The Pacific E-commerce Initiative, a multi-stakeholder partnership supporting Forum Island Countries to engage in digital trade, will soon begin consultations on the Nauru E-commerce Assessment and the Pacific Regional E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap.
The Pacific Regional E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap will outline consensus on the priority regional actions to boost digital trade readiness. It follows national and regional diagnostic assessments conducted by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD) during the past four years, as well other high-quality evidence,
The Pacific E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap for implementation will focus on the regional dimension of E-commerce, thus complementing the valuable work at country-level by Forum Islands Countries.
After completion and technical validation, the Pacific Regional E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap for implementation will be submitted to Forum Trade Ministers for formal endorsement.
Work on the Nauru E-commerce Assessment and the Pacific Regional E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap is supported by Australian Aid.
Ewen McDonald, Head of the Office of the Pacific within Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, says the Regional E-commerce Strategy “will ensure coordinated, cost-effective, and best-practice approaches to address common challenges, directly benefitting Pacific governments and the region’s private sector.”
Dame Meg Taylor, PIFS’ Secretary General, said E-Commerce features as a key regional priority in the Pacific Aid-for-Trade strategy 2020-2025.
“To achieve this priority, the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat has taken the lead in supporting Forum Islands Countries in their efforts to take part in the global digital revolution. The focus will ensure regionalism can most effectively complement national efforts, aligning the work on E-commerce with directions set by the Framework for Pacific Regionalism.”
The Secretariat will reach out to a vast segment of Nauru, regional, and international stakeholders to inform the development of these important documents.