This course provides an interdisciplinary coverage of digital commerce, from both digital and trade perspectives. It builds the knowledge and capacity of participants to engage in digital commerce-related negotiations and discussions on the multilateral and bilateral levels. It is aimed at diplomats, in particular those based in Geneva, staff of trade-related international organisations, and capital-based officials, from developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs). The course is offered by DiploFoundation (Diplo), CUTS International Geneva, the International Trade Centre (ITC), and the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP).
Participants will gain the practical skills and information required to discuss specific aspects of digital policy, including:
- cross-border data flows and data localisation,
- e-signatures and authentication,
- online consumer protection and privacy,
- cybersecurity, and
- access to the source code.
The course adopts a ‘just-in-time’ approach, focusing on ongoing digital trade negotiations and policy processes taking place in International Geneva. It will cover discussions on digital commerce in preparation for the 12th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference (MC12), scheduled from 30 November to 3 December 2021.
Lecturers
Ms Yasmin Ismail
Research Fellow at CUTS International Geneva
Ms Yasmin Ismail is a Research Fellow at CUTS International Geneva since March 2019. Her research interests include the WTO institutional reform, new issues under the WTO including e-commerce, Africa integration and China-Africa relations. Yasmin holds two Masters’ degrees in Economics of Development and in International and European Law from the University of Grenoble-Alpes in France. Prior to joining CUTS, Yasmin was a Projects Manager at Global Partners Governance, Ltd. a UK based International Consultancy specialised in designing and implementing institutional and governance reform projects in the Middle East and developing countries. She also served as a specialist in International Cooperation at the Egyptian Cabinet Information and Decision Support Centre.
Mr Rashid S. Kaukab
Executive Director, CUTS International Geneva
Rashid S. Kaukab is Executive Director, CUTS International Geneva, Switzerland. One of his key responsibilities is to develop, implement and evaluate technical assistance and capacity building projects and programmes for developing and least-developed countries, including on WTO discussions/negotiations. He worked for the government of Pakistan as a field administrator, in the ministry of finance, and as Counsellor on trade and economic issues in Pakistan Mission to the UN/WTO in Geneva before joining the Geneva-based South Centre in March 1998 where he worked as Coordinator of South Centre Work Programme on Trade and Development, as Head, Strategic Policy and Planning, and as Acting Head, Programme and Research Coordination. He has also worked for UNCTAD as a Senior Consultant. Trade and development is the broad area of his interest and he has contributed a number of articles and papers on issues related to trade and development and global economic governance. He has lectured at several research and academic institutions including Grenoble University, France, CASIN, Geneva, and GC University, Lahore, Pakistan. He is a member Governing Board, and also teaches at the Trade Policy Training Centre in Africa (TRAPCA), Arusha, Tanzania. He holds a Masters Degree in Economics (Karachi University) and Business Administration (Yale University).
Dr Jovan Kurbalija
Executive Director
Dr Jovan Kurbalija is the Executive Director of DiploFoundation and Head of the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP). He was a member of the UN Working Group on Internet Governance (2004‒2005), special advisor to the Chairman of the UN Internet Governance Forum (2006‒2010), and a member of the High Level Multistakeholder Committee for NETmundial (2013‒2014). In 2018-2019, he served as co-Executive Director of the Secretariat of the United Nations (UN) High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation.
A former diplomat, Jovan has a professional and academic background in international law, diplomacy, and information technology. He has been a pioneer in the field of cyber diplomacy since 1992 when he established the Unit for Information Technology and Diplomacy at the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies in Malta, and later, DiploFoundation.
Since 1997, Jovan’s research and articles on cyber diplomacy have shaped research and policy discussion on the impact of the Internet on diplomacy and international relations. His book, An Introduction to Internet Governance, has been translated into 9 languages and is used as a textbook for academic courses worldwide. He lectures on e-diplomacy and Internet governance in academic and training institutions in many countries, including Austria (Diplomatic Academy of Vienna), Belgium (College of Europe), Switzerland (University of St Gallen), Malta (University of Malta), and the United States (University of Southern California).
His publishes regular articles on DiploFoundation's blog, and the Huffington Post.
Ms Marília Maciel
Digital Policy Senior Researcher
Brazilian-born Ms Marília Maciel is currently based in Strasbourg, France. She is involved in several Internet- governance-related projects, notably on the fields of digital economy, e-commerce, and cybersecurity. She also curates the topics of e-commerce, Access and Digital Divide for the GIP Digital Watch Observatory and represents Diplo at various meetings.
Prior to joining Diplo, Ms Marília Maciel was a researcher and coordinator of the Center for Technology and Society of the Getulio Vargas Foundation (CTS/FGV) in Rio de Janeiro. She served as a councillor at ICANN´s Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) representing the Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group (NCSG). Marília is a former member of the Working Group on Improvements to the Internet Governance Forum (2011–2012), created under the auspices of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (UN CSTD). She was also a member of the Multistakeholder Executive Committee of NETmundial and represented CTS/FGV in meetings of the Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). She served in the Consultative Chamber on Internet Security and Rights of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br).
Marília is a PhD candidate at the University of Bordeaux Montaigne, on Information and Communication Sciences. She holds an MA in Latin American Integration from the Federal University of Santa Maria (2008) and a law degree from the Federal University of Pernambuco (2005), where she was awarded a research grant from the State of Pernambuco Research Foundation (FACEPE) to investigate issues related to taxation and electronic commerce.
Mr Quan Zhao
Trade Policy Advisor, Office of the Chief Economist, International Trade Center
Mr Quan Zhao is trade policy advisor in the Office of the Chief Economist, International Trade Centre (ITC). His main portfolio at the ITC includes policy research and project management in the areas of trade in services, e-commerce, digital economy and cross-border investment; he also advises the management on G20 matters.
Prior to joining the ITC, Zhao served as a trade negotiator and diplomat at the Permanent Mission of China to the World Trade Organization (2009-2014) and the Ministry of Commerce of China (2003-2009). He has served as the Chair for WTO's Committee on Trade in Financial Services, and as the lead services negotiator in China-Peru, China-Costa Rica and China-Pakistan FTAs. Zhao holds a master's degree in international law and economics from the World Trade Institute at the University of Bern.
This course provides an interdisciplinary coverage of digital commerce, from both digital and trade perspectives. It builds the knowledge and capacity of participants to engage in digital commerce-related negotiations and discussions on the multilateral and bilateral levels. It is aimed at diplomats, in particular those based in Geneva, staff of trade-related international organisations, and capital-based officials, from developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs). The course is offered by DiploFoundation (Diplo), CUTS International Geneva, the International Trade Centre (ITC), and the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP).
Participants will gain the practical skills and information required to discuss specific aspects of digital policy, including:
- cross-border data flows and data localisation,
- e-signatures and authentication,
- online consumer protection and privacy,
- cybersecurity, and
- access to the source code.
The course adopts a ‘just-in-time’ approach, focusing on ongoing digital trade negotiations and policy processes taking place in International Geneva. It will cover discussions on digital commerce in preparation for the 12th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference (MC12), scheduled from 30 November to 3 December 2021.
Course outline
1. Placing digital commerce in the context of the digital economy. We present some definitions of the digital economy, showcasing the types of economic activities that are encompassed therein. In doing so, we unpack the meaning of frequently used expressions such as ‘digital transformation’, ‘4th industrial revolution’, and ‘data economy’. We discuss two business models which are part of the digital economy: the digitisation of trade and the business model of ‘free’ online platforms based on ‘ad tech’. We analyse emerging trends in digital commerce, such as the proliferation of regional trade agreements, and we discuss how the ongoing COVID-19 crisis has affected the digital economy, and digital commerce in particular.
2. Digital commerce discussions at the World Trade Organization. The WTO plays an important role in facilitating diplomatic talks about digital commerce within the framework of the multilateral trading system. We summarise the evolution of WTO discussions on digital commerce, including discussions leading up to the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in 2021. We also analyse the Joint Statement Initiative on E-commerce and its ongoing negotiations on digital trade-related aspects among a group of WTO members.
3. Openness and digital commerce. We focus on cross-border data flows and localisation, which are core issues for the growth of the digital economy. The technical knowledge necessary to grasp the implications of policy proposals on these issues will be provided: we zoom in to understand how packets of data flow through the digital ‘pipes’ and arrive at their destination, and what localisation policies mean from technical and policy angles. We analyse provisions on data flows which are present in some key regional trade agreements. The module also covers proposals on the topic ‘open internet access’ - also known as network neutrality - which have important implications to competition and access to information online.
4. Facilitating digital commerce and promoting business trust. We discuss the role of electronic authentication and signatures to international trade. Existing initiatives to provide harmonisation are highlighted, and proposals under negotiation in these areas are analysed. With regards to enhancing business trust, our focus is on provisions aiming at limiting requests to access or transfer the source code of computer programs. Most digital services and an increasing number of digital and non-digital products are enabled by computer programs, therefore provisions on access to the source code would have consequences in several policy areas.
5. Consumer trust in digital commerce. We tackle the interplay between digital governance and trade policy by providing an overview of the inclusion of digital regulatory aspects in trade negotiations. We will focus on how regional trade agreements and ongoing negotiations at the WTO are aiming at enhancing consumer trust by tackling specific issues, such as consumer protection, privacy, and cybersecurity.
The course will be of interest to:
- Diplomats from developing countries and LDCs who follow digital trade negotiations, in particular those based in Geneva.
- Staff from developing countries and LDCs working at trade-related international organisations.
- Capital-based officials and policy-makers from developing countries and LDCs, in particular those responsible for developing national policies on digital trade.
Efforts will be made to ensure regional and gender balance.
The course will run from 17 May to 25 June 2021 using a dynamic online learning methodology.
Throughout each course week, participants will read course materials and interact in an online classroom. During the class Zoom meeting each Friday, the course faculty will clarify pending issues and discuss ongoing policy processes with participants. Participants who complete the course successfully will receive a course certificate issued by partner institutions.
Applicants for this course should have basic knowledge of trade and digital commerce policies and negotiations.
The course fee is 990 CHF. All selected applicants will be granted a full waiver of course fees, through support from the course organising partners.
Please apply online by 12 May 2021, starting from the short application form above. After completing this short form, you will receive an email with a link to the full application form.
Please do not forget to fill out the short motivation statement on the application form (100 - 150 words) explaining the reasons for your interest in this course. What are your personal and professional objectives for the future, and how will this course help you to reach them?
Late applications will be considered only if places remain in the course.
For questions, please contact Ms Marilia Maciel at mariliam@diplomacy.edu