17 January 2022: A Pacific E-commerce Unit to accelerate E-commerce readiness in the Pacific region is about to become a reality. The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) jointly managed Pacific Digital Economy Program have signed off on a USD500,000 funding agreement for the Unit.
The E-commerce Unit will lead monitoring, resourcing and coordination for the Pacific Regional E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap.
As part of its duties, the Unit will establish and manage a Regional E-commerce Committee with donors and private sector Sub-committees to provide strategic oversight over implementation of the Strategy.
Beyond coordination, the Unit will be responsible for managing some activities which are directly targeting implementation of the Strategy’s priorities, such as establishment and management of a regional E-commerce Portal, regional training on E-commerce rules, and promotion of national e-commerce strategies.
PIF Secretary General, Mr Henry Puna said the grant will “ensure strategic direction for Pacific E-commerce is backed by strategic action, and that all the valuable partners who are supporting E-commerce development in the Pacific region can do so in an orderly and coordinated fashion.”
SG Puna thanked the core partners of the Pacific Digital Economy Program, including Australia, and relevant United Nations agencies “for supporting the wishes of our Trade Ministers to promote and advocate for stronger regional E-commerce governance, growth, and excellence.”
In August 2021, Pacific Islands Forum members endorsed the Pacific Regional E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap. The strategy outlines the Pacific consensus on the priority regional measures to increase digital trade readiness.
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Media Contact: lisaw@forumsec.org
