Azerbaijan to chair UN’s Intergovernmental Group of Experts on E-Commerce and Digital Economy

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is holding a meeting of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on E-Commerce and the Digital Economy in Geneva from 18 to 20 April 2018.

The agenda of the meeting includes such topics as the adjustment of local platforms to domestic and transboundary electronic commerce in developing countries, supporting the e-commerce-related activities of small and medium-scale entrepreneurs, identification and elimination of problems associated with international e-commerce platforms in developing countries.

During the meeting, elections were held for the posts of chairman and vice-chairman of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts.

As a result of open voting, which was held with the participation of representatives of more than 100 countries, Azer Bayramov, the deputy executive director of the State Fund for Development of Information Technologies under the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies was elected as the chairman of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts.

Note that the tenure of chairmanship in the Group is for one year.

Azerbaijan has been represented at this prestigious event since last year.

Along with representatives of the relevant government agencies of more than 100 countries, senior executives of such global companies as Alibaba Group, Google and eBay, as well as managers of a number of regional IT companies are taking part in the work of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts as guests.

A document outlining special recommendations will be adopted at the end of the meeting of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on E-Commerce and the Digital Economy and then will be submitted to the UN General Assembly.

At the same time, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is holding the E-Commerce Week.

The event, dedicated to the theme "Development Dimensions of Digital Platforms", will discuss the possibilities created by such platforms and key challenges. Also, at the event, concrete proposals will be made to maximize benefits for developing countries.