Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2023/24

Digital technologies are revolutionizing the landscape of international trade and investment. As digital trade gains momentum, disparities in readiness are accentuating pre-existing inequalities. Countries and communities that are ill-prepared to seize these opportunities risk losing out on fundamental drivers of contemporary economic growth, societal development, and environmental conservation. Trade and investment authorities are grappling with a pressing challenge: – How can digital trade and investment policies be crafted to simultaneously drive growth and cater to societal and environmental imperatives? This core inquiry is the focus of the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report, "Unleashing Digital Trade and Investment for Sustainable Development." The report, jointly prepared by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), delves into both the potential and obstacles associated with digital trade and investment. This report weaves together an integrative policy-making approach, particularly enlightening policymakers in trade and investment about the roles they can assume to realize the potential of digital trade and investment as effective means for the achievement of the SDGs. The report seeks to broaden policymakers' perspectives and is expected to stimulate policy dialogues and inter-ministerial and public-private sector collaboration. It advocates for a cohesive strategy at both the global and regional levels to reap greater benefits from digital trade and investment and as well as to maintain focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).