Executive summary

In times of multiple global crises and cascading effects on the more vulnerable countries, UNCTAD’s eTrade Readiness Assessments (eT Readies) provide practical recommendations to enhance countries’ capacities to develop e-commerce policy reforms and actions. In many of the eT Ready partner countries, businesses and in particular micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) have yet to exploit e-commerce as a channel to grow and compete, as evidenced by the low levels of people shopping online in these countries. The implementation of eT Ready recommendations can be leveraged to navigate the challenges posed by widening digital divides and the fast-evolving digital economy. In place since 2020, UNCTAD’s eT Ready Implementation Support Mechanism (ISM) has provided an engagement platform to enhance synergies and scale up joint efforts among partner countries and development partners. Implementation Reviews are a cornerstone of the ISM and key to assessing progress and gaps in the implementation of the recommendations contained in the assessments. Building on previous reviews published in 2020 and 2022, UNCTAD conducted a third review in 2023, reflected in this report.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Decent Work and Economic Growth

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Partnerships for the Goals