Regional integration is seen as a key priority by many developing countries towards achieving economic diversification, industrialization and structural transformation that are critical steps to enable sustainable growth and development. However, for the regional integration process to be successful in the 21st century, particular attention to integration into the digital economy is needed. As highlighted by ESCAP’s Digital and Sustainable Regional Integration Index (DigiSRII), removing regulatory bottlenecks and ensuring harmonization with regional regulatory frameworks will be essential for regional integration in the modern economic ecosystem.
As an extension of the research under DigiSRII, the ESCAP-OECD Initiative on Digital Trade Regulatory Analysis aims to establish a tool for policymakers and analysts in the region to compare their digital trade policies with regional trade partners. In this context, ESCAP, with technical support from OECD, will establish the Asia-Pacific database on digital-trade regulatory restrictiveness to be a resource for policy makers and policy analysts in the region to compare, benchmark, and formulate evidence-based policy strategies to enhance digital economy integration for their country.
Strategy
ESCAP and OECD, as core partners of the initiative, will provide technical support and training to regional and local researchers including potential partners to be able to collect and verify data and information on national regulations affecting digital trade environment of respective countries (ESCAP- OECD research project on Digital-trade regulatory integration in Asia-Pacific region). As a training process, the selected researchers will work on project assignments database and prepare country briefs summarizing the digital-trade regulatory profile of the country concerned under close supervision and technical guidance from ESCAP and international experts, including those from OECD. The datasets will eventually be used as inputs for the regional database including ESCAP DigiSRII and OECD DSTRI databases, the country-profile briefs will be subsequently published on the ESCAP website. The outputs will be a resource to further develop knowledge products, policy advisory services and capacity building materials as deemed fit.
Partnerships
ESCAP would like to invite interested agencies, including national institutions, working on digital economy integration of Asia-Pacific economies to partner with us in this initiative. Moving forward, ESCAP is looking for an opportunity to work with national partners to ensure that the initiative will support countries in achieving the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development.
Trainings and workshops
• Training for project researchers on OECD Digital Services Restrictiveness Index (DSTRI).
• Training for project researchers on ESCAP's Regional Digital Trade Integration Index (RDTII) approach.
The training materials are available for invited participants only.
Papers and Publications
TBC
Contact person
Please email Ms. Witada Anukoonwattaka, the project coordinator, at [email protected] if you have any question.