With the globalization of the digital economy, cross-border e-commerce has emerged as a new engine for international trade growth and a pathway for developing countries to integrate into global value chains and achieve the inclusive development. The South-South Cooperation, a key mechanism of developing countries to pursue collective self-reliance and share the benefits of development, is embracing new opportunities in the digital transformation within the framework of the Global Development Initiative. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has long supported developing countries in harnessing the potential of e-commerce and digital trade through research, policy advise and technical assistance, including on etrade readiness, measurement of the digital economy and the development of legal and regulatory frameworks.
To put the Global Development Initiative into practice and deepen practical cooperation among developing countries in the digital trade, a workshop on the Cross-border E-commerce Development in China & New Opportunities in South-South Cooperation will be held as a side event of the 9th session of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on E-commerce and the Digital Economy themed Strengthening fiscal revenues in developing countries in the context of e-commerce and digital trade by UNCTAD.
This event is scheduled to take place in Geneva on 13 May 2026, opening to representatives of government departments in cross-border e-commerce, international organizations, leading enterprises and experts in cross-border e-commerce, and relevant associations. The event will put spotlights on the best practices of China’s Cross-border E-commerce in terms of model innovation, regulation and governance, taxation, compliance, and inclusive trade. It will facilitate in-depth exchanges on how cross-border e-commerce can boost trade connectivity, industrial upgrading, fiscal and tax revenue growth, and employment promotion in the Global South countries and explore new models, pathways and mechanisms to empower South-South cooperation. It aims to enable developing countries to share the benefits of digital trade, contribute to the implementation of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and inject new impetus into deepening practical South-South cooperation and promoting shared global development.