrade for all Newsletter

Dear all,

Welcome to the May edition of the newsletter.

This month, discussions at UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)’s 9th session of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on E-commerce and the Digital Economy, focused on how countries can adapt fiscal systems to changing trade and business models. As digital trade grows, developing countries are increasingly exploring ways to strengthen Value-added Tax (VAT) collection from cross-border e-commerce while maintaining an enabling environment for digital inclusion.

On the research side, ILO released a new flagship ILO Stories: Lifelong learning and skills for the future which argues that lifelong learning must become a central pillar of economic policy,  as AI and the green transition reshape skill demand. Yet it also finds out that only 16 per cent of working-age people took part in structured training in the past year - and just 51 per cent even among full-time employees in formal firms - leaving informal and smaller-enterprise workers reliant on learning by experience.

Another release by ILO jointly with ESCWA, Artificial Intelligence and Employment Futures for the Arab Region sharpens the stakes, estimating that nearly 25 per cent of occupations in the region could be affected by generative AI by 2035. The report finds that AI will reshape jobs and skills across the Arab region - exposing routine and clerical work to automation while raising demand for digital, technical and analytical skills - with the ultimate impact resting on today's policy choices. 

Connectivity remains another essential foundation. This year’s World Telecommunication and Information Society Day highlighted that 2.2 billion people remain unconnected, limiting their ability to access digital services, participate in e-commerce and benefit from opportunities in the digital economy. However, the future of digital development depends not only on expanding access but also on ensuring that the systems underpinning the digital economy remain secure, reliable and resilient. The ITU’s released report titled When Digital Systems Fail explores the hidden vulnerabilities of our interconnected digital environment.

Lastly, ahead of the Global Dialogue on AI governance, scheduled for next month in Geneva, the UN Office of Digital and Emerging Technologies launched the AI Governance for Humanity Lab in Valencia, Spain, which will support international efforts to translate AI governance principles into practice.
 
Learn more in the dedicated sessions here below and enjoy the read!