Statement by India under Item 5: Report of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on E-commerce and the Digital Economy at the 66th Session of the Trade and Development Board of UNCTAD delivered by Mr. Animesh Choudhury, First Secretary on 27th June 2019 in Geneva. 

Thank You Mr. President,

1.At the outset, India would like to thank the Chair of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on E-commerce and the Digital Economy for the presentation of the report of the 3rd session of the IGE.

 Mr. President,

2. The five panel discussions during the 3rd session of the IGE on e-commence and the digital economy were enriching and informative. We had experienced panellists for each panel discussion and the themes chosen for the panels were pertinent and timely. The meeting was well attended and there were intense discussions. However, it was unfortunate that the IGE for the first time, failed to find consensus on the set of agreed recommendations, which is the most important outcome document of the IGE as per its mandate.

 Mr. President,

3. In the recent past, the significance of economic activities in the digital space has grown substantially, both globally as well as in India. However developing countries are very poorly placed in terms of the capacities required to tap into the advantages of e-commerce. It requires huge investment in technology, human resources and physical infrastructure, accompanied by access to huge capital for operators to compete effectively, before they could be ready to face competition. Even the e-commerce policy and regulatory space in developing countries is un-populated.

4. India believes that the digital revolution presents immense opportunities for developing countries provided conditions are created in which all stakeholders are able to perform their functions adequately. The digital revolution can potentially cause major disruption if conscious efforts are not made to bridge the digital divide and bring in an element of equity in technology and benefit sharing. As the conditions exist today, these opportunities can be harnessed only by those countries who have adequately prepared themselves to bridge the digital and physical infrastructure gap, besides addressing regulatory challenges such as legal, policy, taxation and enforcement issues.

 Mr. President,

5. In this context, we appreciate the publications of UNCTAD especially its Research Paper No. 29, published in February this year titled « Growing Trade in Electronic Transmissions Implications for the South », which very well explains the challenges faced by countries of the South in this area.

Thank You.