The way forward

The launch of open-ended, plurilateral negotiations on e-commerce is significant for the future regulation of e-commerce and the digital economy more generally. It will also have an important bearing on the future direction and effectiveness of the MTS. Taken together, the negotiations would prove to be of critical importance for developing countries' efforts to derive effective developmental benefits from international trade as a catalyst to progress towards Agenda 2030 for sustainable development. The paper has provided an initial discussion of the plurilateral e-commerce negotiations with particular emphasis on the stakes and issues for developing countries.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Partnerships for the Goals