The South Centre Monthly, June 2019
This update provides a snapshot of the publications and social media activities of the South Centre during the month of June 2019.
E-commerce
Policy Brief 62, June 2019
Intellectual Property and Electronic Commerce: Proposals in the WTO and Policy Implications for Developing Countries
By Vitor Ido
This policy brief explains the mandate of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on electronic commerce under the work program on e-commerce, which was adopted by the WTO Ministerial Conference in 1998 and periodically renewed by subsequent Ministerials. It describes what has taken place on intellectual property related issues pertaining to e-commerce in the WTO TRIPS (Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) Council. It also summarizes various proposals and suggestions that have been advanced in the Council since the Nairobi Ministerial Conference in December 2015 as well as recent proposals that have been advanced in the General Council until December 2018, some of which contain specific intellectual property (IP) related issues. As part of the recently launched plurilateral negotiations on e-commerce, a forum that is likely to become more prominent for this discussion, proposals have been re-submitted in March 2019, as well as others which have been tabled in April and May 2019. Finally, this brief presents an explanation of how IP issues may also affect other elements of e-commerce and the digital economy. Such issues are not the subject of existing proposals in the WTO, but may feature in future discussions.
South Centre Quarterly Report, January-March 2019
South Centre Quarterly Report, 1 January to 31 March 2019
This report summarizes the programmatic activities of the South Centre during the period 1st January to 31st March 2019. It is intended to provide information, organized by Program and themes, about recent developments in the areas covered by the South Centre’s Work Program and publications made and meetings organized or co-organized by the Centre to examine particular issues or to provide analytical support for international negotiations taking place in various fora. It also informs about external conferences and other meetings where the Centre has participated.
SC Working Lunch Meeting, April 2019
Title: Working Lunch Meeting to discuss the Indian Draft National e-Commerce Policy
Date: Friday, 5th April, 13:00 – 15:00
Venue: The South Centre
Organizers: The South Centre
CARICOM E-Commerce Panel Discussion, April 2019
Title: Setting Global Trade Rules on Electronic Commerce (E-Commerce) – Opportunities, Challenges, Perspectives and the impact on developing countries, specific to Small, vulnerable economies (SVEs), small island developing States (SIDs), and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
Date: 1 April 2019
Venue: Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
Research Paper 93, March 2019
Regulating the Digital Economy: Dilemmas, Trade Offs and Potential Options
By Padmashree Gehl Sampath
The digital economy has been growing exponentially in recent years thanks to new technologies that are promoting a global transformation. Key technologies responsible for this transformation have become the subject of intense discussions under the umbrella term ‘fourth industrial revolution’. This paper offers a discussion on the differentiated impact of digital technologies on unemployment, capabilities building and technological catch-up for developing countries. It articulates some of the key issues and tradeoffs for developing countries that should be considered in policy discussions and deliberations.
SC Working Lunch, March 2019
Title: Working Lunch Meeting on E-Commerce
Date: Friday, 15th March, 2019, 12:00 – 14:45
Venue: The South Centre
Organizers: The South Centre
The South Centre Monthly, January 2019
This update provides a snapshot of the publications and social media activities of the South Centre during the month of January 2019.
SouthViews No. 173, 23 January 2019
E-commerce and Developing Countries: The South Asian Experience
By Rahul Choudhury
The evolution of Electronic Commerce or E-Commerce has brought about a
significant change in the way business is conducted across the globe. The ecommerce which emerged during early 2000 in the United States and other developed parts of the world has expanded to almost all the developing countries by now. Developing countries like India, Brazil, and Indonesia have provided a fertile ground for the growth of this sector and even surpassed many developed countries in terms of market size. There exist a lot of differences in the e-commerce market inSouth Asian countries. Although there has been a significant growth in this sector in the South Asian region, still it has a way to go. (more…)
South Centre Quarterly Report, October-December 2018
South Centre Quarterly Report, 1 October to 31 December 2018
This report summarizes the programmatic activities of the South Centre during the period 1st October to 31 December 2018. It is intended to provide information, organized by Program and themes, about recent developments in the areas covered by the South Centre’s Work Program and publications made and meetings organized or co-organized by the Centre to examine particular issues or to provide analytical support for international negotiations taking place in various fora. It also informs about external conferences and other meetings where the Centre has participated.
South Centre Quarterly Report, July-September 2018
South Centre Quarterly Report, 1 July to 30 September 2018
This report summarizes the programmatic activities of the South Centre during the period 1 July to 30 September 2018. It is intended to provide information, organized by Program and themes, about recent developments in the areas covered by the South Centre’s Work Program and publications and meetings organized or co-organized by the Centre to examine particular issues or to provide analytical support for international negotiations taking place in various fora. It also informs about external conferences and other meetings where the Centre has participated.
SC Meeting on E-Commerce, the Digital Economy and WTO, 5 October 2018
Title: Meeting on E-Commerce, the Digital Economy and WTO
Date and Time: 5 October 2018, 1-5.30 PM
Venue: South Centre, Geneva
Organizer: The South Centre, Centre for WTO Studies and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)